Volunteer Beauty Workers in Ukraine: Restoring Dignity and Inner Strength

In Ukraine, people want to serve their country. Where do beauty industry workers fit in? What about the hairdressers, manicurists, makeup artists and others who were immediately left unemployed when the war began?

They have played a surprisingly important role. Who can calculate the importance beauty, human kindness, and a small glimpse of normalcy can play in the lives of people traumatized by months of living under foreign occupation?

Thirty-three-year old Olga Belytska from Kyiv had the idea of marshaling the efforts of beauty workers to do something to help survivors of the occupation recover from trauma.  Before February 24, 2022, she had a successful career working as a top make-up artist in the fashion industry. She also taught students at the art academy and became one of the main Ukrainian ambassadors of the famous French brand Guerlain. 

When the war disrupted her professional life, Olga decided to adapt to the new reality. Immediately after the liberation of the Kyiv region in April 2022, she posted a heartfelt notice on social media that would ultimately change the lives of many. 

The message read: "Would anyone like to join me for a trip to Irpin to provide free beauty treatments, as a support to people who've survived under occupation?" The response of her colleagues was overwhelming, and they soon formed a dedicated group of beauty volunteers.

They began going into the small villages in the liberated territories and immediately encountered individuals who had long been deprived of life’s simple pleasures, such as having their hair cut or their nails done. The interactions that followed were not solely about beauty care: they became opportunities for finding solace in shared experiences. 

As the villagers gathered, waiting their turns, seemingly insignificant conversations evolved into heartfelt exchanges. But the main treatments happened a little later, in the chairs of hairdressers and manicurists, where people traditionally relax and start talking heart-to-heart with their beauty professional. 

What Beltyska discovered is that what might begin with a casual remark about what was for dinner quickly transformed into discussions about the unimaginable hardships endured, including stories of rape, torture, murdered loved ones. Being able to talk in the presence of someone who was listening and who cared was a reminder that good people exist. Being given a beauty treatment meant at least a temporary respite from the heavy burdens they carried.

“Bringing beauty and a hug” became the unofficial slogan of the Beauty Volunteers. In each town they visited, beauty workers brought moments of community. While their efforts cannot heal the deep wounds inflicted by war, their actions did provide a glimpse of normalcy and human kindness. 

The Beauty Volunteers are still active.  Every Monday the group of two dozen top Kyiv hairdressers, eyebrow artists, massage therapists, make-up artists and manicurists travels to a different town, reaching out to as many people as possible. They are still bringing their special brand of light and encouragement to the areas where the invaders did their best to demoralize the residents.  

The volunteers understand that their efforts will not solve the complex issues faced by the survivors. Still, the beauty workers have seen that providing moments of beauty and normalcy can make the burden a little more bearable.  The beauty workers aren’t soldiers, fighting on the front lines, but even so, their contribution to Ukrainian morale is beyond price.

You can follow the Beauty Workers and their efforts on Facebook and Instagram.