Gulshan London
When it comes to microblading, Nez Hasan is best in class. Her incredibly realistic microblading technique and Instagram-worthy salon have seen her grow a cult following on social media with an impressive waiting list. She currently has a six-month waiting list and many celebrity clients, such as Emma Willis and influencers Tamara Kalinic and Tanya Burr.
Five years ago Nez started her new career as a beauty therapist and noticed a gap in the market for eyebrow microblading when she struggled to find anyone to treat her own requirements. Microblading is a semi-permanent technique which mimics the look of actual hairs and gives you the look of perfectly full eyebrows. You would assume shaping and defining eyebrows is nothing revolutionary, on the contrary it can completely change the look and balance of a face and give someone a sense of confidence, especially if that person has recently undergone chemotherapy.
“It is clear to see how talented Nez is from her clients before and after photos, her work is often nothing less than transformational.”
Nez found the best places to learn her new expertise, qualified as a microblader and set up a business. Her business quickly gained a loyal client base largely via word of mouth on social media, treating a variety of celebrities and social media influencers her business is often booked for months in advance. As Nez’s success has grown she has added new treatments to make women feel better about themselves. These included areola and nipple tattoos for breast cancer survivors, medical camouflage for scars, burns and vitiligo, and the most popular microblading and microshading.
It is clear to see how talented Nez is from her clients before and after photos, her work is often nothing less than transformational. I recently went by her salon, one quick eyebrow threading session with Nez changed the symmetry of my face. Nez is a perfectionist and there is a reason why she has made a name for herself in the beauty industry so quickly. We met up for lunch near her Kensington based salon to discuss her journey so far.
Please can you tell us a bit more about your background and how it shaped who you are today?
I have a strong Turkish heritage, which I am very proud of. There are many beautiful aspects to my culture however being a divorced single mother hasn’t been an easy journey.
I initially had a career in distribution, an entirely different field to what I am doing now! In 2015, whilst I was holding my young daughter I fell on a wet floor in a supermarket and hurt myself very badly. I was compensated £5000 by the supermarket which at the time was a large amount of money for me. After my accident I felt that it was the right opportunity to start my own venture, I knew immediately what to do with the money and I invested it into taking a microblading course.
I am definitely a strong believer of noticing what the signs in your life are telling you and making the most of tough situations, life is short and you might not get a second chance. I want to set an example to my daughter of how to be strong, how to be successful and to be a mother she could be proud of. I had to make a success of my business, there was no other alternative.
How have you found running your own business?
Being a single mother, I needed to stand on my own two feet, I had no option to fail with my business. It’s not been an easy process, being your own boss is not stress free. Running a business during the Covid-19 pandamic has been a big challenge and one of the biggest of my life. I had only just opened my new salon in Kensington when the pandemic happened.
“I am definitely a strong believer of noticing what the signs in your life are telling you and making the most of tough situations, life is short and you might not get a second chance.”
At first I was quite scared about the implications for my business and feared the worst, however slowly I have begun to see it as a lesson. None of us can control what happens, but we do have control in how we react to the situation. Whilst my business was closed I focused on social media and working with brands, there are always other options if you look for them.
What motivates you?
If I can make a woman feel more confident in herself with small but significant steps, then what more can I ask for in my job? It gives me the motivation to go to work every day knowing I will make someone happy. The trust and love that my clients have for me always makes me appreciated and I never want to disappoint them.
On a personal level, my daughter motivates me more than anything. It was for her that I was driven to each my goals in a short space of time.
“Her incredibly realistic microblading technique and Instagram-worthy salon have seen her grow a cult following on social media with an impressive waiting list.”
What advice would you give to people wanting to start their own business?
I think networking is a really crucial part of running your own business. The way we communicate with others has changed thanks to social media, building strong relationships with your clients is really important. Playing the long game is important, go to events and follow people in your field to learn more about the industry you want to be in. Instagram has been a crucial part of building my business as I see it as a way to speak to both future and current clients.
I think of my learning as being a continuous process, never stop learning and don’t be afraid of approaching someone to ask for help.
“Being a single mother, I needed to stand on my own two feet, I had no option to fail with my business.”
What is next for Nez Hasan?
I am always looking to gain expertise in new areas and I am currently working on mastering lip colour correction, this is something which is not widely available in the UK currently.
Teaching people is a different avenue of my work which I am really passionate about. I hope in the future I can expand helping people learn complex techniques such as the the areola tattoo and pigment wiper (tattoo removal). Both of these processes really give people confidence and its something lacking in the UK market at present.
