Australians are now spending about $470 a month on beauty. That’s $12.6 billion a year. More than some countries spend on defence. And what are we defending? Our eyebrows, mostly.

It’s easy to laugh. Botox, eyelash extensions, Brazilian waxes — hardly the stuff of national importance. But look closer and you’ll see these aren’t just vanity projects. They’re survival strategies. A facial is basically a socially acceptable nap with essential oils. A lash lift is an act of resistance against looking like a raccoon on Monday morning.

In the City of Casey this is no joke. Nearly one in five adults there report high levels of psychological distress, higher than the state average. More than ten per cent live with long-term anxiety or depression. At the same time, mental health services are closing and waiting lists stretch on forever. When the system doesn’t deliver, people look elsewhere. In Casey, that elsewhere is often the salon.

Raha, the owner of Lotik, a Beauty Salon in Prahran, has watched the shift up close. “When I started, brows and lashes were still seen as luxuries,” she says. “Now they’re essentials. People don’t come in just to look good for an event. They come in because it helps them feel calmer, more confident, more in control. That’s why we opened in Malvern Central and why we’re now seeing more demand further out in the suburbs. The stress is real and self-care is becoming part of how people cope.”

These places have become unofficial wellness hubs. For half an hour you’re not a parent, a commuter, or a mortgage prisoner. You’re simply a client with someone fussing over you, and for once in the week, you feel looked after. Call it emotional infrastructure — not on any government budget sheet, but vital all the same.

Of course, social media makes the whole thing tricky. Nothing like a few minutes on Instagram to convince you that your skin, hair and life are all inadequate. But people aren’t spending billions because they’re shallow. They’re spending it because it works. For the price of a lash lift you buy not just curled lashes, but a sliver of calm and control.

Casey by the Numbers

  • 365,239 residents (2021 Census)
  • Median age: 34 (younger than the Victorian average)
  • 42% born overseas
    41% speak a language other than English at home
  • 19% of adults report high or very high psychological distress (above the Victorian average of 15%)
  • 10.3% live with a long-term mental health condition such as anxiety or depression
  • $470 per month — average Australian spending on beauty and personal care
    $12.6 billion — the annual national market for beauty treatments and services

Casey’s council has a Health and Wellbeing Strategy. It talks about diet and sport. Fair enough. But maybe it’s time to acknowledge the quiet rituals that are really keeping people afloat. If libraries are civic treasures, then surely threading salons deserve at least a nod.

Beauty has always been about more than looks. In Casey it’s becoming a pressure valve. And if a brow tint is what gets someone through another week of traffic jams on Clyde Road and rising interest rates, who are we to judge?