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Following the latest lockdown easing announcement, pubs, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and hairdressers in
England will be able to open from July 4. One thing that didn’t make the list? Nail and beauty salons.
It’s said to be because of the “risk of infection and safety” – and there’s no date planned as to when they can open their doors. “We intend to allow some other close contact services, such as nail bars, to reopen as soon as we can, when we’re confident they can operate in a secure way,” Johnson said in the briefing.
The prime minister added that “difficult judgements” were made when they were deciding which businesses would be able to reopen.
In other European countries, like
Italy and
Germany, beauty salons opened alongside shop and hairdressers – but people in the
UK are going to have to wait a little longer. Yet, according to online beauty booking service, Treatwell, appointments are already beginning to fill up.
With little guidance from the government on when the beauty sector can restart – what does this mean for our much-needed feel-good beauty treatments?Related... Haircuts, Pubs And Holidays: The Full List Of What Will Open On July 4 In England How much longer will beauty salons have to wait?Many salons had been preparing to reopen in time for the start of July, laying out the space and ordering PPE for the staff. But they’re confused by the latest lockdown announcement.
Ama Quashie, owner of Brixton-based nail salon Ama, wishes there was some stipulation for the future. “Is it going to be weeks [until we can reopen]? Another month?” she says, speaking to HuffPost UK. “What happens if you’re in an industry that’s not allowed to return?”
Others in the beauty industry also feel they’ve been left in the dark compared to other sectors. “Boris has given no indication of when we may reopen,” says Tina Michael, founder of Shoreditch Nails.
“He’s given other industries indications of their opening dates and honoured them. We need to know a rough timeline so we can prepare for reopening. We are being treated in a way that makes our industry look insignificant.”Related... What Your Visit To The Hair Salon Will Look Like From July Onwards And can they afford to remain closed?Government grants won’t last forever, salon owners tell us. They’re worried what to do when the support ends, as many are relying heavily on the grant scheme to get by.
“I know 80% furlough comes to an end in July,” says Quashie. “The government hasn’t said what will happen if you’re in an industry that’s not allowed to open past July. We need the 80% to carry on if we want to survive. It’s as simple as that.”
Michael adds: “It’s unfair we’ve got the same help as businesses who are able to open next week and start earning money. If some businesses are being singled out to remain closed by the government, then frankly the furlough scheme should continue to apply to those singled-out businesses.”Related... 'Vitiligo Is A Blessing': 3 Young
British Asians Show Their Skin Some Love What will change when salons do reopen?You’ll notice a few changes when you head back to a nail salon, although many of them say they were already ahead of the hygiene curve.
“We had sanitised and sterile practices as the foundation of our business long before coronavirus started,” Quashie explains, “things like sterilised tools between treatments and wiping down surfaces with anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral products. Now it’s a case of going above and beyond.”
Aside from upping the cleanliness, there’ll also be new guidelines for clients. Expect mandatory face masks or coverings, longer appointment times to ensure no cross-contamination with clients, contactless payments, and pre-booked appointments only.
“We won’t be serving clients drinks and they’ll be unable to bring guests with them,” Michael explains. “They’ll also need to inform us of any medical conditions that would potentially prevent us from doing their treatments before their appointment.”
Salon owners want to come back as soon as possible, but they say the staff and public’s safety is a number one priority. “Getting a facial, pedicure or manicure is a treatment service and it’s supposed to be pampering,” says Quashie.
“I want to come back in a way that doesn’t feel scary or put anyone at risk.”
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