See you soon, lock roots
When the government announced its strategy for a temporary exit from containment on Monday, one question worried us: when will hairdressers and beauty salons be able to reopen?
The beauty industry has been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with salons forced to close even longer than pubs, restaurants and gyms over the past year.
Nearly 5,000 salons have been forced to close their doors for good due to the lockdown, and following Boris’ latest announcement, hairdressers and salons across the country will have to wait at least another seven weeks before they can even consider reopening. their doors.
When will hairdressers and beauty salons reopen in the UK?
April 12, 2021 currently serves as a tentative date for the reopening of hair and beauty salons in England. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said salons and non-essential retail outlets are expected to reopen in the country during the last week of April, while Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to provisional opening date given for beauty services.
But with the England date still seven weeks in the future, some of our best lounges are threatened after almost a year of little financial assistance following repeated closures.
Ahead of the announcement of the next government budget on March 3, the beauty industry is calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to introduce a temporary VAT cut for salons from 20% to 5% (in line with what has been granted to hospitality industries) and to provide additional funding for businesses that fall under the personal care sector.
To support the salons, the British Beauty Council launched Beauty on the brink, a campaign supported by industry professionals, including at Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Andrea Thompson and Beauty and Style Director Lisa Oxenham – urging the government to act now to save the salons.
How will social distancing work in salons?
What the future of the hairdressing and beauty industry will look like is still largely unknown. But if the salons are given the green light to open at the end of April, social distancing measures similar to those put in place when the salons reopen in July should be implemented.
Think: PPE, plastic protective screens between chairs, appointment-only care, and temperature control before entering the salon.
For beauty salons, all treatments were not immediately back on the menu when the last confinement was lifted. Those that require close contact – such as eyebrow treatments, LVL eyelashes and facials – were only offered in August, which means that while the lounges could open in April, it is unclear whether they will be able to offer all the services.
How to support your salon
Get the reservation!
This gives salons an idea of their expected income, and let’s be honest, after a year of intermittent blockages, we could all use a mend in the chair.
If you make an appointment, be sure to show up. Or if you absolutely can’t, try to let your salon know well in advance.
While the past year has brought, uh, some interesting ventures into dying hair at home, we can’t wait to leave it to the experts again.
