As beauty salons open these are the treatments you’re allowed and the guidelines to follow
BRITS are gearing up to get their legs waxed and fresh acrylics done after beauty parlours welcomed their first clients in months.
Nail bars, spas and beauty salons reopened on July 13, after lockdown restrictions eased, but there are still some treatments which aren't allowed.
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Beauty parlours and hairdressers closed temporarily along with the hospitality sector back in March, due to coronavirus restrictions.
But while hairdressers were allowed to reopen on July 4, salons have had to wait a little bit longer before welcoming any customers.
Now that restrictions have eased, these are the beauty treatments you can and can’t get.
Manicures, pedicures and body waxes have been given the green light, but any treatments which touch someone else’s face are still banned.
Treatments stlill banned in salons
- Face waxing, sugaring or threading services
- Facial treatments
- Advanced facial (electrical or mechanical)
- Eyelash treatments
- Make-up application
- Dermarolling
- Dermaplaning
- Microblading
- Electrolysis on the face
- Eyebrow treatments
This means customers won't be able to get facials, eyebrow and lip threading, eyelash treatments and make-up applications.
Although beard trims will be allowed to go ahead, with (BABTAC) saying this covers “simple beard trims, thinning or removing bulk or length which can be done using either clippers or scissors".
Other services, including tattoo and piercing parlours, massage studios and spas can also open, but only services which don’t involve "high risk" contact - such as being directly in front of someone’s face - is allowed.
This is due to the close proximity between people, and the increased likelihood of germs being spread.
There has been uproar over the continued restrictions around beauty services, with some calling the new guidelines sexist.
But a senior government source told the : "There is a difference between a man having his beard or eyebrows trimmed, which doesn't have to be face-to-face and can be done quite quickly, and a facial which might often take an hour."
Despite re-opening salons will still have to follow strict guidelines, which means you may not be able to book a treatment for some time.
Treatments you can have
- Manicures
- Pedicures
- Foot treatments
- Body waxing
- Beard trims
- Some massages
Slots will be by appointment only, meaning no walk-ins, and it's thought salons will be limiting the number of people inside the premises at any one time.
Equipment may also be spaced out to maintain social distancing, reducing their capacity to serve customers.
Where social distancing isn’t possible, those providing treatments should wear PPE, including a disposable mask, visor and gloves, and screens may also be installed.
Skin-to-skin contact should be avoided, and premises should be thoroughly cleaned and disposable equipment used where possible, with increased hand washing facilities.
As the beauty sector reopened, a spokesperson for the National Hair and Beauty Federation said the four-month closure had cost the trade £1.75billion.
The impact of lockdown has been absolutely crippling to the entire beauty and hair treatment sector
Lesley Blair
Lesley Blair, chair of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, said: “The impact of lockdown has been absolutely crippling to the entire beauty and hair treatment sector.”
An exclusive Fab Daily poll of 2,000 readers revealed what treatments customers are most looking forward to.
Four in five of us (84 per cent) will return to their favourite parlours if and when they reopen.
Of those people, 20 per cent would book in for a treatment immediately.
But almost half of women (48 per cent) are less likely to visit a beauty salon due to fears over Covid-19.
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