Are nail and beauty salons open? Everything you need to know
After a long, long wait in lockdown, beauty salons have finally reopened.
While some grooming services such as hairdressers and barbers were allowed to open up to customers with safety measures in place a few weeks ago, a whole host of other beauty and leisure services were not initially given the green light by the Government to resume trading.
However, Culture secretary Oliver Dowden announced recently that beauticians, tattooists and tanning salons can welcome back clients in the latest easing of the lockdown.
He said:“Having allowed hairdressers to reopen, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close contact services can now do the same, I’m pleased to say, from Monday [July 13].
“Of course that will be subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services.”
With that in mind, here's what you can and can't do when you book in:
When will nail salons reopen?
Nail salons can officially reopen from today, Monday 13 July.
Salons will be required to put safety measures in place, just as hairdressers are. These will include sanitisation stations, masks for staff and extra cleaning measures.
When will beauty salons reopen?
Similarly, beauty salons, tattoo and massage studios, physical therapy businesses, spas and piercing services will also be allowed to reopen from July 13.
Can I get beauty treatments from July 4?
Some, yes. Despite salons reopening, not all treatments will be available.
Only services that do not involve work in the highest risk zone - directly in front of the face should be made available at beauty salons.
This means that treatments such as face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials, should not be provided until Government advice changes.
The Government's decision not to open beauty salons along with hairdressers and barbers prompted allegations that female-led businesses were being ignored.
Conservative MP Caroline Nokes criticised the Government yesterday in Parliament, saying its lockdown easing policies have been "designed by men, for men".
"What we have seen is female led businesses left to the back of the pile," she added. "It’s very obvious that men with hair need barbers and hairdressers. They perhaps find less need for pedicures and leg waxers. And it’s absolutely noticeable that the beauty industry has 90% female employees and the majority are women-led businesses. We’re preventing our women entrepreneurs from getting back to work."
However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement on July 3 that he was prioritising the opening as soon as it could be considered safe.
"I want these restrictions to be lifted as soon as possible - of course I do," he said.
"We have established taskforces to work rapidly and closely with the sectors that remain closed to explore how they can be Covid Secure. I am pleased to report good progress is being made.
