On 4 July, certain businesses were allowed to reopen their doors to customers in England for the first time since lockdown was established in March.
Restaurants were able to welcome back diners, while hairdressers were permitted to recommence cutting and styling clients’ barnets.
Many members of the public were left disappointed as some establishments, including nail bars and tattoo parlours, were not included in the list of businesses authorised to resume operations.
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However, on Thursday 9 July the government announced that this ruling had changed, outlining guidelines beauty salons will have to follow as they reopen.
Just over a week later on Friday 17 July, the prime minister revealed during a press conference that “close contact services” carried out by beauticians would be allowed to take place in the near future.
Here is everything you need to know.
When did nail bars and beauty salons reopen in England?
While non-essential businesses have been reopening in England since the beginning of June, this hasn’t applied to all retailers.
On Monday 13 July, businesses including beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo parlours were given the go-ahead to resume business.
What beauty services are permitted?
During the update given on 9 July, the government explained that “updated Covid-19 secure guidance” had been published outlining the measures that workers who are “providing close contact services” should adhere to “to protect staff and customers”.
This included not offering services in “the highest risk zone” in front of the face.
Nonetheless, on 17 July the prime minister revealed that this guidance will change from Saturday 1 August, with “all close contact services” allowed to resume.
This will include services such as eyelash treatments, eyebrow threading and facials.
The government said that when a distance of two metres cannot be observed between practitioners and customers, the person who is carrying out the beauty treatment “should wear further protection in addition to any that they may usually wear”.
“This should be a clear visor that covers the face, or the use of a screen or other barrier that protects the practitioner and the customer from respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing or speaking,” the government stated.
1/50 18 July 2020
People enjoy the sunny weather at Painshill, an 18th century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey
PA
2/50 17 July 2020
Captain Sir Thomas Moore receives his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, during a ceremony at Windsor Castle
AP
3/50 16 July 2020
Red Arrows do a flypast during the Graduation Ceremony of the Queen’s Squadron at RAF College Cranwell, Lincolnshire
The Daily Telegraph/PA
4/50 15 July 2020
Jen Reid poses in front of a black resin and steel statue titled ‘A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020’, which is based on her by Marc Quinn, where it has been installed on the vacant Edward Colston plinth in Bristol city centre. The original statue was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour during Black Lives Matter protests
PA
5/50 14 July 2020
Fields of echium and borage in full flower near the town of Thaxted in Essex
PA
6/50 13 July 2020
People ride a rollercoaster in a theme park next to Southend pier. Many businesses in tourism and hospitality have been able to reopen after some lockdown measures were eased
Getty
7/50 12 July 2020
West Indies’s John Campbell and Jason Holder celebrate winning the test as England’s Rory Burns and teammates look on dejected
Reuters
8/50 11 July 2020
Chicldren play in the water during a cricket match between Abinger and Worplesdon & Nurpham in Abinger Hammer, Surrey
Reuters
9/50 10 July 2020
People gather for the funeral of Dame Vera Lynn in Ditchling, England. During World War II she travelled to the frontlines, including Burma, entertaining British troops and boosting morale. She died on 18 June at her home in West Sussex
Getty
10/50 9 July 2020
Artist Anish Kapoor looks into his sculpture ‘Sky Mirror’ at Houghton Hall, King’s Lynn, ahead of the opening of his largest UK exhibition of outdoor sculptures
PA
11/50 8 July 2020
Players take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on the first day of the first Test cricket match between England and the West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton
AFP via Getty
12/50 7 July 2020
A circus performer from the Association of Circus Proprietors in Whitehall, London. The association handed a petition to Downing Street to ask Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allow circuses to reopen
EPA
13/50 6 July 2020
Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, which re-opened to the public after being closed due to the coronavirus lockdown
PA
14/50 5 July 2020
People visit Columbia Road Flower Market, London, as it reopens following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across England
PA
15/50 4 July 2020
A member of bar staff wearing PPE in the form of a face mask, pours drinks inside the The Goldengrove in Stratford
AFP via Getty
16/50 3 July 2020
Cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands prior to the League One play-off semi final match between Portsmouth and Oxford United at Fratton Park
PA
17/50 2 July 2020
A diver cleans the inside window of the seal tank at Tynemouth Aquarium in North Shields, as it prepares to open on Saturday after further coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted in England
PA
18/50 1 July 2020
Slackliner Sandor Nagy practices on the beach in Boscombe, on the south coast of England
AFP via Getty
19/50 30 June 2020
(left to right) Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill attending the funeral of senior Irish Republican and former leading IRA figure Bobby Storey in west Belfast
PA
20/50 29 June 2020
Former Team GB Rhythmic Gymnastic dancer Hannah Martin during a training session at Ouse Valley Viaduct in Sussex
Reuters
21/50 28 June 2020
People visit Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, that recently reopened following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restriction
PA
22/50 27 June 2020
A protest for Justice for Shukri Abdi on Trafalgar Square in London, following a raft of Black Lives Matter protests across the UK
PA
23/50 26 June 2020
Police at the scene of an incident at the Park Inn Hotel in central Glasgow. Scottish police said armed officers shot dead a man after a suspected stabbing in the city centre left six others injured, including one of their colleagues. Several roads were closed and the surrounding area was cordoned off
AFP via Getty
24/50 25 June 2020
A horse is washed down at Haydock Racecourse
PA
25/50 24 June 2020
People enjoy the hot weather on Margate beach
Reuters
26/50 23 June 2020
Tony Bennett the owner of The Devereux pub in Temple, London. Pub and hospitality bosses have cheered the Government’s proposals to allow customers through their doors again on July 4 as “a welcome relief”. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that pubs, restaurants and cinemas will be able to reopen from July 4, with “one metre-plus” distancing measures in place
PA
27/50 22 June 2020
Police forensics officers carry out a search near Forbury Gardens, in Reading town centre, the scene of a multiple stabbing attack which took place at around 7pm on Saturday, leaving three people dead and another three seriously injured
PA
28/50 21 June 2020
Soccer Football – Premier League – Everton v Liverpool – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – June 21, 2020 Children play football outside the stadium before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Action Images via Reuters
29/50 20 June 2020
Arsenal’s midfielder Nicolas Pepe kneels before the Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium in southern England
AFP via Getty
30/50 19 June 2020
Bianca Walkden during a training session at the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester
PA
31/50 18 June 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures about social distancing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he arrives at Downing Street for a meeting. Macron also visited London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of former French president Charles de Gaulle’s appeal to French people to resist the Nazi occupation during World War II
AFP
32/50 17 June 2020
Players kneel, as well as, having ‘Black Lives Matter’ in place of names on their shirts prior to the start of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park in Birmingham. The league resumed after its three-month suspension because of coronavirus
AP
33/50 16 June 2020
Motakhayyel ridden by Jim Crowley, right, wins the Buckingham Palace Handicap during day one of Royal Ascot. This year, the flat racing’s biggest meeting, is behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak
PA
34/50 15 June 2020
Queues form at Primark at the Rushden Lakes shopping complex after the government relaxed coronavirus lockdown laws significantly, allowing zoos, safari parks and non-essential shops to open to visitors
Getty
35/50 14 June 2020
A man kneels at a commemoration to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fire claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017
PA
36/50 13 June 2020
Protesters confront police in Whitehall near Parliament Square, during a protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance
PA
37/50 12 June 2020
A Black Lives Matter supporter sings to crowds who marched with her in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in London. The death of an African American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
38/50 11 June 2020
Scouts show their support at the Lord Baden-Powell statue in Poole. The statue of Robert Baden-Powell on Poole Quay is to be placed in “safe storage” following concerns about his racial views
Getty
39/50 10 June 2020
Social distancing markers around the penguin enclosure at London Zoo. Staff have been preparing and are now ready for reopening next week with new signage, one-way trails for visitors to follow, and extra handwashing and sanitiser stations in place
PA
40/50 9 June 2020
Protestors hold placards and shout slogans during during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes outside Oriel College, at the University of Oxford
AFP via Getty
41/50 8 June 2020
Hermione Wilson helps to install a new artwork at Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, created as a tribute to the NHS titled “A Thousand Thank Yous” originally devised by the late Allan Kaprow which consists of colourful painted messages on cardboard and has been directed remotely by London-based artist Peter Liversidge
PA
42/50 7 June 2020
The Edward Colston statue has been pulled down by Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol. Colston was a 17th century slave trader who has numerous landmarks named after him in Bristol
SWNS
43/50 6 June 2020
Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
44/50 5 June 2020
Protesters kneel in Trafalgar Square during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in London, England. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
45/50 4 June 2020
Protestors march from Windsor Castle in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement
Getty
46/50 3 June 2020
People wearing face masks hold banners in Hyde Park during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis
Reuters
47/50 2 June 2020
Street artist Nath Murdoch touches up his anti-racism mural in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
PA
48/50 1 June 2020
Customers socially distance themselves as they queue to enter Ikea in Warrington. The store opening saw large queues of people and traffic on adjacent roads as it reopened after the lockdown. The furniture and housewares chain reopened its stores across England and Northern Ireland subject to several restrictions, keeping its restaurants closed and asking customers to shop alone
Getty
49/50 31 May 2020
A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy, London, Britai
Reuters
50/50 30 May 2020
Visitors at Grassholme Reservoir in Lunedale, Co Durham are able to cross an ancient packhorse bridge as work on the dam wall means water levels have dropped signifcantly to reveal this monument of the pas
UK
1/50 18 July 2020
People enjoy the sunny weather at Painshill, an 18th century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey
PA
2/50 17 July 2020
Captain Sir Thomas Moore receives his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, during a ceremony at Windsor Castle
AP
3/50 16 July 2020
Red Arrows do a flypast during the Graduation Ceremony of the Queen’s Squadron at RAF College Cranwell, Lincolnshire
The Daily Telegraph/PA
4/50 15 July 2020
Jen Reid poses in front of a black resin and steel statue titled ‘A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020’, which is based on her by Marc Quinn, where it has been installed on the vacant Edward Colston plinth in Bristol city centre. The original statue was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour during Black Lives Matter protests
PA
5/50 14 July 2020
Fields of echium and borage in full flower near the town of Thaxted in Essex
PA
6/50 13 July 2020
People ride a rollercoaster in a theme park next to Southend pier. Many businesses in tourism and hospitality have been able to reopen after some lockdown measures were eased
Getty
7/50 12 July 2020
West Indies’s John Campbell and Jason Holder celebrate winning the test as England’s Rory Burns and teammates look on dejected
Reuters
8/50 11 July 2020
Chicldren play in the water during a cricket match between Abinger and Worplesdon & Nurpham in Abinger Hammer, Surrey
Reuters
9/50 10 July 2020
People gather for the funeral of Dame Vera Lynn in Ditchling, England. During World War II she travelled to the frontlines, including Burma, entertaining British troops and boosting morale. She died on 18 June at her home in West Sussex
Getty
10/50 9 July 2020
Artist Anish Kapoor looks into his sculpture ‘Sky Mirror’ at Houghton Hall, King’s Lynn, ahead of the opening of his largest UK exhibition of outdoor sculptures
PA
11/50 8 July 2020
Players take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on the first day of the first Test cricket match between England and the West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton
AFP via Getty
12/50 7 July 2020
A circus performer from the Association of Circus Proprietors in Whitehall, London. The association handed a petition to Downing Street to ask Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allow circuses to reopen
EPA
13/50 6 July 2020
Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, which re-opened to the public after being closed due to the coronavirus lockdown
PA
14/50 5 July 2020
People visit Columbia Road Flower Market, London, as it reopens following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across England
PA
15/50 4 July 2020
A member of bar staff wearing PPE in the form of a face mask, pours drinks inside the The Goldengrove in Stratford
AFP via Getty
16/50 3 July 2020
Cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands prior to the League One play-off semi final match between Portsmouth and Oxford United at Fratton Park
PA
17/50 2 July 2020
A diver cleans the inside window of the seal tank at Tynemouth Aquarium in North Shields, as it prepares to open on Saturday after further coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted in England
PA
18/50 1 July 2020
Slackliner Sandor Nagy practices on the beach in Boscombe, on the south coast of England
AFP via Getty
19/50 30 June 2020
(left to right) Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill attending the funeral of senior Irish Republican and former leading IRA figure Bobby Storey in west Belfast
PA
20/50 29 June 2020
Former Team GB Rhythmic Gymnastic dancer Hannah Martin during a training session at Ouse Valley Viaduct in Sussex
Reuters
21/50 28 June 2020
People visit Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, that recently reopened following the easing of coronavirus lockdown restriction
PA
22/50 27 June 2020
A protest for Justice for Shukri Abdi on Trafalgar Square in London, following a raft of Black Lives Matter protests across the UK
PA
23/50 26 June 2020
Police at the scene of an incident at the Park Inn Hotel in central Glasgow. Scottish police said armed officers shot dead a man after a suspected stabbing in the city centre left six others injured, including one of their colleagues. Several roads were closed and the surrounding area was cordoned off
AFP via Getty
24/50 25 June 2020
A horse is washed down at Haydock Racecourse
PA
25/50 24 June 2020
People enjoy the hot weather on Margate beach
Reuters
26/50 23 June 2020
Tony Bennett the owner of The Devereux pub in Temple, London. Pub and hospitality bosses have cheered the Government’s proposals to allow customers through their doors again on July 4 as “a welcome relief”. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 23, 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that pubs, restaurants and cinemas will be able to reopen from July 4, with “one metre-plus” distancing measures in place
PA
27/50 22 June 2020
Police forensics officers carry out a search near Forbury Gardens, in Reading town centre, the scene of a multiple stabbing attack which took place at around 7pm on Saturday, leaving three people dead and another three seriously injured
PA
28/50 21 June 2020
Soccer Football – Premier League – Everton v Liverpool – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – June 21, 2020 Children play football outside the stadium before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Action Images via Reuters
29/50 20 June 2020
Arsenal’s midfielder Nicolas Pepe kneels before the Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium in southern England
AFP via Getty
30/50 19 June 2020
Bianca Walkden during a training session at the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester
PA
31/50 18 June 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures about social distancing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he arrives at Downing Street for a meeting. Macron also visited London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of former French president Charles de Gaulle’s appeal to French people to resist the Nazi occupation during World War II
AFP
32/50 17 June 2020
Players kneel, as well as, having ‘Black Lives Matter’ in place of names on their shirts prior to the start of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park in Birmingham. The league resumed after its three-month suspension because of coronavirus
AP
33/50 16 June 2020
Motakhayyel ridden by Jim Crowley, right, wins the Buckingham Palace Handicap during day one of Royal Ascot. This year, the flat racing’s biggest meeting, is behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak
PA
34/50 15 June 2020
Queues form at Primark at the Rushden Lakes shopping complex after the government relaxed coronavirus lockdown laws significantly, allowing zoos, safari parks and non-essential shops to open to visitors
Getty
35/50 14 June 2020
A man kneels at a commemoration to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fire claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017
PA
36/50 13 June 2020
Protesters confront police in Whitehall near Parliament Square, during a protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance
PA
37/50 12 June 2020
A Black Lives Matter supporter sings to crowds who marched with her in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in London. The death of an African American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
38/50 11 June 2020
Scouts show their support at the Lord Baden-Powell statue in Poole. The statue of Robert Baden-Powell on Poole Quay is to be placed in “safe storage” following concerns about his racial views
Getty
39/50 10 June 2020
Social distancing markers around the penguin enclosure at London Zoo. Staff have been preparing and are now ready for reopening next week with new signage, one-way trails for visitors to follow, and extra handwashing and sanitiser stations in place
PA
40/50 9 June 2020
Protestors hold placards and shout slogans during during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes outside Oriel College, at the University of Oxford
AFP via Getty
41/50 8 June 2020
Hermione Wilson helps to install a new artwork at Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, created as a tribute to the NHS titled “A Thousand Thank Yous” originally devised by the late Allan Kaprow which consists of colourful painted messages on cardboard and has been directed remotely by London-based artist Peter Liversidge
PA
42/50 7 June 2020
The Edward Colston statue has been pulled down by Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol. Colston was a 17th century slave trader who has numerous landmarks named after him in Bristol
SWNS
43/50 6 June 2020
Children pose for their family in front of discarded placards fixed on a wall in Piccadilly Gardens after a Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Manchester. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
44/50 5 June 2020
Protesters kneel in Trafalgar Square during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in London, England. The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police has sparked protests across the United States, as well as demonstrations of solidarity in many countries around the world
Getty
45/50 4 June 2020
Protestors march from Windsor Castle in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement
Getty
46/50 3 June 2020
People wearing face masks hold banners in Hyde Park during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis
Reuters
47/50 2 June 2020
Street artist Nath Murdoch touches up his anti-racism mural in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
PA
48/50 1 June 2020
Customers socially distance themselves as they queue to enter Ikea in Warrington. The store opening saw large queues of people and traffic on adjacent roads as it reopened after the lockdown. The furniture and housewares chain reopened its stores across England and Northern Ireland subject to several restrictions, keeping its restaurants closed and asking customers to shop alone
Getty
49/50 31 May 2020
A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy, London, Britai
Reuters
50/50 30 May 2020
Visitors at Grassholme Reservoir in Lunedale, Co Durham are able to cross an ancient packhorse bridge as work on the dam wall means water levels have dropped signifcantly to reveal this monument of the pas
UK
Beauty salons that open can only offer services to customers who book appointments in advance and only water is allowed to be consumed by customers on the premises.
All of the guidance outlined by the government also applies to beauty practitioners who operate in various locations, such as in people’s homes.
Business secretary Alok Sharma explained that allowing nail bars and beauty salons to reopen “is yet another step in our plan to kickstart the economy to support jobs and incomes across the country”.
1/15 Yeside Linney before
The 70-year-old teacher was ‘desperate to come back’ to get her hair done at Purely Natural Salon in Stratford, East London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
2/15 Yeside Linney during
She had come for a wash and a braiding, for extensions and to get her new curls set
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
3/15 Yeside Linney after
Appointments will be very different from now on with limited contact with stylists and staggered arrival times
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
4/15 Levi Robbins before
Levi Robbins could not wait till the morning to get his haircut at Idris Barbering Co. in Tottenham, north London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
5/15 Levi Robbins during
The 29-year-old lab technician said it was important everyone feel safe as lockdown eased
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
6/15 Levi Robbins after
Before going to the hairdresser on Saturday, Levi said he’d had to endure a series of ‘sketchy haircuts’
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
7/15 Kate Knight before
Kate Knight said she had been strategising for months about how and when she would be able to get her first haircut after lockdown
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
8/15 Kate Knight during
The 32-year-old recruiter said it had been difficult to be stuck at home looking in the mirror at her unkempt her
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
9/15 Kate Knight after
She said people shouldn’t be afraid of going to get their hair cut under social distancing rules; ‘it is just amazing’, she said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
10/15 Ethan Defoe before
Ethan Defoe said he had got used to having long hair and that not having a haircut for such a long time had been ‘crazy’ for him
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
11/15 Ethan Defoe during
The 27-year-old IT project manager said he felt safe under social distancing measures at Idris Barbering Co. in Tottenham, north London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
12/15 Ethan Defoe after
He said, for him, the easing of lockdown restrictions had come at the right time; ‘the whole country has been waiting for this,’ he said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
13/15 Catia Vieira before
Catia Vieira said getting her hair cut was like ‘one of those little luxuries in life that everybody has been craving for so long’
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
14/15 Catia Vieira during
The 36-year-old recruiter said people had been looking forward to socialising after experiencing ‘cabin fever’ in lockdown
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
15/15 Catia Vieira after
She said everyone was going to try social distancing but that it might be difficult in places like pubs and restaurants; ‘It’s not going to happen, especially after a few glasses of wine,’ she said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
1/15 Yeside Linney before
The 70-year-old teacher was ‘desperate to come back’ to get her hair done at Purely Natural Salon in Stratford, East London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
2/15 Yeside Linney during
She had come for a wash and a braiding, for extensions and to get her new curls set
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
3/15 Yeside Linney after
Appointments will be very different from now on with limited contact with stylists and staggered arrival times
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
4/15 Levi Robbins before
Levi Robbins could not wait till the morning to get his haircut at Idris Barbering Co. in Tottenham, north London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
5/15 Levi Robbins during
The 29-year-old lab technician said it was important everyone feel safe as lockdown eased
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
6/15 Levi Robbins after
Before going to the hairdresser on Saturday, Levi said he’d had to endure a series of ‘sketchy haircuts’
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
7/15 Kate Knight before
Kate Knight said she had been strategising for months about how and when she would be able to get her first haircut after lockdown
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
8/15 Kate Knight during
The 32-year-old recruiter said it had been difficult to be stuck at home looking in the mirror at her unkempt her
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
9/15 Kate Knight after
She said people shouldn’t be afraid of going to get their hair cut under social distancing rules; ‘it is just amazing’, she said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
10/15 Ethan Defoe before
Ethan Defoe said he had got used to having long hair and that not having a haircut for such a long time had been ‘crazy’ for him
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
11/15 Ethan Defoe during
The 27-year-old IT project manager said he felt safe under social distancing measures at Idris Barbering Co. in Tottenham, north London
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
12/15 Ethan Defoe after
He said, for him, the easing of lockdown restrictions had come at the right time; ‘the whole country has been waiting for this,’ he said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
13/15 Catia Vieira before
Catia Vieira said getting her hair cut was like ‘one of those little luxuries in life that everybody has been craving for so long’
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
14/15 Catia Vieira during
The 36-year-old recruiter said people had been looking forward to socialising after experiencing ‘cabin fever’ in lockdown
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
15/15 Catia Vieira after
She said everyone was going to try social distancing but that it might be difficult in places like pubs and restaurants; ‘It’s not going to happen, especially after a few glasses of wine,’ she said
Chiara Brambilla/The Independent
What about the rest of the UK?
The devolved nations of the UK have established lockdown guidelines that are distinct from the rules outlined by the government for members of the public in England.
In Northern Ireland, hair salons, barbers, nail bars, beauty salons and tattoo parlours were allowed to reopen from 6 July.
The Scottish government recently announced that hairdressers and barbers are scheduled to open their doors from 15 July.
Meanwhile other beauty-related businesses, including beauty salons, spas, nail bars and make-up counters, have been given an “indicative opening date” of 22 July “subject to physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures”.
The first minister of Wales has released a timetable for the easing of restrictions for businesses across the country, stating that establishments including tattoo parlours and nail salons can begin preparing to reopen from 27 July as long as social distancing and hygiene guidelines are stringently followed.
How will salons ensure staff and customer safety when they reopen?
A number of safety measures have been introduced to protect both staff and customers at nail bars and beauty salons.
As part of its plans to ease lockdown, the government has said that any businesses which reopen will have to meet Covid-19 secure guidelines.
Depending upon the workplace in question, this will mean carrying out measures such as ensuring people are able to maintain social distancing, staggering the arrival of employees and introducing “one-way flow routes” and hand sanitisation areas.
At beauty salons in England, screens and barriers are being used to separate clients from one another, in addition to clients from practitioners in environments such as nail salons.
The government advises “increasing the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning”, in addition to “keeping the activity time to a minimum”.
Customers’ seats must be adequately spaced from each other, and practitioners must wear gloves “wear it is not crucial to the service”.
Can you do beauty treatments at home?
If you do not feel comfortable undergoing beauty treatments at salons, there are many treatments that you can do yourself at home.
The Independent has a number of DIY beauty guides to help you with everything from mastering a gel manicure, to removing acrylic nails and keeping your brows in check.