A shaggy-haired Boris Johnson has revealed hairdressers will be allowed to reopen from July 4.
The Prime Minister told the House of Commons stylists can take customers providing they use appropriate precautions such as wearing visors.
But clients could face a three-month waiting list for a trim and some businesses said they will reopen at midnight to help clear the huge backlog.
Appointments are already full for the first two weeks of July, with one London hairdresser preparing to work through a 2,000-strong queue.
Mr Johnson said: ‘Almost as eagerly awaited as a pint will be a haircut, particularly by me, Mr Speaker.
‘And so we will reopen hairdressers with appropriate precautions including the use of visors.’
Northern Ireland salons are set to reopen on July 6, Wales will be open for appointment only from July 13, but no date has been announced for Scotland.
It will come as a relief to the public, who have either had a crack at their own barnets or left them to grow uncontrollably for three months.
It will also bring joy to the 33,000 employees across the country who have been off work.
A shaggy-haired Prime Minister said in the House of Commons today salons can take customers providing they use appropriate precautions such as wearing visors
Customers could face a three-month waiting list for a trim as some salons say they will reopen at midnight to clear the huge backlog. Pictured: How they could look after lockdown in Amersham, Buckinghamshire
But hairdressers will not look the same after lockdown, with some of the proposed changes being:
- Appointments to be made remotely, with no dropping in on the day of the haircut
- Temperature testing for clients and staff on arrival
- Waiting outside might be required until a customer is ushered in by their stylist
- Reception desk will have a Perspex screen or be completely gone
- Payments will be contactless, with no cash tipping
- Chairs will be spaced out to observe social distancing guidelines
- Stylists will wear masks and gowns that are changed after each client
- Clients will be asked to wear masks and leave jewellery, handbags and coats at home wherever possible
- Luxuries of tea, coffee and magazines will not be provided, so customers should bring their own
- Hand sanitisers will be dotted throughout the salon
- Juniors will not be assisting stylists, but sanitising sinks and surfaces between clients.
Toni & Guy, which has 485 salons in 48 countries, welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement.
It said on Twitter: ‘We can’t wait to see you! In line with latest government announcement, we’re planning to reopen our salons in England on Saturday 4th July.’
Hellen Ward from Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London said before they start cutting they need to assess the damage clients have done to themselves.
She said there were already 2,000 people on the waiting list, making it a three-month wait for some customers.
She told the Telegraph: ‘It will take a while, partly because we have to work out what they have done to their hair during lockdown to work out how long a booking will take.’
Hellen Ward from Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London (pictured before lockdown) said before they start cutting they need to assess the damage clients have done to themselves
Appointments are already full for the first two weeks after doors swing open, with one London hairdresser preparing to work through a 2,000-strong queue. Pictured: The example set out by Gatsby and Miller in Amersham
Dawn Montgomery acts as a client and senior colourist Laren Roads acts as a hair stylist in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, to show the experience could change after lockdown
Meanwhile The Chair in Canterbury, Kent, revealed it will open from midnight to 4pm on July 4 to get a head start on the backlog.
Owner Katie Hancock and another hairdresser are readying for the night shift before other workers start in the morning.
The move will only be for the first day, but the salon’s normal opening hours will be extended like many across the country.
Ms Hancock said: ‘Obviously the health and safety of our clients and stylists is the priority. All of our services will take a bit longer than usual.’
Leeds-based Louise Howard-Long, who owns Architect Hair Salon, flogged £7,000 in priority booking vouchers but had to bring the scheme to a halt due to spiralling demand.
She said: ‘We have been receiving so many emails. I have been trying to reply to them all individually to keep it feeling personal.’
The Chair in Canterbury, Kent (pictured before lockdown), revealed it will open from midnight to 4pm on July 4 to get a head start on the backlog
Leeds-based Louise Howard-Long, who owns Architect Hair Salon (pictured before lockdown), flogged £7,000 in priority booking vouchers but had to bring the scheme to a halt due to spiralling demand
One of Britain’s first hairdressers ready for reopening is the Gatsby & Miller in Amersham, which will feature Perspex screens. Parlours are among businesses to reopen in England from July 4 in a move dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ by some MPs
All staff at the salon in Amersham will have to wear a face mask and gloves, while customers will be asked to wear a mask during their visit
The hairdressing experience will be vastly different than before lockdown, with stylists required to take steps to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The National Hair and Beauty Federation released a set of guidelines last month to help businesses prepare themselves for reopening.
It suggested walk-in salons switch to an appointment-only system, or offer timed tickets to allow customers to ‘reserve’ their slot and return at the designated time.
To reduce the amount of time a customer spends in the chair, salons have been advised to trial online consultations where they will be able to discuss treatments.
The document says: ‘This could be done before your salon or barbershop is fully open for business.
‘This also gives you an opportunity to talk to clients about safety measures you’re taking to protect them and your team and to establish if an allergy alert test is needed.’
Any discussions that take place in person should be kept ‘to a minimum’ and be conducted via the mirror while standing behind the client.
The document adds: ‘You can lower the risk of infection by standing side-by-side rather than facing people.’
Stylist James Johnson from Kent said yesterday it was going to be ‘so busy for us’ with the backlog and that it would be ‘first come first served’.
He told Sky News: ‘Our main priority is making sure our clients are safe, as long as we are safe as well.
‘I think it’s overdue and I think financially we are all ready to go back, there has got to be a point where we’ve got to get the money coming in and paying our bills.’
On keeping clean in the coronavirus era, he added: ‘As a member of the beauty industry our standards of cleanliness are already very high.
‘It’s just reinforcing that we are keeping it super clean, super disinfected. Obviously we will have to wear gloves and masks, maybe even aprons, and keep things in terms of contact to a minimal.’
Gatsby & Miller in Amersham, Buckinghamshire – one of the 25,000 UK salon partners of beauty giant L’Oreal created a blueprint for the sector last month.
It includes a digital screen in the window to display important reminders about social distancing.
Clients are welcomed by one mask-wearing stylist who will stay with them for their visit via a one-way system.
All staff will be wearing gloves and masks which will be changed throughout the day, while customers will be also asked to wear a mask during the appointment and hand sanitiser dispensers will be provided.
Dawn Montgomery acts as a client to show how customers will pay for their appointments – with no cash accepted
Clients will be welcomed by one mask-wearing stylist who will stay with them for their visit via a one-way system