At last! Time for a trim Dominic Lawson – Page 16

Hairdressers WILL reopen on July 4 (but book early)

‘A lot of the country does need a cut’

DESPERATE to fix their lockdown hairdos, many have resorted to dodgy home cuts.

But the days of DIY hair disasters will soon be over as salons and barbers prepare to reopen from the end of next week.

And it may come as a relief to some that hairdressers have been told to cut the small talk to limit the spread of the virus.

Boris Johnson is expected to confirm tomorrow that hairdressers will be allowed to resume trading on July 4. Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday joked that ‘a lot of the country does need a haircut’, as he said the plan to reopen salons was ‘on track’. Mr

Hancock suggested that hairdressers will be required to take steps such as wearing personal protective equipment.

Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, he said: ‘There are a whole series of services especially those where you need to be physically close to somebody in order to carry it out like a haircut. A lot of the country does need a haircut and we need to do that in a safe way. So it is both about what safely can be reopened but also how we do that in a way that minimises the risk of transmission.’

Mr Hancock previously revealed that his wife has been cutting his hair during the lockdown.

It is expected that hairdressers will be told to wear face masks or full face visors as well as gloves. There will also be strict rules about disinfecting equipment.

Many salons already have long waiting lists as customers are eager to have their hair seen to for the first time in months. It is expected that most places will axe walk-in appointments and make booking mandatory to help limit the number of people present at any one time. And hairdressers have already been urged to keep talking to a minimum to lower the risk of coronavirus spreading.

The National Hair and Beauty Federation (NHBF) has published a list of guidelines to help stop the disease being spread.

Among the advice, the NHBF has told stylists to ‘avoid face-toface discussions with clients’.

It wrote: ‘Discussions about cut, colour and treatments should be made via the mirror while standing behind the client and kept to a minimum. You can lower the risk of infection if you stand or sit side-to-side rather than facing people.’