My visit to the day spa was a little different, but I still left walking on air

As of today, you can return to the beauty salon for manicures, pedicures, spray tans, bikini waxes and massages to ease out those pandemic-sized knots, but will the experience ever be as relaxing as pre-lockdown?

At Cecily Day Spa in Hertfordshire, they are keen to ensure that the new ways of working won’t impose on your treatment. On arrival, you position yourself in front of a camera screen – a bit like passport control – to check your temperature. Once you get the green light, you’re handed a mask if you haven’t brought your own, and led upstairs to the treatment areas. I chose to have a gel manicure because with a three-week waiting list to clear the backlog of clients, I wanted my glossy nails to last as long as possible. As normal, I was asked what colour nail polish I’d like, but rather than handling the bottles, my manicurist, Ellie, held up a nail swatch wheel. I opted for a candyfloss colour, possibly swayed by Ellie’s uniform with matching pink mask and rubber gloves – definitely the most chic PPE I’ve seen to date.

The manicure itself was much the same as before Covid – my hands fitted comfortably through the slot in the Perspex screen and it was thoroughly thrilling to be able to have a conversation with someone outside my limited lockdown bubble. Each tool that Ellie used had been thoroughly disinfected and at Cecily, they’ve also removed the base of the gel setting lamps so it could be placed over my hands, rather than the usual method of resting them on the plastic inside. It felt much more hygienic, as they clean every station between appointments and replace the biodegradable covering laid over the table. As for any hand massaging, it still happens, but gloves are kept on, which was fine.

After my mani’, I was led upstairs for a massage. I’d forgotten a hair band but Nikki, the spa manager and my therapist, told me that they were providing hair nets for clients anyway. As with the tables downstairs, the bed had also been covered with a biodegradable couch protector, although for this treatment I could remove my mask, which was great, as I think I’d have found it hard to relax.

The entire experience was a joy. My shoulders that had been residing around my earlobes for the past four months returned to their normal position and I felt my chest untighten – clearly, I’d been holding a lot of stress close to my heart. With all treatments prepaid for, after leaving the treatment room, I simply re-sanitised my hands, said my goodbyes and left feeling like I was walking on air.

Now all we need is for the ban on facial treatments to be lifted. Following last Thursday’s announcement, Haylee Benton, owner of Cecily Day Spa, ushered staff back to work so they could call everyone on the 500-plus waiting list and book them in. However, half remained disappointed because they’d asked for lash and brow services or facials. With pressure piling up for the rest of the industry to be reopened, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later that “below-the-neck” treatments get upgraded to “head-to-toe”.

‘It felt much more hygienic as they clean every station between appointments and replace the table coverings’