Beauty industry places pressure on Prime Minister to reopen salons

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics & Wellbeing has sent an open letter to the UK Prime Minister urging the government to provide a clear and detailed plan on how salons can reopen.

In June, PM Boris Johnson announced that hair dressers could reopen on the 4 July, however beauty salons, nail bars and spas will be forced to stay closed until “they can operate in a Covid secure way”.

This has greatly effected the sector, which claims the beauty industry’s significant contribution to the economy, £28.4m according to the letter – should provide this market with a clearer indication on when salons, nails bars and spas can reopen for business.

The letter signed by 190 beauty, wellness and aesthetic brands reads: “Our industry has asked the government to allow the industry to reopen in line with very strict safety guidelines, but our calls have not been heard,” read

“We urge you to recognise the service-side of the industry as a serious economic player in the UK, not to mention the significant role we play in supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of the communities and the people we serve.”

The document carries on to ask “why guidance for close contact services including hair, beauty, spa and wellness facilities has been published, yet only hair appointments have been permitted from 4 July 2020”.

Signatories also call upon the Prime Minister to reconsider allowing salons to reopen as “continued uncertainty” around when businesses’ future “has caused heightened anxiety on the long-term future of the sector and the thousands of jobs it supports”.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on 1 July, Boris Johnson described the situation as a “sad reality” that beauty businesses remain closed and recognised that people “feel a sense of unfairness at hairdressers reopening”.

The Prime Minister's statement stressed being “Covid secure” was a priority for nail bars and beauty salons to reopen.