Eyebrow waxing among treatments you still can’t have under new rules for beauty salons reopening

10 July 2020, 07:24 | Updated: 10 July 2020, 07:49

Beauty salons are opening in England on Monday. Picture: PA Images/Getty Images

By Naomi Bartram

What are the restrictions for beauty salons? The government guidance for salons reopening has been released.

Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo parlours were given the green light to reopen in England from Monday July 13.

This means business owners will finally be able to welcome customers through their doors as the lockdown rules are loosened.

But while many people might be rushing to get their nails done, there are some treatments which are off the menu - including eyebrow shaping and facials.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the re-opening, telling the Downing Street press conference: "Having allowed hairdressers to reopen, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close contact services can now do the same, I'm pleased to say, from Monday.

"Of course that will be subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services."

Salons reopened in Northern Ireland on July 6. Picture: PA Images

So what are the restrictions for beauty salons and what treatments are allowed to resume? Here’s what we know…

What are the new beauty salon rules?

The government has released a list of rules that beauty salons must follow in a bid to keep their customers safe during the pandemic.

Salons must use screens or barriers to separate clients from each other, and to separate practitioners from clients, such as in nail salons.

Sufficient spacing must be maintained between customer chairs.

Staff must use an appointment-only booking system to minimise the number of people on the premises at any one time.

Activity time must be kept to a minimum.

There should be an increase in the frequency of hand washing and surface cleaning, as well as regularly cleaning equipment or using disposable equipment where possible.

Skin to skin contact must be avoided, with staff wearing gloves where it is not crucial to the service - such as in nail bars and tanning salons.

No food or drink, other than water, is allowed to be consumed in the salon by customers.

There must be a limited and fixed number of workers in the salon at one time, if they have to be in close proximity to do their jobs.

Leg waxing will be able to resume in beauty salons. Picture: Getty Images

What treatments can’t beauty salons do?

As well as the new rules for beauty salons, the government has said treatments involving work in the ‘highest risk zone’ - which means directly in front of the face - are also banned. This includes:

Face waxing

Eyelash treatments

Make-up application

Facial treatments

Dermarolling

Dermaplaning

Microblading

Electrolysis on the face

Eyebrow treatments

Facial piercings - including nose, tongue, eyebrow and lips

What treatments can beauty salons do?

The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC) has been working with the government on making sure customers and staff are kept safe.

They said treatments on the body such as manicures, pedicures, leg or bikini waxing will be allowed to go ahead when salons reopen from Monday.

Beard trimming will also be allowed, but the BABTAC said this should be limited to ‘simple beard trims, thinning or removing bulk or length which can be done using either clippers or scissors.’

Intricate detailing, outlining or shaving of beards/moustaches that involves prolonged periods near the "high-risk zone" directly in front of the client's face should not be carried out.