Hairdressers warn of 2,000 people waiting lists ahead of reopening next month

25 June 2020, 10:20 | Updated: 25 June 2020, 10:25

Some hairdressers already have a waiting list of 2,000 as they prepare to reopen.

If you’re desperate for that post-lockdown haircut, it turns out you could be waiting a long time yet.

Now Brits have been warned they could have to wait up to three months to get their barnet trimmed and roots touched up, with waiting lists of over 2,000 people.

The Government gave the green light for hairdressers to re-open on July 4 earlier this week.

But after 14 weeks of lockdown, a group of four south London hairdressers called Myla and Davis has admitted they are already fully booked for the whole of July.

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While staff will be working an extra four hours every day to cope with demand, the chain has said new social distancing guidelines will slow things down.

Managing director, Katya Davies, told the BBC : "We've built up a waiting list of more than 2,000 people.

"We can't wait to get back to work and we've planned our reopening schedule around the 2m distancing rule.

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"Our salons will be able to work at around 65% capacity although wearing visors will be quite cumbersome and bring its own problems, especially for the comfort of our workers who will be dealing with clients back-to-back."

While another salon called Hari's has also recorded similar demand, with director Lucan Salem, telling Harper's Bazaar: "We have spent the past three weeks contacting every one of those clients, securing bookings (with a 50 per cent deposit) for the reopening and have managed to book everyone in."

Meanwhile, Claire Solman who runs her own salon CF40 in Tonypandy, has also said she has a three month waiting list and has been working tirelessly to make sure she is ready to open.

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She told Wales Online: "The past two months I have been working flat out, doing everything from home and then they said you can’t open until July 13 in Wales.

"I was up until 2am this morning, but I’ve done it! There’s about a three month waiting list at the moment.

"What we've had to do, I can’t move everyone on three months we’ve had to fit where we can. Our clients have been really flexible and lovely.

New guidelines from The National Hair and Beauty Federation have advised an appointment-only system, online consultations, perspex screens at payment desks and no cash tipping.

Chairs will be spaced further apart while stylists will wear masks, gowns and visors and customers will be asked to leave their handbags and coats at home.

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