Allow Salons and Tattoo parlors to open at same time as hairdressers

We would like all Beauty salons, Aesthetic Clinics, Semi Permanent Makeup Salons and Tattoo Parlours to be placed in the same category as hair salons when considering who can open in the next phase of Covid-19 recovery strategy.

I myself am a Semi Permanent Makeup artist and having worked in this industry, know how incredibly sterile our environments are. Even before Covid-19 we would sanitise our work stations before and after each client, wear face masks to prevent breathing in airborne blood spores, disposable gloves and disposable aprons. As well as using equipment that is either single use or protected with barrier tape and then sterilised after.

I feel that we’re in a better position than hair salons to protect ourselves and our clients against infection and therefore should be put in the same category as them.

Beauty salons, Aesthetic Clinics and Tattoo Parlours across England will be able to reopen safely from Monday 13 July under new government plans, announced 9 July.

Enabling these often small, independent businesses to reopen is yet another step in our plan to kickstart the economy to support jobs and incomes across the country.

Updated COVID-19 secure guidance sets out the measures that those providing close contact services should follow to protect staff and customers. Only services that do not involve work in the highest risk zone – directly in front of the face – should be made available to clients. This means that treatments such as face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facial treatments, should not be provided until government advice changes, due to the much greater risk of transmission.

Make-up artists in the entertainment sector can, however, resume services alongside other open close contact services. The application of make up or hairdressing of performers in productions for the film and TV industry is undertaken by a limited number of professionals working with the limited number of performers in that production for the duration of that production. Make-up artists and other close contact commercial services work with whoever they have appointments with and the number of people, and hence different contacts, will far exceed the number on a production set.

Enabling these often small, independent businesses to reopen is yet another step in our plan to kickstart the economy to support jobs and incomes across the country.