The hairdressing service you may not be able to have once salons reopen

Which hairdressing service might be off the menu when salons resume service?

For anyone waiting to get their roots touched up, it feels an age since hairdressers had to close at the start of the month. 

With the four countries that make up the UK in various stages of lockdown,

Many salons in England are due to reopen on the 2nd of December – if enough progress in controlling the virus has been made – while the 11 areas under Scotland's Tier 4 restrictions are due to exit lockdown on December the 11th.

While Wales's beauty services are up and running again following a 17-day "firebreak" lockdown, Northern Ireland is temporarily open for a week before another two-week lockdown starts on Friday 27th November.

But what will hair salons look like when they reopen for us all (again), and will there be new rules affecting the treatments on offer?

• When will hairdressers reopen in the UK?
• Are beauty salons open in the UK?
• When will nail salons reopen in the UK?
• When can massage therapists open again in the UK?
• How do I find an at-home massage therapist near me?
• When can facial treatments start in the UK?

One of the hairdressing services that may be off the menu – as with the first lockdown – is a traditional blow dry. Although they weren't banned completely, hairdressers were warned against using hair dryers when salons first reopened in July.

“Due to the potential risk of the virus being transmitted through swift airflow and to reduce the time and volume of people in salons, what is apparent is the need to cut down, or out, blow drying the hair,” Kat De Rozario, hair stylist at Josh Wood Atelier explained to Stylist.

MORE: The best hair dryer (opens in new tab) for a professional blow dry at home

“Essentially, whether hair is long or short, the cut needs to aid styling so it can dry naturally without the need for a blow dry.”

That’s not great news for those of us who are dreaming of leaving the salon with some Duchess Catherine-style bounce – but it’s a small price to pay if we can still have our roots and split ends tended to. Until then, it’s easier to recreate a blow dry at home (opens in new tab) than you think.

World-famous hairdresser Tim Hartley also echoes this sentiment. He told Wales Online that ditching blow dries will be more hygienic, as well as opting for a bob hairstyle (opens in new tab).

He said, "We have to think about maximising hygiene. The sooner the long tresses of yesterday are dispensed with, the more hygienic it will be for us all.

"The hour-long blow dries in the salon are no longer safe for the stylist or the client. Research suggests the Covid-19 virus is transmitted much easier through a swift airflow."

Lockdown hairstyles - how will hairdressers style hair in salons?

Hairdressers may only be able to blow dry shorter styles, as they require less blow-drying time, or cut blow drying out all together. We may be seeing a lot more heat lamps, rollers and plaiting going on.

“I’ll be doing a lot of cuts that require minimal styling – preferably with tongs – and have longevity,” De Rozario told Stylist ahead of the first reopening of beauty services.

“For some, that means short hair that can be grown out for months, or for those with longer hair it might mean the weight is taken out and some shaping added so it can still be tied up and out of the way.”

MORE: The most hygienic haircut to opt for after lockdown (opens in new tab)

Keith Conniford, CEO of the Hair and Barber Council, told W&H earlier this year that salons have been busy making plans to support the industry when the lockdown is eased.

“One of the critical things that businesses need to do is ensure that they feel the health, safety and hygiene of their premises is as safe as possible for them to come in and get their hair done, or whatever service they’re going to have,” he explained.

Will you be booking in for a cut and colour ASAP? Keep checking back for more information as we get it.