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Beauty salons inundated with bookings after they finally get the go ahead for facial and eyebrow shaping

The beauty sector is reopening - E+
The beauty sector is reopening - E+

Beauty salons have been inundated with bookings after finally getting the go-ahead for close-contact services such as eyebrow shaping and facials.

Some beauticians said they have had services booked up until September, and since the announcement eyebrow shaping bookings have soared by almost 800 per cent.

New guidance announced on Thursday allows these services to reopen from Saturday and will also mean that staff offering "close contact" services, including hairdressers, will now have to wear a face mask as well as a clear visor.

Treatwell, an app which lets customers book beauty treatments in their local areas, experienced a 352 per cent increase in bookings from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon.

A spokesperson explained: "The demand for close-contact treatments on the platform is growing hourly. Eyebrow threading and waxing came back strongest +794 per cent vs. pre lockdown as everyone looks to tame their unruly brows."

Also popular are eyelash extensions, which have had a 698 per cent increase compared to pre-lockdown, and eyebrow and eyelash tinting is also showing strong signs of recovery  with a rise of 456 per cent compared to before lockdown.

The news will come as a relief to beauty professionals who have had to wait to start some of their most popular treatments, which were originally set to resume on August 1. The two week delay was announced on July 31, during the Prime Minister's coronavirus update in which he said the reopening of 'higher risk settings' would be postponed until August 15 at the earliest amid fears of a second wave in the UK.

Salons still remain closed in areas of local outbreak concern, including Bradford, Blackburn and Leicester, and close contact treatments remain banned in areas of West Yorkshire including Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing said: "We are delighted that close contact beauty treatments can resume.

"We have been dismayed at how the Government has consistently neglected the £30bn beauty and wellness industry throughout this crisis. However, the impact of the industry goes beyond economics.

"Beauty and wellness is about so much more than how you look, it plays a key role in supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of those it serves.

"Yet the industry, which has been one of the last parts of the sector to open, still needs urgent support."