With several European countries including France, Germany, Spain and Portugal now easing their social distancing measures enough to allow hairdressers to reopen – the hashtags #CovidCut and #LockdownHaircut are going viral.

It is no surprise that residents of the UK are asking when our hairdressers will reopen, and what we can expect from salons when they finally open their doors again.

Here’s what we know about salons that have reopened in other countries while social distancing:

Germany

Salons in Germany opened on Monday this week. If you visit a salon here expect to see these restrictions being enforced

France

France announced their hairdressers will open on the 11th of May. They share the same restrictions as Germany, but customers will be required to provide their own face masks. 

Spain 

Spanish salons opened this week under Phase 0 of their lockdown lifting, alongside dental and physiotherapy clinics and restaurants with take-away services. The restrictions state that they can operate at 30% capacity by appointment only. 

Italy 

Italy’s hair salons remain closed until June 1st, with the country beginning to ease restrictions on Monday.

In the UK we may seek guidance from neighbouring Ireland who have announced that their barbers and hairdressers will be re-opening in late July as a part of their 5 step lockdown exit plan. 

The National Hairdressers’ Federation of Britain issued strict instructions to salons and freelance hairdressers that want to re-open before restrictions are lifted. “This would be against the government’s strict social distancing instructions which say you must stay at home apart from essential travel. We need to do all we can to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Also – please bear in mind that your insurance will probably not cover you if you normally work in a salon or barbershop.”