The government has recently warned that a second and stricter lockdown is likely to be enforced in the UK as a result of COVID-19. This could be detrimental to the beauty industry, as seen by the 16 week lockdown earlier this year. Millie Kendall, MBE of the British Beauty Council predicts that the beauty industry will shrink by 30% as 54%of employees are ineligible for furlough as they are self-employed. In order for salons to make the profit as before the pandemic, they are having to work longer hours and seven days a week due to reduced occupancy with high rent.

Businesses that will take a hit due to more restrictions include:

• Hair salons: Trade has been down 30%-50% since salons reopened because people aren’t in the city centres.

Additionally, hair styling is associated with socialising, which isn’t occurring due to the pandemic.

• Nail technicians: Many nail salons rely heavily on office footfall and are already struggling after six months of no revenue.

Further restrictions will hurt nail salons as there is no substantial financial package from the government. • Dental clinics:

Figures show that 52% of UK dental practices relied on business loans to get through the pandemic. Another lockdown would have immense effects on dentistry on the patients as they are already dealing with a backlog of patients from before the first lockdown.

• Facialists: Many facialist clinics would not survive another lockdown as their teams include a full time cleaner, a florist and a window cleaner who have no furlough option.

• Mobile beauticians: Many mobile beauticians have worked hard to ensure they have the correct PPE in place and another lockdown would feel as though they are being penalised.

• Brow specialists: Just as customers have built up the confidence to return to facial treatments, more restrictions would set them back again, making it even harder to bounce back.

The industry awaits further  announcements in the next two weeks.

By Hannah Spalding