A SALON owner has said her phone has not stopped ringing after it has been announced that some lockdown restrictions are easing and close-contact treatments can finally start again.

Sam Parsons, who runs Defined Beauty Clinic in Evesham, has not been able to work at all during lockdown as she only offers facial treatments at her salon.

Lockdown restrictions, which will be lifted from Saturday, meant her salon has had to stay closed for months but she was delighted to finally be able to open after weeks of waiting anxiously.

“It’s very good news. A little bit more notice would have been nice but what are we to expect when we have been bottom of the pile the whole time," she said.

“It’s knowing that you are working and can go back to work and feeling worth something. Being sat at home unable to do something that you have trained to do has been quite an insulting time. But onwards and upwards now.”

The lift in restrictions now means close contact services like threading, microblading, facial waxing and brow tinting can now be carried out from Saturday (August 15) but staff are being advised to wear masks as well as a visor when carrying out the treatments.

The government said this will help protect customers and staff from respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing, or speaking.

Beauty salons were due to start offering facial treatments for the first time in months on August 1, but the plans were thwarted when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced less than 24 hours earlier that the relaxing of rules would not go ahead for at least another two weeks over fears of a second Covid wave.

“There are lot of precautions in place but that was expected and that was exactly how most of us we were working before lockdown anyway so it’s not going to be an issue," Ms Parsons added.

“I think what’s difficult to comprehend is why such a quick turnaround in decision because before it was because Covid cases were on the rise and that hasn’t changed but now we can open. I think it leaves us feeling a little bit confused but on the plus side we can go back to work.

“It’s almost now as we’re restarting the business again but there’s a backlog of clients that we can get going from again. My phone has been ringing all morning.

"It’s going to be really interesting getting everybody back in but people are just going to have to work with us."

“I think it will be more of a service out of necessity rather than something that would just be nice to do. Things like keeping conversation to a minimum to avoid the spread of the virus, which is completely understandable with keeping everyone safe, will change how treatments are overall and I think the reason why a lot of women go for treatments will change a lot."

Nicola Young, who left her decade-long job as a dental nurse to train and qualify for a job in the aesthetics industry only for the lockdown to bring an immediate halt to any chance of putting the training into practice, can finally start working on Monday.

Ms Young, who will finally be able to show off her skills for EveryGirl Aesthetics at the All About Me salon in Sidbury, was doubly unlucky when the lifting of restrictions was postponed.

“I’m massively relieved. It has been five months, five months too long, it has been way too long especially with everything that changed last-minute a few weeks ago.

“I’ve re-ordered stock and got everything ready so I’m glad I can finally start. [The delay] set things back but I’ve always been hopeful. It’s all finally came through and we can start working."