‘No evidence’ that having a haircut raises the risk of getting Covid, studies show

Hairdressers, waxers and manicurists may have been unfairly forced to close after Government scientists concluded there is a lack of evidence they raise the risk of catching Covid.

Studies analysing the risk of transmission in hospitality, retail and leisure reveal there was ‘no statistical evidence’ that personal care settings were associated with an increased risk of catching the virus.

The paper, which is a summary of the ‘best available evidence’, found all clusters in barbers and hairdressers were ‘relatively small’.

The analysis focused on four separate studies which were carried out between August and September last year

Recurring lockdowns hit the beauty industry hard over the last year, with expensive rent prices forcing some to shut their doors for good

And it points out that any transmission linked to the setting may ‘go beyond the physical venue’ and be the result of other interactions such as travel.

The paper broke down different events and activities alongside their relative risks.

While certain situations like eating out or going to a pub appeared to carry an increased chance of catching the virus, studies found there was no such link for personal care settings.

The analysis focused on four separate studies which were carried out between August and September last year.

The paper reads: ‘The four studies provided no statistical evidence that personal care settings were associated with increased odds of becoming a Covid-19 case.’

However the paper does point out that working in close contact services, such as barbers or hairdressers, carried a ‘higher than overall risk’ for catching Covid in leisure settings – but that this was based on just 41 groups observed.

Recurring lockdowns hit the beauty industry hard over the last year, with expensive rent prices forcing some to shut their doors for good.

According to the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, as many as 5,000 of the sector’s 40,000 salons have closed their doors permanently.

One hairdresser said debts were racking up to £1,000 a day while her salon chain was closed.

But now that close-contact services are back open, customers have been booking appointments in their droves.

Some hair salons have reopened with 18-hour days, while others are fully booked until June to deal with a backlog of clients.

The government has released guidelines for close contact services following the easing of lockdown which include wearing face coverings, implementing social distancing and providing adequate ventilation.