HAIR salons and barbers will be opening their doors once again today, and welcoming back customers desperate for a long awaited haircut.

But the experience will undoubtedly be a very different one as salons ramp up safety measures.

Hairdressers were forced to close in late March when non-essential shops closed in a bid to slow the spread of Covid-19.

All of the hairdressers we spoke to said they were reopening today, on what some have been calling “Independence Day” but they all said they had safety very much in mind.

Richard Apparicio-Davies, of Apparicio Hairdressing, said: “I know hairdressers in Italy who were ahead of us. I was inspired by them so (in lockdown) I did this work to make me, the staff and customers feel more secure.

“We have got hand sanitisers, glass shields separating each section and the basins as well. We will be using disposable gowns, towels, plus the face shields and we have the temperature check equipment. We want customers to still have as pleasant an experience as possible. We aren’t putting prices up. I was prepared to make less profit for safety, and increase the work we do instead.”

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Zarin Dobson, owner of Looking Sharp in New Street, said: “We have got everything in that we can have in.

“We can only have three people in at once.We have got hand sanitisers, masks for customers and ourselves, visors for our faces. We can’t wait to reopen. You can only do what you can do, I think there is more risk going into a supermarket.”

A message on Barbers at 49, in Broad Street, Facebook page said: “ing our existing and new customers on July 4.

“Safety precautions have been put in place, to ensure minimum risk is adhered to. The salon is large and we aim to have only two barbers on at a time. Maintaining social distancing will be prioritised along with disposable PPE.

Our barbers take your health and safety extremely serious.”

Rogers Barber Shop in Church Terrace posted a long list of the new safety measures it was taking to reassure customers, which included that on arrival each customer should sanitize their hands before being given a disposable PPE pack including face mask and gown and before customers arrive they should clean their hair and beard.

“All staff will be wearing face masks and washing/sanitizing their hands between every customer. The shop has been renovated during the pandemic to accommodate social distancing,” the post said.

Reader Gilly Erica said: “I’ve been growing my hair - so looking forward to a cut and being attacked with the thinning scissors.”