Sheffield’s beauty industry claims it has been devastated by Covid-19 lockdowns and more support from the government is needed if it is to survive.

One beauty clinic owner in the city said: “More support needed to be available to us in 2019, but what can you do if the government refused to take responsibility or take action. If we look at places like Australia, they got well-prepared and took action straight away.”

Another beautician who runs an eyelash bar in Sheffield said she hasn’t received anything from the government apart from a self-employment grant before Christmas, which isn’t enough to keep her afloat.

She said: “It’s massively affected my business. I’ve lost lots of clients and I won’t be running at the same capacity once I’m allowed to open.”

On 22 February, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced England’s roadmap which allows beauty salons, hairdressers, and nail bars to reopen as of 12 April.

The beautician said she’s not at all positive about reopening the salon, and another salon owner added that she’s hopeful but hesitant.

“We’ve had to open and close too many times. It’s all really going to depend on what happens when kids go back to school”.

The owner of Beauty Jewels Salon said she had received many calls from clients who asked her to break the lockdown rules and come to their houses.

She said the damage caused by the pandemic has been very upset and sad, and she doesn’t know how things will be back to normal.

“Lots of people called me all the time, I don’t want to go to anybody’s house. I need to save myself as well as save other people.”