More than just a haircut: Edinburgh locals desperate to get back to salons after lockdown

Hairdressers will be allowed to open from July 15.

It’s common knowledge that for many people a regular trip to the hairdresser is not just about the hair.

Hairdressers have long been called on as friends, confidantes and agony aunts and uncles of their clients, and having been without access to them for more than three months the residents of Edinburgh are missing that companionship, as well as looking a bit scruffy.

For Sheila Niven, 81, the loss of her weekly blow dry and set has meant missing out on a regular social event.

Hairdressers will put safety measures in place to prevent the possible spread of Covid-19

She has been with her hairdresser Diane, who rents a chair at MacGregor Hairdressing and Beauty in Morningside, for over 20 years, staying with her as Diane moved between three different salons over the course of her career.

Before lockdown Sheila and her friend Adaline had appointments around the same time every Saturday, and they would stay on to have lunch or a coffee with Diane, who often goes out to get them something from nearby Greggs.

Diane even came to visit Sheila when she was taken into hospital a few years ago, and did her hair as a gift as well.

Kara Francey after her last appointment before lockdown

“She’s a really lovely person, she makes you feel at ease,” said Sheila.

“I’ve got very thin hair and she works wonders.”

Sheila has an appointment booked in for the first Saturday after salons reopen, as Diane phoned her to avoid Sheila having to join any waiting lists.

She said her hair is not looking its best after the lockdown, but added: “I’m not going anywhere so why worry? I’m too old to worry about that kind of thing.”

Dividing screens have been put up at salon That Rosie Glow

For Joe Cawthorn, 29, going to the barbers every few weeks is a ‘time to relax’.

“I don’t spend a lot of money or time on myself really, so getting that hour to sit and back and relax has really been missed through lockdown,” he said.

Joe has been able to get an appointment at his barbers’, Sink & Anchor in Grassmarket, when they reopen.

“But it's in a month's time, so I'll probably be looking even more like Grizzly Adams by then,” he said.

Benny di Vettese with a happy customer before lockdown.

“I've got to say though, I'm quite liking the longer hair, and don't think I will go quite as short when I return.”

Karen Anderson, 38, from East Lothian, booked her appointment at That Rosie Glow as soon as she heard news of salons reopening.

She had an appointment booked in March which was cancelled, so she is ‘desperate’ to get back to the salon.

“I don’t go to the hairdresser’s that often, so I like to get it done well,” she said.

As a teacher, she hopes the cut will make her feel ‘perkier and back to normal’ ahead of the reopening of schools.

“I want to make sure I’m feeling good about myself and back to a normal way of being before going back,” she said.

“When you get your hair done it’s a bit of time for yourself, which is rare for me as I work full time and have a family.”

Marilyn Ross, in her forties, has found her break from the branch of Charlie Miller at Ocean Terminal ‘particularly tricky’ during lockdown as she has spent so much time on Zoom calls for her work in financial services.

She has been with the same hairdresser for 24 years.

“She knows my hair better than I do and we have a trusting relationship,” she said.

Marilyn, who gets her hair cut every six weeks, is also missing the social aspect.

“It’s your regular check in with people you see every six weeks, and having known them so long we’ve been through all life events – marriages, children and everything,” she said.

Kara Francey, 20, has been so anxious to return to her hairdresser Neil Maclean that she has continued to text him during lockdown.

“I’ve been texting him so much I think I’m top of the waiting list for an appointment when they open again,” she said.

Kara, a student, used to visit Neil every six to eight weeks to maintain her hair extensions, which she has had to take out herself during lockdown.

“It was awful, it really was not great,” she said.

Neil has been her hairdresser for four years, since he opened his first salon.

“Everyone is really friendly and there’s always a nice atmosphere,” she said.

“I’ve become quite friendly with Neil as a result.”

It’s not just clients who are feeling bereft without their hairdressers, as Tony Celini, who runs Benny’s barbers on Grove Street with his father-in-law Benny di Vettese said he is also missing his customers.

“I miss the customers, it’s a friendship thing,” said Tony, 55.

“It’s not just about the haircut, I’m also an agony uncle for lots of people.

“There are some people who could give themselves a haircut but they want to come in anyway for the chitchat.”

Tony has been cutting hair for 30 years, and said that around 10 percent of his customers have been with him for that long.

He also has clients in their mid to late twenties, who he remembers giving their first haircut decades ago.

He was trained by his father-in-law Benny, who opened what is now one of the oldest barber shops in the city in 1966.

Salons around the city are preparing for the reopening in July, with new safety measures in place.

These will vary from salon to salon but many said they are implementing screens between each hairdressing station, masks for staff and customers, and no refreshments or magazines provided.