Portsmouth hairdressers say they will 'always be needed' as lockdown restrictions ease

As coronavirus measures are eased by the government, hairdressers in the Portsmouth region will be opening their doors to customers.

The country’s lockdown has seen some interesting takes on homemade haircuts, but barbers are looking forward to putting things right once again.

Much like the bars and restaurants, strict social distancing measures have been put in place, with walk-ins now promoting bookings instead and people having to queue outside.

Mike Joines of Zoom Hairdressing in Park Parade, Leigh Park, says the months spent in lockdown have been like ‘torture’ for him.

He said: ‘Not knowing how long it was going to continue for turned it into a nightmare.

‘Money was running out and I didn't know if I would be able to keep paying my bills.

‘But now we are 77 per cent booked up already – we’re usually a walk-in service so it’s nice to see people supporting us.

‘There is always somebody who needs a haircut; I think a few weeks into lockdown some people took matters into their own hands so there will be some fuzzy cuts to deal with.’

The barbershop has gone through a deep clean, and Mike has access to the site next door for people to wait in.

Mike is excited to welcome back his regular customers, some of whom have been visiting him for many years.

Meanwhile in Southsea, one barbershop is doing something particularly special for their first customer.

Edwards for Men in Portland Road is opening at the stroke of midnight on July 4, giving customer Russell Keith the all-star treatment.

Barber Neil Hood said: ‘We absolutely cannot wait to reopen – there are only so many times you can hoover your living room while in lockdown.

‘There were quite a few people interested in coming in on Saturday, so we decided to do a competition of sorts for the first customer.

‘Now more than ever is the time to support local businesses. Southsea is a strong community and all the businesses will look after one another, but we need the help of customers to succeed.’

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