Welcome

It’s refreshing to start this letter with some positive news. The hair industry in three out of our four UK nations have received reopening dates. On our news pages you’ll find a round-up of the key dates for England, Scotland and Wales and I hope by the time you’re reading this we will know the plan for hair businesses in Northern Ireland too. We also have guidance on patch testing and the ongoing fight by the Save Our Salons Campaign to get a reduction in VAT for our industry. Plus, go to page 12 for information on our two-day virtual event – HJ Online, which is taking place from 7 to 8 April with live panel discussions and inspirational tutorials to prepare you for the coming months.

This month’s colour feature will help you spring into action with everything you need to ensure your clients leave your chair feeling a million dollars.

In our electricals special we celebrate ghd’s 20th anniversary and investigate the hottest innovations on the market right now to help you experiment with new styles and finishes in time for the spring and summer months (page 35).

Sustainability is no longer a buzz word – it’s a 365-day a year concern for all of us. In this month’s issue we are sharing the small steps you can take towards creating a more sustainable and eco-friendly business for you and your clients in 2021. Page 55 discusses the nine ways you can become more sustainable and page 59 has the numerous initiatives our wider industry is already carrying out. The HJ team will be featuring sustainable content across our website and social channels every day from 19 April as part of HJ’s Sustainability Week.

Check it out and let us know what changes you’re making to be more sustainable.

We're thrilled to let you know both HJ's British Hairdressing Awards, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional and HJ's British Hairdressing Business Awards are open for entries. Go to our news pages for more information and our website for how to enter.

We hope you enjoy the issue whether you’re reading it from your newly reopened salon or from home while you eagerly anticipate a reopening date. Remember the HJ team is always at your service – online, in print and on our social media channels!