About us Mō mātou

About the Ministry of Health and the New Zealand health system. 

Regulation & legislation Ngā here me ngā ture

Health providers and products we regulate, and laws we administer.

Strategies & initiatives He rautaki, he tūmahi hou

How we’re working to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

Monitoring & statistics He aroturuki, he tatauranga

Data and insights from our health surveys, research and monitoring.

Māori health Hauora Māori

Increasing access to health services, achieving equity and improving outcomes for Māori.

Public Health Guidance for Hairdressers and Barbers outlines practical actions that hairdressers and barbers can take to reduce the spread of infection. 

It covers hygiene, equipment handling, and cleaning and is designed to help hairdressers and barbers across New Zealand keep their clients safe. 

The guidance is voluntary and can be used in all types of hairdressing and barber services, including salons, mobile and home-based setups, and temporary setups like those at fairs or rest homes. 

The guidance was developed following the Ministry for Regulation’s Hairdressing and Barbering Regulatory Review. The review recommended revoking the Health (Hairdressers) Regulations 1980 and developing new guidance to manage public health risks. In response to the review, Cabinet agreed to remove the Health (Hairdressers) Regulations 1980 made under the Health Act 1956, effective from 31 July 2025.

Publishing information

Publication date
Citation

Ministry of Health. 2025. Public Health Guidance for Hairdressers and Barbers. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

ISBN
978-1-991324-40-5 (online)
HP number
9134
Copyright status

Owned by the Ministry of Health and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.

© Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora