It’s looking like beauty salons and hairdressers will begin to open in July as long as they are able to so safely. For some of us it cant come soon enough, with our roots showing and hair a scraggly mess from not having a haircut since at least March! But, we won’t just be going back to normal – salons aren’t going to look like they once did, so how are they going to open safely for their customers and staff? Whilst individual businesses might handle it differently, here are some things we are likely to see.
Protective Equipment and Spacing Out Clients
Just as we are seeing in shops and other services, PPE will likely be used in salons and hairdressers going forward. That may include visors or masks for hairdressers, and some will have customers given their own masks whilst they are there. Loreal’s back to business guide includes hand sanitiser and protective masks. Nail and eyebrow technicians will have to wear heavy duty masks if they are to continue, due to the fact that they have to be face to face and close to the client. they will also have to keep their hair tied back to avoid them touching their face.
The chairs will likely be spaced out meaning that less clients will be allowed in the salon at a time, which Loreal also recommends to continue safely. Some salons are even talking about having staff and client temperatures taken before they are allowed the enter. Either way, there will be as little contact as possible between staff and customers.
Don’t expect a cup of tea or glass of wine while you wait, not being able to read one of the usual magazines either. You will be advised to come at your allotted time and go straight through to your appointment.
Cancellations of Treatments
If treatments cant be carried out safely, they will have to be cancelled all together. Facials, for example, would likely be unable to be done safely due the the need for staff to touch the clients face so much. Some salons in other countries have reduced or stopped blow dries, as it might blast particles more freely around the salons. Hair washing, and the lovely head massage, may also stopped meaning we will be sticking to dry cuts.
Difficulty Getting Appointments
There is likely to be a rush of people wanting haircuts and treatments when salons open and many are already opening waiting lists for when they open. With salons working at 50% capacity, with less people allowed in and hairdressers likely to be on shifts, there will be less appointments to go round. We will see longer opening times to also help tackle this. Some salons may need to up the cost of their appointments, especially with the increased overhead cost of purchasing PPE equipment.
Online Consultations
In order to reduce the amount of time beauticians spend with the clients, if there are any initial consultations needed these will be done online or over Zoom. The director of the British Beauty Council has said that customers will likely have to “complete a lengthy online wellness questionnaire to ensure they are healthy – and have been in the seven days prior – before any appointments.” There may be a rise in virtual facials as well – where the customers and beauticians consult online about their skin issues and then the beautician makes a recommendation and sends the product to the client.
What about Botox and Fillers?
Fillers and Botox will be hard for salons due to the close proximity needed. Clients will probably be asked to wear shoe covers, gloves and face masks in the salon as well as the person doing the injections. There will likely be temperature checks too. Lip Fillers will be tricky, with the mouth a high risk area for picking up the infection. Additional cleansing to the area will be needed to ensure its clean, and masks will likely been worn by the client before the appointment, up until injection, and then straight after. For treatments like these, there will also be a one in one out system to avoid any overlap whilst people wait for appointments.
With a possible 16-18 months before we get back to normal, its likely it will look like this for some time, so we may as well get used to it!
