Salons and spas are celebrating National Cosmetology Week with an extra dollop of caution.
With states and businesses beginning to open up, people are gratefully handing back the grooming reins to professionals. COVID case numbers may be decreasing, but authorities still advise caution when visiting your favorite beauty establishment.
Some ways that customers can be proactive about their protection include taking goggles to keep eyes covered around hair washing basins where splashing might occur and making sure a clean cape is used for haircuts, Dr. Harriet Davis, of Novant Health Mint Hill Family Medicine, said.
Dr. Lindsey Gottlieb, director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai Morningside, suggests customers consider thinking outside the box for ways they can minimize their time at the salon, like washing their hair at home before going, a release on Self said.
At Marlow Salon in Mount Vernon, owner Sarah Marlow noted that they are doing their very best to accommodate client concerns.
“We decided early on before we opened to make sure we went over and above to ensure client and staff protection,” Marlow told the Mount Vernon News. “We all wear scrubs which we only wear in the salon, in hopes that would potentially decrease any exposure at home or in the community. We wear masks, wash hands between our clients and also have hospital-grade disinfectant at multiple locations throughout the salon to wipe down all surfaces between clients.”
In addition to rearranging the salon so that all chairs are six feet apart, Marlow Salon is offering off-hours services. The salon requires all employees to wear masks and asks clients to do the same.
Amy Camillo-Poland, owner of Finishing Touch Day Spa in Mount Vernon, said that before they reopened, they measured between workstations and rearranged furniture to create separate waiting areas for nail and salon services. By reducing the number of hairdressers from 3 to 2, the spa ensures that the number of clients being served at one time is kept to a minimum.
While customers are always asked to wear masks, some of Camillo-Poland’s clients can’t do so because of health reasons.
“I have quite a bit of older clients,” she told the News. “I always wear a mask. My employees always wear a mask, but you know there’s just some customers who can’t, so we just make sure that nobody else is in here with them if they are unable to wear a mask.”
Even with safety concerns and extra procedures, business is good for both Marlow Salon and Finishing Touch Day Spa.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of love and support our clients have showed us through this time,” Marlow said. “We have had most people return, and actually have had a large jump in new clients since reopening.”
Camillo-Poland said she doesn’t know if everyone saved money while they were at home or are just grateful to have their hair and nails done again, but they have been very busy.
