How coronavirus affects salon, spa reopenings
These beauty shops are reopening with social distancing, sanitary practices for customers
Masked manicures with a COVID-19 surcharge and by-appointment-only hair cuts are the new normal some Americans will face in states where non-essential beauty businesses have reopened in limited capacities.
Hair salons across the country are reopening with health and safety measures in place. (Peter Klaunzer/Keystone via AP)
When Florida lifted coronavirus lockdown restrictions statewide earlier this month, Ali Canterbury, 28, owner of Fort Myers hair salon Canterbury and Troyer, reopened its doors after being closed for more than a month with new policies: masks for clients, hand washing upon entry and fewer clients due to capacity limits and spaced out appointments for sanitary purposes.
"We took some furniture out of the salon to make more space so people aren't too close, and we're not double booking or taking family appointments to limit exposure," Canterbury told FOX Business Wednesday of ramping up health and safety measures.
And while she says she's losing 33 percent of her income due to new capacity restrictions, she won't tack on a coronavirus charge like some salons have done to offset added costs for things like personal protective equipment and ample sanitary products.
SALONS WITH ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODELS COULD BE NEW NORMAL
“I’m not charging more because the salon has already been sanitary, so I had all the cleaning supplies,” Canterbury, who is barbicide-certified, explained.
That, however, won't be the case when nail salon chain Base Coat reopens some of its salons on June 1. The salon says on its website it will charge a $10 COVID-19 "Sanitation and Hazard Fee" applied to total service. Each nail salon artist is also allowing 20 minutes between each client to disinfect.
US SALONS STRUGGLE WITH CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN FATIGUE
A number of beauty franchises across the country have reopened or plan to by the end of the month in states like Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio, among others with similar policies.
New York City-based blowout franchise DryBar, for example, began reopening its locations in Colorado and Arizona earlier this month greeting guests in states like Kentucky and Ohio as well. The salon shifted to a virtual check-in process masks for employees and no beverages will be served.
“Everything we touch will be wiped down after each client. That includes tools, products, chairs, counters, etc,” Drybar says on its website, adding that team members and guests will also get temperature checks before work.
SALONS WITH ALTERNATIVE BUSINESS MODELS COULD BE NEW NORM IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
Other grooming services like European Wax Center is upholding its sanitary practices like cleaning beds after each guest, and providing gloves and face shields to its wax specialists for each service. Wax sticks are never double dipped, the company says on its website.
While many Americans have flocked to their local salons as they reopen, the risk of these businesses, like any others, run spreading the virus is still high. Two Missouri-based hairstylists potentially exposed more than 100 customers to COVID-19, according to Springfield-Greene County local health department. Hair salons in Missouri were able to reopen on May, 4.