Interesting precaution plan by hair salon

[Ginevra]

This isn’t really “my” hair salon but I have been there before so they email me. Now that our governor partially lifted restriction on hair services, the salon is opening but with these precautions:

* No blow-drying at all (I didnt actually think about that but it makes sense).

* When you arrive, you alert the door receptionist and then wait in your car for a text when they are ready.

* All customers must wear masks. (I’m not completely sure how that works with ties or fasteners at the back of the head.) 

* They are only doing hair currently, no spa services

* They will give you booties for your shoes before you enter

* It says to arrive with clean hair; I’m guessing but not sure if that means they won’t do any shampooing for now. 

* They reserve the right to take temperatures. I’m not sure if that means they definitely will, but I guess if they think you seem unwell they might. 

 

I’m interested to know if these are similar practices to other places. I’m curious what sort of information others are getting from their salons or other places of business. For myself personally, I don’t need hair services badly enough (yet) to want to bother with all of this. But I am glad they have a strategy for opening that should reduce the likelihood of  transmission. 

[teachermom2834]

Ours have been open a couple weeks. Even the Great Clips where dh goes has appointment only (well really get in line on the app) and wait in your car until they call you to come in. The salon I go to sent out rules and they look similar to yours except I didn't notice the part about the booties. The are not allowing anyone in with the client to wait. (I bet the owner loves this one because she always got snippy when people brought others, especially kids, in to the appointment).

It doesn't seem too onerous to me, if one really wants her hair done. I'm way overdue but I'm not in any hurry to go back. I'm not staying in my house but I am going out and doing things that are important to me and apparently having my hair done isn't that important to me after all. My 12 yo dd is asking for a haircut. Her hair is long and hasn't been cut in at least two years. I feel like if she has waited years she can at least wait a little longer. She is old enough to go in on her own but I'd rather be able to go in with her, make sure the stylist understands what she wants, take care of paying, etc. 

I don't like wearing a mask. I do it but I really don't like it. So I weigh my activities not only for risk but for if they are worth wearing a mask. In my case, requiring or strongly encouraging masks works to slow the spread because I just stay home. I'm sure it works that way for others too. I don't want my hair done enough to mask up for that long. I might get my eyebrows done because I go to a friend for that and it is quick. It is dd that needs that more than I do so when she starts feeling self conscious about her eyebrows again I will probably go and do that. Even for both of us that is quick and a short time wearing a mask. Not like getting hair colored and cut. 

[MEmama]

It’s similar here (I haven’t heard about the booties though). Because salons here are the first to open in New England, they have been inundated with calls from people throughout the region. Apparently a Boston newspaper reported the opening here with a headline that said something like Let’s all sneak away to Maine. 😡

In response, salons I’ve heard about aren't accepting walk ins; all appointments must have a reservation. They check ID to make sure the client lives in state (or just over the border in the case of Kittery/Portsmouth NH). Customers wait in their car/outside until they are called in. Masks must be worn by both staff and customer, along with other safety protocols.

I cut DH's hair, I just had a haircut in Feb and it will look good for endless months (now I’m glad it was cut shorter than I intended! Lol), but I’ll need to figure out how to cut DS's eventually. We won’t be taking unnecessary risks for a very long time.

[CTVKath]

My kids and I went yesterday to our hair salon. We already had the appointment scheduled from 3 months ago and kept it. The rules were similar except the booties. We called and waited outside until it was time to go in. They took all of our temperatures. We were already wearing masks but I noticed a table with box of disposable masks by the door. They also gave us each a squirt of hand sanitizer as we walked in. Once inside, they washed our hair but only half the sinks were being used. They had room to spread the hair stylists out to every 3 or 4 chairs. Extra employees hovered to sanitize every surface and tool that got used. And no hair drying. That was it.

Edited to add: All the masks I saw were behind the ear elastic style. One lady wasn't using the elastics and had used tape to attach the mask to her face. I didn't see any masks with ties.

Edited May 15, 2020 by CTVKath
Additional info

[DoraBora]

My hair salon is taking the temperatures of all "employees" as they come in each day.  (It's one of those places in which independent contractors rent spaces.  Each has his/her own little room.)

There's a phone number on the front door for people to call if they don't have an appointment.  They can wait outside for someone to become available.  No lobby furniture.

When you arrive for an appointment, you call or text to let your stylist know you're there.  They meet you at the (locked) door to let you in.  

You answer questions about any symptoms or exposure you've had.  The sign said they will reschedule your appointment without penalty if you are unwell or have been around someone with Covid symptoms.  

Everyone must be masked while in the salon.  They will provide a mask if you don't have one.  I didn't even think about tie-masks -- everyone I saw had the ear-loop type.  

Stylists are supposed to sanitize sinks, chairs, door handles, etc. between clients.

I was pretty impressed.  What more can they do, apart from staying closed?  

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, DoraBora said:

My hair salon is taking the temperatures of all "employees" as they come in each day.  (It's one of those places in which independent contractors rent spaces.  Each has his/her own little room.)

There's a phone number on the front door for people to call if they don't have an appointment.  They can wait outside for someone to become available.  No lobby furniture.

When you arrive for an appointment, you call or text to let your stylist know you're there.  They meet you at the (locked) door to let you in.  

You answer questions about any symptoms or exposure you've had.  The sign said they will reschedule your appointment without penalty if you are unwell or have been around someone with Covid symptoms.  

Everyone must be masked while in the salon.  They will provide a mask if you don't have one.  I didn't even think about tie-masks -- everyone I saw had the ear-loop type.  

Stylists are supposed to sanitize sinks, chairs, door handles, etc. between clients.

I was pretty impressed.  What more can they do, apart from staying closed?  

I hope my post does nor read as a criticism. I think all the precautions are good (though taking temps might not be super-helpful). I’m actually a little surprised they are being *this* cautious. I’m glad they are. 

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, CTVKath said:

Edited to add: All the masks I saw were behind the ear elastic style. One lady wasn't using the elastics and had used tape to attach the mask to her face. I didn't see any masks with ties.

I would have to be the person with the mask taped on, lol! When I wear one with ear loops, my ears just fold up. Ditto at least one of my kids. My DH's ears are like iron and do not budge. 

I can cut my kids and DH's hair, but I would normally go for my once a year cut this time of year. I will be fine without it, but a year is about as long as I can go without it being unruly and growing unevenly. 

[G5052]

Mine plans to open in a few weeks, but they are saying the same. Come with a mask and clean hair, we'll call your cell to come in when we're ready.

I'm probably going to try to cut my own soon with my daughter's help. It just needs a general trim across the bottom. I'm fine that the layers on the top are growing out. 

[J-rap]

Ours won't open for awhile, but it's interesting to read about the guidelines others are putting in place.  I hadn't thought about blow drying!  Makes sense.

[sbgrace]

Our stylist place is requiring masks (staff and customers), wait outside for text to come in for your appointment, and 1/2 capacity stations. The blow drying thing seems wise! I hadn't thought of that. My family is going to continue to wait. I'm cutting everyone but myself--the cuts are not professional/great, but also not embarassingly terrible. 

My annoyance today is that my mother in law, at high risk due to several other factors in addition to age, has resumed her weekly hair styling appointments. She can't/doesn't wash or style her own hair, or hasn't in many years. She feels the risk of infection is low. The stylist has one customer at time and wears a mask, and they are in a rural community with few known cases so far. I agree the risk is low now. I'm worried about later, though. The customers don't mask and the stylist has a public heavy regular job in addition to hair. My MIL plans to keep doing this once a week for the duration, and it makes me nervous. 

[Spryte]

So, if they are asking that clients come with clean hair - no hair washing, but then does that mean they are open for cuts only?  No color?

Color requires time at the sinks, with pretty close face to face, depending on the set up.

Just curious.  We have a travel stylist who comes to the house, but not getting hair done right now.  I did think about asking if she’d do it outside, and skip my color, but I would be uncomfortable not asking her in.  We are going to wait.

[ktgrok]

The clean hair makes sense - when they wash your hair they not only are very close to your face, but OVER your face area, so any droplets that escape the mask, and some will, would be way more likely to end up on your eyes/mask/face. WAY more likely. Hadn't even thought of that. 

Same for eyebrow waxing..which sucks as that is one thing I hate to do on my own. Luckily my brows are mostly blonde, lol. Guess I'll be learning. 

Also, I'm sure it is just to cut down time in contact that close...the longer you are that close together the higher the potential viral load. 

I'd think the safest salon thing right now was pedicures - with those I'm pretty sure the person and I are 6 feet away. Still waiting...doing my own. And given the height issues it would be the nail tech more at risk in that scenario, so for their sake I can see waiting. 

The only good thing is that I think most nail salons have ventilation systems set up already, to get rid of the chemical vapors. But..a lot also have those little fans to blow on your nails, which would be bad. 

[happi duck]

I feel like masks would pop off when trimming around the ears.  Do they stay on?  Is the tape mentioned above for the customer?

I saw online that there are stick on masks made of that tape athletes use.  I wonder if that will catch on.

[kbutton]

4 minutes ago, OKBud said:

How long are your legs!! 😄

I was thinking this too, but the one time I had a pedi, the manicurist was on a stool on the floor, and the customer is elevated in a chair, so with reaching a bit, farther than "where my feet are." I do think it's probably significantly less risk than other cosmetic/hair services.

I wonder if coming with clean hair is also protective of salon workers, like changing clothes when you get home from being out and about.

[Wildcat]

I think my state set the rules for salons and with the exception of the booties, they sound the same. At first, the no washing and no blow drying surprised me, but at almost the same moment, it hit me as to why it made sense. I believe stylists here are also not allowed to give the neck/head massages (some of them do that while washing the hair).

For what I pay my stylist to cut my hair with one long layer, the lack of wash, dry, and the wonderful & relaxing neck/head massage isn't worth going for the cut I get. Plus, she has her own small room so if I wasn't the first client of the day, I'd be too nervous in there. For all I know, she is still closed. I honestly don't know.

My hair had grown so long and had such awful split ends since my last cut, that I finally gave up and cut my own hair yesterday using a double pony-tail method I found online. I'm actually quite happy with it!!

[ktgrok]

30 minutes ago, OKBud said:

How long are your legs!! 😄

So....spatial awareness is not my strongest quality, lol. Good point. Still, from the point of my face to their face, it is a lot farther than say, getting a hair cut. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Spryte said:

So, if they are asking that clients come with clean hair - no hair washing, but then does that mean they are open for cuts only?  No color?

Color requires time at the sinks, with pretty close face to face, depending on the set up.

Just curious.  We have a travel stylist who comes to the house, but not getting hair done right now.  I did think about asking if she’d do it outside, and skip my color, but I would be uncomfortable not asking her in.  We are going to wait.

I am not sure about the shampooing. It says come with clean hair but it doesn’t say they absolutely will not shampoo it. My dd speculated it might mean clean hair = less likely to carry virus into the shop. I think if they meant they will absolutely not shampoo, they would have said that just like what they said with the blow dryer. Absolutely no blow drying, they said. They did not specify not doing color, but perhaps they are just trying to get as little shampooing as possible. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Some salons here have plastic hanging dividers between stations as well. 

Magazines and other reading materials have been removed though they also want people to wait in cars so that might have been unnecessary.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Some salons here have plastic hanging dividers between stations as well. 

Magazines and other reading materials have been removed though they also want people to wait in cars so that might have been unnecessary.

 

Yeah, my dental office said they have removed all magazines and toys for the time being. 

[Matryoshka]

4 hours ago, Wildcat said:

My hair had grown so long and had such awful split ends since my last cut, that I finally gave up and cut my own hair yesterday using a double pony-tail method I found online. I'm actually quite happy with it!!

I'll have to look that up!  I only get my hair cut about once a year, and then it's  pretty much just one long layer, and if it were all one layer it wouldn't be the end of the world - I have almost no hair to layer anyway, and I wear it in a ponytail or up in a clip like 90% of the time.  I'd already been thinking of just putting my hair into a ponytail and hacking when it got to the point of necessity, but it would be good to have an actual method to follow rather than winging it... 😂

Reading this is making me realize how low-maintenance I am.  I also don't color, or perm, or straighten, or get anything done to my eyebrows or nails.  I just let the hair sit on my head and grow till I can't stand it anymore and then have it hacked to about shoulder length and repeat, lol.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Matryoshka

[DoraBora]

8 hours ago, Quill said:

I hope my post does nor read as a criticism. I think all the precautions are good (though taking temps might not be super-helpful). I’m actually a little surprised they are being *this* cautious. I’m glad they are. 

I didn't read it that way at all!  🙂  Yeah, the temp thing won't work all of the time... nothing will.

Hopefully, they'll keep on being cautious.

[Wildcat]

31 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I'll have to look that up!  I only get my hair cut about once a year, and then it's  pretty much just one long layer, and if it were all one layer it wouldn't be the end of the world - I have almost no hair to layer anyway, and I wear it in a ponytail or up in a clip like 90% of the time.  I'd already been thinking of just putting my hair into a ponytail and hacking when it got to the point of necessity, but it would be good to have an actual method to follow rather than winging it... 😂

Reading this is making me realize how low-maintenance I am.  I also don't color, or perm, or straighten, or get anything done to my eyebrows or nails.  I just let the hair sit on my head and grow till I can't stand it anymore and then have it hacked to about shoulder length and repeat, lol.

Here's the video I ended up choosing to follow. I must have watched several hours of hair cutting tutorials over a week or so. This lady also has an updated video but I found this one to be the most helpful.

She cuts a triangle area first to give a bit of face framing. While this worked fine, I do part my hair more on the side, so that 'frame' area looks a bit more obvious on the one side, if that makes sense. It's not as quite a smooth transition as when I have it done, but for a savings of almost $70, it looks pretty darned good!! Dh was floored that I cut it myself. 

I do recommend taking just a bit off, first, like an inch or so as a trial run. That's what I did. Actually, I just did the one ponytail first, liked it, then tried the face frame method in this video using the two ponytails. THEN, because I still had too much length, I went back, retied the nice, new face frame/triangle area and tucked it behind my ear while I did another ponytail and hacked off more length to bring the two lengths a bit closer together. I suspect texture has a bit to do with how this all shakes out, though, so go slow and cut a bit at a time.

I'm also very low maintenance (my hair "routine" is exactly the same as yours) but I still like to look nice. I couldn't be happier with my DIY cut. I figured if I messed it up, I'd call my stylist. LOL.

Oh, Pro Tip: I placed a plastic shopping bag in the bathroom sink and it caught nearly every bit of hair.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Wildcat

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, Wildcat said:

Here's the video I ended up choosing to follow. I must have watched several hours of hair cutting tutorials over a week or so. This lady also has an updated video but I found this one to be the most helpful.

She cuts a triangle area first to give a bit of face framing. While this worked fine, I do part my hair more on the side, so that 'frame' area looks a bit more obvious on the one side, if that makes sense. It's not as quite a smooth transition as when I have it done, but for a savings of almost $70, it looks pretty darned good!! Dh was floored that I cut it myself. 

I do recommend taking just a bit off, first, like an inch or so as a trial run. That's what I did. Actually, I just did the one ponytail first, liked it, then tried the face frame method in this video using the two ponytails. THEN, because I still had too much length, I went back, retied the nice, new face frame/triangle area and tucked it behind my ear while I did another ponytail anf hacked off more length to bring the two cuts a bit closer together.

I'm also very low maintenance but I still like to look nice. I couldn't be happier with my DIY cut. I figured if I messed it up, I'd call my stylist. LOL.

Oh, Pro Tip: I placed a plastic shopping bag in the bathroom sink and it caught nearly every bit of hair.

LOL, if this works I may never go get my hair cut again...

[Wildcat]

1 minute ago, Matryoshka said:

LOL, if this works I may never go get my hair cut again...

My thoughts exactly!!

I added a wee bit to my post as you replied, so check for the extra bit I put in there.

[Matryoshka]

2 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

My thoughts exactly!!

I added a wee bit to my post as you replied, so check for the extra bit I put in there.

Thanks - I really should be able to do this - each one of her two ponytails has more hair in it than I have on my entire head.  My hair is sooooo thin!

[Arcadia]

My kids and I cut our own hair. My teens have only gone to the hairdressers twice so far and they rather cut their own hair. My husband is letting his grow but he had his usual crew cut before shelter in place so he usually go six months between haircuts (to save money). I have always dyed my own hair.

I don’t think hair salons are allowed to open in my county so I have no idea how it would be like other than appointments needed.

[historically accurate]

On 5/15/2020 at 5:54 PM, Wildcat said:

Here's the video I ended up choosing to follow. I must have watched several hours of hair cutting tutorials over a week or so. This lady also has an updated video but I found this one to be the most helpful.

She cuts a triangle area first to give a bit of face framing. While this worked fine, I do part my hair more on the side, so that 'frame' area looks a bit more obvious on the one side, if that makes sense. It's not as quite a smooth transition as when I have it done, but for a savings of almost $70, it looks pretty darned good!! Dh was floored that I cut it myself. 

I do recommend taking just a bit off, first, like an inch or so as a trial run. That's what I did. Actually, I just did the one ponytail first, liked it, then tried the face frame method in this video using the two ponytails. THEN, because I still had too much length, I went back, retied the nice, new face frame/triangle area and tucked it behind my ear while I did another ponytail and hacked off more length to bring the two lengths a bit closer together. I suspect texture has a bit to do with how this all shakes out, though, so go slow and cut a bit at a time.

I'm also very low maintenance (my hair "routine" is exactly the same as yours) but I still like to look nice. I couldn't be happier with my DIY cut. I figured if I messed it up, I'd call my stylist. LOL.

Oh, Pro Tip: I placed a plastic shopping bag in the bathroom sink and it caught nearly every bit of hair.

I wanted to say that I used this method on my hair yesterday. It looks pretty good for a DIY cut. I have really thick coarse hair with a quite a lot of natural wave. That may play into it as it hides a multitude of sins. I am happy with it. 

I may use it on DD's hair, as her hair is similar in thickness and body. I usually just trim hers in a blunt cut, but I think she'll like this style better. She may be able to keep it up herself even while she's at college. She hates getting her hair cut by stylists - some sort of sensory thing, so I almost always just trim it at home. She ends up with waist length hair because she hates hair cuts so much, so it ends up scraggly with lots of split ends before I can convince her to cut it. I've been working on her for a few months to get it cut before she goes to college next month. 

[marbel]

I usually wear a mask that ties around my head, but bought some ear loop masks for my kids to take if/when they go back to college. I am keeping a few for myself for haircuts and such.  It was fine. At one point the stylist accidentally combed too close and one loop popped off; I just put it back up, was exposed for mere seconds.  

I go to Great Clips, and they had pretty much all the protocols in place as mentioned in the OP. I checked in; they texted me when it was just about time for my "appointment." When I walked in in they they took my temp, asked me about exposure, then did have me sit in a lobby chair for about 2 minutes while the stylist cleaned the station after her last client. The chairs were spaced far apart and I was the only one sitting there. 

[Wildcat]

On 7/12/2020 at 8:02 AM, beckyjo said:

I wanted to say that I used this method on my hair yesterday. It looks pretty good for a DIY cut. I have really thick coarse hair with a quite a lot of natural wave. That may play into it as it hides a multitude of sins. I am happy with it. 

I may use it on DD's hair, as her hair is similar in thickness and body. I usually just trim hers in a blunt cut, but I think she'll like this style better. She may be able to keep it up herself even while she's at college. She hates getting her hair cut by stylists - some sort of sensory thing, so I almost always just trim it at home. She ends up with waist length hair because she hates hair cuts so much, so it ends up scraggly with lots of split ends before I can convince her to cut it. I've been working on her for a few months to get it cut before she goes to college next month. 

Good to hear!  Hair with some wave or curl is definitely more forgiving of errors than my straight hair is.

My DD has long curly & wavy hair and I sent her a different video to watch. She cut it herself and thinks she may never go to a stylist again since they never get it to look so good.

Here is the video she used to get a bit of layering. She has never been happier with her hair. She did it herself since she lives alone, so your DD could definitely do this on her own. She did try it with a 'sample cut' in that she just removed her split ends first (she hadn't been to a salon in a year, so she took off about three or four inches) using just the one pony tail style from the first video I posted/you used. Once she was happy with that result, she cut more off about a week later using this method for layering  ~~ she says her hair goes into shock when it's cut so she wanted to see what it looked like after a week before going back for more.

 

 

 

[catz]

That's pretty standard protocol for salons here at least in theory.  I know some are doing a better job than others with spacing, masking enforcement, etc.

It is possible to short tie an around the head mask with long tiesto attach at the ears, we've done that at times.    

I actually cut off about 4 inches of my own hair last week using a youtube video.  It worked great honestly and I'm much happier with it (it was SO ratty on the ends).  I will probably go shorter in a few more weeks.  Not feeling twitchy to get out to a salon anymore.  

[rebcoola]

It's the same here except temp.check required no booties and you have to wash your hands.  MDD haircut required her to take her mask off her ears they gave her a paper towel and had her hold her mask on her face for those two minutes.