CHANGED FACE OF BEAUTY BUSINESS
NOIREN K. Carrigg, hair removal and skin specialist, based in Bray, is among those who have welcomed clients back this week.
Speaking last Friday, Noiren said that she would be ‘open and ready to go’ on Monday, and in the final processes of getting PPE.
‘I’m a little nervous about getting everything in place, it’s a new way of living,’ she said.
‘ The first thing I think is that your clients have to be aware that there has to be communication on how the salon will be different.’
There is no waiting room, and each client will text when they’re waiting to come in,’ said Noiren. ‘She said that after each person, there will be a 15-minute deep clean and air rest. The therapist will change uniform before seeing the next client.
‘I will have had a Covid questionnaire from the client and she will have her temperature taken,’ said Noiren. If that’s ok, then there will be the usual hand sanitisation and the client will wear goggles and a mas where required.
‘It will be a very different way of working,’ said Noiren. ‘One of the big differences will be that the appointments first thing in the morning will be held particularly for the vulnerable,’ she said. ‘ There will have been a deep cleaning at night with steam. We also have a sanitisation light that keeps the room itself clean.’
One thing missing from salons now will be the usual chatting, heretofore part and parcel of grooming appointments the world over.
‘Ultimately the number one thing is safety for both the client and therapist,’ said Noiren.
She said it may be unusual and a little overwhelming for people the first time, but that it will become normal. ‘ They results will be the same,’ said Noiren.
During lock-down, Noiren was by no means idle. She started to put out live videos on her Facebook page, with information on how to look after the skin at home, using sun screen, applying makeup and more.
This is something she will continue to do even now that she’s back to business.
‘I did it for a number of reasons, including to keep in touch with clients,’ said Noiren. ‘I knew I would be closed for some time. I wanted people to feel they were still able to see me regularly.’
She said that the main focus was minding the skin at home, while unable to get in for treatments.
She was also able to give online consultations privately online, to people abroad as well as at home, and has some new clients now as a result of her online work in recent months.
Noiren said that the salons doing the proper PPE and with excellent hygiene, and who always had a very high hygiene level, can expect to be even busier due to that reputation.
Noiren was involved in doing the Covid-19 guidelines for the waxing industry and said that the measures will certainly help protect staff and clients, but reduce business. They simply won’t be able to look after the same number of clients in a day. ‘We’ll be down about 25 per cent, but we’re open, and that’s the main thing,’ said Noiren.