Hairdressers at the sharp end
HAIRDRESSERS ACROSS Calderdale are getting ready to reopen their doors and work their magic correcting our DIY hair catastrophes.
The Government has said that salons and barber shops will be allowed to reopen as of July. Studio 54 in Boothtown, Halifax, has already began its preparations for its reopening.
In order to ensure that the salon is as safe as possible, they are following guidelines provided by L’Oreal.
They have introduced a one way system, with entering customers coming through the front door and exiting customers leaving via the back door.
Due to the size of the salon, they are able to make sure that people are adequetly spaced out and stylists will only serve one client at a time. The reception desk has also been moved in order to adhere to social distancing.
When entering, customers will be given a sealed box with all the tools and products needed for their appointment, which will later be disposed of or sanitised. All consultations will be done over the phone the night before the appointment. There will be no magazines, drinks or product stands.
The salon will be spending around £150 every week on PPE and have estimated that even when they are able to reopen, around 30 per cent will still be shielding.
As well as cleaning in between clients, at the end of each day, staff will do a deep clean of the salon that will take at least 90 minutes.
Salon owner Clare Lumb saidL “Like many people I’ve felt quite anxious about returning to normal life. We’ve had to make huge changes to ensure that we can stay safe.
“Lockdown happened so quickly, in the space of a week we went from business as usual to having to close our doors. Nobody expected to be going to a salon and being greeted by a stylist dressed in PPE, looking as though they’re ready to operate on you.
“It’s going to be difficult. Some of my regulars have come to me for years and I just want to be able to give them a cuddle.
“But at the end of the day, we’re here to provide a service and we need to make sure that we’re operating in a way that keeps all our customers and our staff safe.
“We’ve been really lucky because the salon is big and open so we are able to keep 2m apart from each other.
“I’ve spoken to other salons that don’t have the space and they don’t know how they’re going to cope even when we’re allowed to reopen.
“Nobody really knows what the future holds, but the coronavirus could change the industry massively.
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