SALONS GET READY TO WELCOME BACK THEIR CLIENTS
OF ALL the things that lockdown has stolen from us since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Wales, one of the main things people are craving is the ability to sit back, relax and be pampered in a hairdresser’s chair.
Salons and barber shops across the country are now making their tentative journeys towards reopening, although nobody knows for sure when exactly that will be.
At present, Wales continues to exist in the “red stage” of its “traffic light” approach to exiting lockdown and a return to something approaching normal life. This stage allows certain shops and businesses to trade, but not “non-essential” retail and businesses offering “personal services”, such as hairdressers.
For that to happen, the country must move to the “amber stage”, which may or may not become a reality in the coming weeks.
If it does, that unkempt hair that has been getting ever more unruly since March may be in line for a makeover, and despite thousands of people across the country taking up a DIY approach to hairstyling in recent months, a return to your salon will be most welcome.
One business getting ready for the new and brave world of postlockdown hairdressing is Morgan Edward. The salon, located in the centre of Carmarthen, has been in business for the past six years, while its other location in the town of Llandeilo has been operating for 11 years.
In all that time, the owner said he had never seen anything like this.
“Back in March we were already taking measures to keep people safe like encouraging social distancing and getting clients to wash their hands, but we took the decision to close on that Monday (March 23) even before the Prime Minister made the announcement,” said Edward Rees.
Now, 12 weeks on, Mr Rees is hoping to reopen. Measures have been put in place to get the business moving again.
“We have put a screen in place at the front counter, and we’ve moved around the reception area to ensure that there is enough space for people to adhere to the two-metre social distancing guidelines,” he explained.
“The problem we have is that there isn’t really an official governing body for hairdressers giving out specific advice, so we are having to prepare for all eventualities.”
The main difference inside Morgan Edward and other salons hoping to open within the coming weeks is the extra space. Every other station has been removed, meaning that the maximum number of people getting their hair done will be effectively cut in half. That could change if there is an altering to Welsh Government guidance on social distancing, but for now the two-metre rule remains.
“I’m in discussions with someone who can provide us with screens to place between each station, which we will put in place if we have to,” said Mr Rees.
“At the moment those screens aren’t needed because there is a twometre gap between stations, but if the guidance changes, putting those screens in place could allow us to have more stations and more clients.”
As for what getting a haircut will be like, it will be a very different experience to what we have become accustomed to.
All staff will wear face masks, face visors, gloves and a disposable apron.
Clients, meanwhile, will be given a disposable gown to wear and, depending on advice at the time, a mask.
They will also need to follow a one-way system inside the salon, thus minimising their contact with others, and sign in when they arrive for their appointment, noting the exact date and time of their arrival. This means they can be traced and easily contacted if needed.
As for the equipment, it doesn’t come cheap, as Mr Rees explained.
“The visors we have at the moment cost £2 each. There are others that cost up to £40 each, which gets expensive when you have 17 staff across two salons.
“But we’re going to try some of those, too. It’s paramount that the staff are comfortable.”
In a bid to maximise appointments and takings once salons do reopen, Morgan Edward is trying to counter the fact that fewer people will be allowed into the building at any one time by extending the business day.
The salon will be open 12 hours a day, Monday to Saturday, with staff shifts split between 9am-3pm and 3pm-9pm, while they will also be open on Sundays between 10am and 3pm.
This, they hope, will give enough clients enough of an opportunity to come through the door.