Classic ‘bob’ is short cut to salon survival, says top stylist
HAIRDRESSERS should revive the “hygienic yet trendy” bob cut during the pandemic and ditch blow dries, a former Vidal Sassoon director has said.
Tim Hartley fears that the coronavirus is more likely to spread in long, wavy hair, which has dominated female styles for years.
The bob cut was popularised by Hollywood actress and dancer Louise Brooks during the Twenties “flapper” era, and was brought back into fashion in the Sixties by model Twiggy.
It remains in vogue thanks to actresses such as Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett and Rosamund Pike.
Mr Hartley said: “We have to think about maximising hygiene. The sooner the long tresses of yesterday are dispensed with, the more hygienic it will be for us all. The hour-long blow dries in the salon are no longer safe for the stylist or the client. Research suggests the Covid-19 virus is transmitted much easier through a swift airflow.”
He believes shorter cuts are the solution to the stricter hygiene required during the crisis, and added: “With the bob cut, you can wash your hair everyday, and not worry about it. It’s the glamour without the fuss.”
Vidal Sassoon revolutionised hairdressing in the Sixties by devising a way of putting a permanent wave in the hair, allowing it to dry naturally whilst retaining the style. Mr Hartley added: “The bob cut is the only way for the industry to emerge from lockdown. It can be anything from shoulderlength to below the ears.”
John Carne, a Guildford salon owner and former vice president at the Fellowship For British Hairdressing, has opted to scrap the hour-long blow dries when he reopens his salon on July 6. He said: “I cannot expose my stylists or clients to a possible increased risk of Covid-19 transmission by undertaking lengthy blow dries.”
Hair salons have been closed since lockdown began on March 23.
They are expected to reopen on July 4, and while government safety guidelines for salons are yet to be announced, hairdressers are expecting to be compelled to use personal protective equipment because they will be unable to remain two metres apart.