Protective Capes And Face Masks At Hair Salon – And You’ll Have To Bring Your Own Magazines!
VISITORS to a city hairdresser may have to take their own magazines and refreshments when the salon eventually reopens. The measures are just some of a string of new working practices being introduced at Ambiance, in Hartshill, right, as part of efforts by owner Sarah Lawton to ensure both staff and customers are as safe as possible. Sarah, far right, said: “The pandemic has greatly affected the salon. The decision to close in March before the lockdown measure came into place was a tough and emotional one to make.
I’ve spent five years building my business to be something I’m hugely proud of, and closing its doors was one of the hardest things I’ve done so far, but we knew it was the right thing to do to help protect everyone. “Not knowing when the salon is going to open again is scary. Myself and the girls rely on the salon to make a living to support our young families.
“But the financial support we have received has been fantastic.” she added: “The furlough scheme has meant we haven’t had to make anyone redundant, and we have received some grant money which has helped with ongoing costs we still have to pay out to keep the property running, and to keep the business functional ready for when we reopen.” With very little guidance on the measures that hair and beauty businesses will have to implement before they can reopen, Sarah has been doing lots of research on what other countries have put in place to make sure she is ready to reopen as quickly as possible. This means appointment times and lengths will change to accommodate the new way of working, while contactless payments and additional hand-sanitising facilities will also be introduced.
Staff and customers will also have to wear protective clothing, including masks, gloves, aprons, disposable capes and towels. Sarah said: “We have already carried out some alterations to the salon layout, there will be no waiting or relaxation area, clients will arrive at intervals and be shown straight to their styling station seat where they will be seated for the whole of their appointment. “There will also be screen partitions between chairs and backwash sinks to help limit the spread of any possible infection, and all areas will be cleaned and disinfected between services. “We have all attended an online barbicide Covid-19 course to ensure we are up-to-date and confident with the disinfection process and all tools and equipment will be sterilised between services.”
She added: “We have purchased face masks, gloves and aprons for the team and PPE for clients including face masks, disposable capes and towels. We have also purchased disposable cups, but we are unsure if offering refreshments is safe so we are awaiting more guidelines.
“No magazines will be available so we will be asking clients to bring their own source of entertainment. We will be following guidance from the National Hair and Beauty Federation regarding safe working.”