USA TODAY International Edition
Quarantine hair care: For some, it’s no joke
Salons are “nonessential businesses”? Their clients would not agree.
The meme rattling around Facebook is supposed to be a joke: A cartoon face of a girl with a glum expression and a cap pulled down over her hair stares out from a black background: “Feels like we’re 3- 4 weeks from learning everyone’s real hair color,” it says.
That’s what passes for a sardonic witticism when the coronavirus pandemic is forcing the closure of countless barbershops and hair and nail salons across the country.
But it’s no joke to potentially thousands of hairdressers, barbers, colorists, nail technicians and shampoo workers facing uncertain futures.
And their clients aren’t yucking it up either, especially women and men accustomed to spending big bucks for professional hair- color services every month. Maybe you can put off a hair cut or a manicure for a few more weeks but what will you do when your roots begin to show?
“My clients are calling me and they’re freaking out,” says Rick Wellman, a busy colorist at his salon in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, which like most businesses in the city has been shut down. “A lot of my clients come in every four weeks when their roots come in, it’s like clockwork.”
It’s not clear exactly how many salons are closed or closing among America’s estimated 1.3 million beauty establishments, which range in size from a few chairs and independent stylists to huge chain operations with hundreds of employees.
( The industry is regulated by each state, though most states have similar laws on licensing, inspection, safety and sanitation.)
In Ohio on March 18, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors and barbershops to close statewide.
“I braved Target last night and heard a conversation: ‘ How on earth can they think that hair salons are nonessential businesses?’ Warmed my heart,” says Leslie A. Young, an executive at Colorado- based Professional Assist Corp. representing more than 100,000 massage therapists, bodyworkers, estheticians, hair and nail stylists.
Still, she said, “We’ve recommended they put their practices on hold.”
In other states, many salons are closing because of the risks: It’s hard to keep social distance sitting in a crowded salon while someone is cutting or coloring your hair, painting your nails or waxing your eyebrows.
Two of the biggest names in the beauty biz, Sephora and Ulta, which offer makeup classes and other beauty services, have announced they have closed or are closing all their stores at least through the end of March. “I want to make sure that our guests and associates know there is nothing more important than our collective health and safety,” said Ulta CEO Mary Dillon in a statement.
Salons that do remain open are seeking to reassure clients and employees by adopting even more stringent sanitation and spacing practices
based on government guidelines for coronavirus.
But the questions remain:
Should you cancel your upcoming hair appointment?
Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama doctor who was the 18th surgeon general of the United States and founded the Gulf States Health Policy Center in Alabama, says one’s appearance, in general, is inconsequential to well- being.
“How you feel about yourself and how you look and your self- esteem is very important to anyone, particularly during a time when we have reason to be depressed, anxious and afraid. A bad hair day only adds to that,” she says.
Still, she recommends people not keep their hair appointments.
The economic suffering is “going to be really hard, but if it saves your life or the life of someone you love, there’s no price for that,” she says.
What about at- home appointments with your stylist?
Depending on the state you live in, stylists could go to your home to color and cut your hair, assuming they have the tools and products they need and you have the space and are willing to put up with a potential mess. ( In fact, the stylists to the stars in Hollywood have been delivering their services this way for decades.)
In Virginia, “mobile” stylists are allowed as long as the stylist doesn’t make this a regular or permanent business, according to Stephen Kirschner, director of the state’s Board for Barbers and Cosmetology.
“A lot of states don’t allow services outside the salon environment because it’s not inspectable so there’s no way to account for whether it’s safe,” says Steve Sleeper, executive director of the Scottsdale- based Professional Beauty Association, the leading trade association for the industry. “It’s not clear whether ( states) will be enforcing those rules, especially now that ( stylists) are trying to scrape together some revenue before it gets back to normal.”
A popular app, Glamsquad, sends stylists to clients’ homes but they just do blowouts and nails, not color or cuts. Still, there’s been a dip in business this week because most events have been canceled and group gatherings are discouraged, says Lindsey Schickner, a spokeswoman for Glamsquad.
Is there another way to get a roots touch up?
If you want to avoid the drugstore color boxes, you could try professional sprays and powders such as Color Wow and Rita Hazan, just to get you through the next few weeks.
But be prepared for a less- than- ideal outcome, says Sleeper. “Clients who can’t live without a root retouch, at least be aware that the outcome will not be what you hoped for. Or just go with some gray.”
Or you could try Wellman’s “HueGo.” He’s helping his clients cope by stepping up at- home production of his customized mini color- extender kits, a “genius” plastic device he orders from a supplier in New Jersey that he fills with clients’ specific color formula and seals, then ships them in the mail.
“It mixes the color for you, all you do is point and press, it has a little nozzle that acts as the brush. You don’t even need gloves,” Wellman says. “This is saving me and saving my clients, who love it.”
He posted a video of the device on his Instagram.
“It’s not the same money people are making in salons but at least it can generate a little income to help keep us afloat for a while, help us get through this,” Wellman said.
If you keep your appointment, what should you look for?
Check whether the salon is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to increase disinfecting of surfaces and tools, washing hands frequently, use of hand sanitizers and gloves, all of which is required of salons anyway under most state regulations.
The CDC also recommends people keep a distance of 6 feet from others to avoid spreading or catching the virus, so that might require rearranging the furniture in salons.
How can you help your stylist?
As Wellman says, clients tell him all the time: “You are the longest relationship I’ve had with any man in my life.” If stylists are suffering from shutdowns, clients could help.
Two options are getting more attention, says Sleeper. Salon gift cards, and prepaying for future bookings once business returns to normal could bring in at least some income for workers during a shutdown or if clients cancel.
“Clients are prebooking and paying in advance,” Sleeper says. “These are
personal connections and they want to help them.”