Salons are getting ready to open for business, but as we enter a new normal, things are going to look a little different.
“Most clients have been really grateful and they are all about this and ready to go, they just want to come to get their nails done,” said Janelle Lamont from The Kelowna Nail Guru.
In March, personal services such as salons were ordered to close their doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and now are polishing up their pandemic procedures. They’ll follow guidelines by WorkSafe BC for employees and help keep customers safe by following the direction of B.C. health officials.
“I have my new plexiglass shield, face masks for everyone, nobody can even enter the salon if they don’t have a face mask on, there’s no waiting area anymore,” said Lamont.
“I will text and let my clients know when their appointment is going to start. When you enter the salon, you have to go straight to the bathroom and do a 30-second hand wash, there’s no cell phone use, no food, no guests, no children. When you enter through my door, there is sanitizer wipes to clean everything you need. I’m just trying to make sure all the bases are covered and that everyone feels comfortable.”
That’s not the only thing that will be different. Polishing up their procedures also means suiting up. Veronica Schneider, founder of Very Best Me Esthetics, will be wearing a mask, shield, apron, gloves and shoe covers to make sure she and her clients are protected.
“I love my clients.,” said Schneider.
“I just want to do the right thing for my clients and for me. I don’t want to get the virus and I don’t want to be responsible for giving anyone the virus.”
The waxing specialist, like many other personal service providers, has taken a few specialized courses in her downtime to make sure she is properly educated on how to prevent any incident.
At Back Bar Beauty, hairstylist Mackenzy Robinson is trying to find a way to keep the salon sanitized but also take care of the environment.
“One of the things I am most passionate about in the beauty industry is maintaining a healthy impact on the environment,” said Robinson.
“We are a very wasteful industry with our colour waste and our foil waste. One of my biggest concerns with everything having to be sanitized and disposed of right now is just increasing that waste and (I am figuring out) how I can counteract that. We are asking people to bring their own mask and use a cloth or reusable ones.”
The salon is also putting their coffee, tea and water offerings on hold to avoid using disposable cups.
Stylists at Back Bar Beauty will be alternating workdays and Robinson will also be using Barbicide spray on a cloth that will be washed immediately to limit waste in the salon while keeping everything clean.
Salons and personal services are allowed to open May 19 however they are opening on their own timeline. Be sure to reach out to find out what their new standards are to keep everyone looking good but feeling safe.
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