The owner of the village salon I go to has gone to great lengths to make her premises safe. Although small, pre-pandemic, it could be very busy with four stylists working at the same time.
Now, only one stylist is in any each day so there is a max of four* in the room. The owner handles reception and telephone plus the one stylist, a junior and the client.
The client waits outside in an awning until the previous client has left. You can only enter after donning a disposible plastic gown, hands sanitised and temperature taken.
They are alternating chairs so you sit on the opposite side of the salon to where the previous client sat, giving time for that workspace to be cleaned and aerosols to disperse. The salon door is left open so that fresh air can enter.
All staff are wearing plastics gowns, masks and plastic visors. I keep my mask on while my hair is being cut, detaching the loops and holding it in place when the stylist works around my ears.
My hair is short. I have it dry cut-once a month and have had four cuts since reopening. I don’t need a towel so cannot comment on that but assume they would always be fresh anyway and relaundered after each client.
This is a unisex salon but they are no longer offering beard trims so staff are not having to touch clients’ noses and mouths.
Drinks are not being offered.
If the client is a small child* they can have an adult with them. Adult clients are requested to leave children at home or have them supervised by someone else outside in the awning. Any adult accompanying another adult must also remain outside.
Payment is by card only and you can add a tip to the bill.
Staff have completed the L’Oreal e-course in Access Hygiene and Safety.
I think that’s everything. I feel safe and I am not sure they could do any more to make me safer.
Quite how the salon remains financially viable under these measures is hard to see. I just hope they survive after all the care they have taken.
