Salons Reopening Near You? Here Are The Latest COVID Guidelines

Since the lockdown was initiated back in March, we knew that getting our hair done would be a no-go for some time. And after a few months of having to do without our regular root touch-ups (we’re looking at you faux blondes), a little trim to keep those split ends at bay, and our favourite treatments to leave our locks feeling revived, it’s safe to say that we can’t wait to get back in that chair.

So, when on 23 June the UK government announced that hairdressing services can resume from 4 July, the initial thought was “great, time to sort out this lockdown hair situation”. But the announcement of salons, barbers, and other close-contact services reopening also comes with a set of new guidelines to ensure the safety of the clients and the workers.

Read on below about these guidelines so you know how you can stay safe when tending to your tresses.

Salon Rules to Keep You Safe

The first thing to note is that each business will translate these guidelines and the specific actions they take depending on the type and size of the business, the services they offer, how it is organised, operated, managed, and regulated.

The below guidelines are in place to ensure that you and the salon workers are kept safe during your visit and should be adhered to where possible. For further information about the measures businesses are putting in place, you can visit the gov.uk website or contact your salon to understand what measures they have in place.

When Booking an Appointment

When booking an appointment, you may be asked to attend on your own where possible and you may also be asked a series of health-related questions such as:

• “Have you had the recent onset of a new continuous cough?”
• “Do you have a high temperature?”
• “Have you noticed a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell?”

If you (or any member of your household) has any of these symptoms, however mild, you should stay at home and reschedule your appointment.

Salons should also keep a temporary record of who has visited the salon for 21 days and assist the NHS Test and Trace should they require this information.

Arriving on Time

No one likes it when a client turns up late for an appointment, as this only limits the time that they can work on your hair and potentially pushes back other people’s appointments. Adhering to scheduled appointments will now be even more important, as this can cause unnecessary queues and contact with other people.

Markings on the Floor

Although the re-opening of salons means that we can get our hair cut and treated, that doesn’t mean a reduction in necessary distancing.

When you return to your salon, you may notice markings on the floor. These are indicators for where clients are permitted to be to maintain a safe distance from workers and other clients.

Queuing and Waiting Areas

Unless the establishment is large enough, there will be no waiting areas (or reading material such as magazines). Instead, clients will be asked to queue outside in a socially distanced fashion. Markings on the floor should be provided to make this clear.

Wearing Protective Gear

Because of the close proximity that hairdressers have with their clients, these workers will now be required to wear protective gear, such as a visor, to cover their faces to create a barrier between the wearer and the client who may expel respiratory droplets.

Clients should also consider wearing a face mask throughout the appointment, as this will further reduce the risk of exposing anyone on the premises.

Face-to-face contact will be limited where possible and only interactions back-to-back or side-to-side should be conducted. There will also a reduction in the contact between different workers and clients to minimise any potential contamination.

Extended Treatments

Salons may reduce the types of treatments available that require extended times to conduct, such as braiding. This is to minimise the amount of contact the worker and client have.

For services such as hair colouring, where the treatment requires development time, the salon should provide a secure area for you to socially distance while you wait.

Additional Sanitisation

In addition to the protective gear worn by your hairdresser, you will notice that the check-out area will also have a perspex screen to protect the person behind.

Clients will be encouraged to wash or sanitize their hands upon entering the premise.

As for the equipment, frequent cleaning of objects and surface that are touched regularly should be undertaken, including door handles, chairs, treatment beds, and reusable equipment such as scissors and towels, which should be cleaned between clients. This increased cleaning time may also mean that fewer appointments can be taken in a day.

Workers should also be using disposable gowns for each client, or, if not possible, use separate gowns.

Again, if you want to read more about the guidelines you can visit the gov.uk website or go to your salon website to enquire about the individual measures they have put in place for their business and your visit.

From all of us at All Things Hair, stay safe and have a great hair day.