The recent news that hair salons, along with other businesses in the personal care sector, could reopen from the 4th of July, Ken Picton, owner of Ken Picton Hair Salon in Cardiff Bay and current President of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing is sharing his thoughts on what customers can expect from their post-lockdown appointment.
Ken explains that although the easing of restrictions is a welcome announcement for the hair and beauty industry, it comes with great responsibility. Because of this, salons are putting in place new safety measures to help stop the spread of Coronavirus when they reopen.
Ken says, “We understand that unless we all stick to the guidelines set out by the Government, all of this could be reversed. That’s why we are putting a plan in place to enable people to have their hair cut in the safest way possible, protecting both them and our team.
“The salon experience will be very different, with socially distanced appointments and stylists wearing PPE, but we will still deliver the high-quality service that our customers expect.”
So, what could a post-lockdown hair appointment look like?
- Some customers may be asked to pre-pay for their appointment to limit the risk of gathering around the reception desk and to ensure a quick and easy exit from the salon for everyone
- All appointments must be booked, and no walk-in clients will be allowed
- Customers may be asked to wear a face mask and to use hand sanitiser gel
- Dependent on the size of the salon, a one-way system may be put in place to help maintain social distancing and ensure touch points are safe and clean
- No in-salon refreshments or magazines will be offered, to help reduce contact between people
- There’ll be fewer people in the salon at any one time and appointments will be staggered to ensure social distancing
- Hair stylists will be wearing gloves and face masks, and potentially using protective screens, where social distancing isn’t possible
- Customers will wear disposable gowns and biodegradable towels will also be used
It has been reported that in some European countries such as France, hair salons are only cutting dry hair and avoiding blow-drying, post-lockdown. Many UK salons are still awaiting further guidance around specific services and how best to approach their return to business.
Ken adds, “The safety of our customers and our team is our top priority. If we do things the correct way from the outset, we hope we that we will start to see some normality return in time. One thing we are sure of is that we shall all still talk about important life things during appointments and share and laugh as we always do. Your hair ‘promise’ is that you will still look and feel great when you leave the salon. We hope our clients join us in doing it differently but safely.”
Ken Picton is the current President of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, former winner of British Hairdressing Salon of the Year and has also previously won Wales & Southwest Hairdresser of the Year and British Colourist of the Year.
