What to Ask Your Stylist about Salon Safety
We are living in strange, and often confusing times. The pandemic seems to be getting more under control and the majority of us are all looking forward to getting back to enjoying our favorite social activities. Long, luxurious salon appointments are no exception—after all, self-care is important! At the same time, there is lingering concerns about safety and staying healthy is always the number one priority. The good news is that it is possible to have an open, honest conversation with your stylist about your concerns. While it can feel a little awkward at first, with a little bit of preparation addressing your concerns with your stylist can actually help to improve your relationship. In this post, we are going to discuss some common concerns related to COVID-19 salon safety precautions, and some suggested solutions to discuss with your stylist.
CONCERN #1: Length of Appointment
Most of the data surrounding the spread of COVID-19 (or any other airborne illness for that matter) shows an increase in the likelihood of transmission, as the amount of time spent in close proximity to others increases. This holds especially true for indoor social activities. This becomes a problem when your cut and color appointment typically last 2 1/2 hours or more. One solution is to discuss making shorter appointments, more often. Depending on which services you normally receive, you can ask your stylist what it could look like to split them up over the course of a few days or even weeks. For example, if you are planning on going in for a cut, with highlights and lowlights, instead of booking one 2-3 hour appointment, you could ask if it would be possible to book 3 separate appointments lasting one hour or less. An additional option is to request that your colorist use a fast-processing color line. Most salons carry multiple color lines and types. If you have a specific request like reduced processing time and give your stylist plenty of time to track down and educate themselves on what that request entails, they are usually happy to accommodate you.
CONCERN #2: Salon Safety Guidelines & Practices
Salons all across the country (and the world!) have the same concerns that you do when it comes to keeping everyone healthy. It’s very likely that your salon has increased safety protocols and guidelines to help keep their guests safe. Here are a few things that you may want to ask about, to ensure that your safety is being considered:- Sanitation: Feel free to ask about additional sanitation practices between appointments for both guests and staff.
- Masking Policies: Your salon likely has a masking policy in place, feel free to ask about what types of makes the safe is suing. Some are more effective than others. You may even consider asking if your stylist would consider double masking during your appointment, to help reduce the chance of transmission.
- Vaccination stance: While vaccinations can be a touchy subject in some parts of the world, it is perfectly okay to ask when safety is a concern. If you and your stylist have similar views, then you will likely both feel safer.
