After two-months of bad hair days, the wait is nearly over among those desperate for a haircut with a visit to their hairdresser or barber included in the second stage out of lockdown on 21 May.
Hairdressers and barbers are expected to have a busy couple of months when they open from Thursday as people have rushed to book their appointments after going two months without a stylist due to lockdown.
Talking to the Financial Mirror, chairman of the Cyprus Hairdressers and Barbers Association, Nakis Pantelides, said that most businesses will be working overtime for the next couple of months to meet demand.
“Larger hair salons will have staff working shifts round the clock while most hairdressers and barbershops will be starting their day as early as 7 am in the morning,” said Pantelides.
He said that barbers and hairdressers are currently preparing their salons, making the essential changes as they will have to work under unprecedented circumstances.
“Apart from placing hand sanitizers, gloves and masks at the entrance, owners of hair salons will also have to rearrange their facilities due to social distancing rules.
For one, there will be no waiting area as most hair salons will only be allowed one or two customers at a time.”
Pantelides said chairs will have to be two meters apart, and only one person will be allowed for every 8 square meters of useable space.
He said that some hair salons will be replacing the waiting area with another chair to accommodate clients.
“There will be no waiting area. Clients will be given appointments, if the hairdresser wants to accommodate a second customer, for example, while the first client is waiting for their hair colour to set in, they will have to ask the consent of the first client to wait outside, before going back in.”
Where possible, salon owners should install partitioning between chairs, offering more safety to customers.
Hairdressers are also advised to be especially careful when drying customers’ hair with the hairdryer, as the air is forced to circulate.
“Air conditioning units will not be allowed, so windows and doors will be kept open for ventilation while hairdressers and barbers will have to sterilize all equipment after each customer,” said Pantelides.
