The Immediate Future for Salons

Blog Post 6-5/12/2020

The Immediate Future for Salons

On Thursday, May 7, California’s Governor Newsom commented on how COVID was first spread,“This whole thing started in the state of California, the first community spread, in a nail salon. I just want to remind everybody of that and that I’m very worried about that.” This has deeply upset the beauty community sparking outrage and disappointment, prompting industry leaders to speak out. His statement is contributing to the heightened fear of the salon environment and ultimately attacking small businesses. This incident, along with the re-opening of salons in my home state Georgia, has left me wondering about the immediate future of the salon experience. There is no rule book, guide or protocol on how salons should operate in the post-COVID world. It’s important to know that salons already had sanitization measures in place. But going forward, there is increased pressure to implement new rules and regulations and re-set the standard for safely re-opening and operating in the beauty industry. In addition to social distancing and wearing protective gear (masks, gloves, etc.) I want to look at a few measures that may affect nail salons, hair salons and spas in the immediate future.    

New Certifications and Rules

I follow a lot of beauty industry professionals on Instagram and I’ve been seeing nail techs post their Barbicide certification on their grid demonstrating their dedication to safe and sanitary services. It seems that protocols for re-opening salons are largely at the discretion of the salon owner. Sure, there might be state guidelines everyone must follow like social distancing, but beyond that I believe it’s up to salons to determine their own precautionary measures for safety and sanitization. This could result in a need and demand for new types of certification around safety and sanitization; possibly ones that require yearly renewals. I also think there will be changes to beauty school curriculums that require a heavy emphasis on safety and sanitization. 

Uniforms

I think hair and nail salons may eventually require staff to wear uniforms, much like the idea and purpose of scrubs i.e. specifically meant to be worn while working on the premises only, made with fabrics that contain antimicrobial properties which inhibit the spread of bacteria and germs, laundered on premises using a powerful industrial cleaner. I believe most spas already have their staff wear scrubs for this very purpose; I think of masseuses and aestheticians who get much closer to the body and other sensitive areas. People might not like the idea of uniforms, especially in creative industries, but this may be a simple and effective measure to protect both staff and clientele.

Health Grades for salons

Most of us quickly glance at a restaurant’s health grade before we enter. For some, a B or C grade automatically turns customers away. Imagine if there was a new type of health code system for salons specifically looking at sanitization and minimizing the risk of disease spread/contamination. Much like the food industry’s health code inspections, salons would undergo sanitary inspections to determine adherence to compliance with standardized rules and measures. This would require a standard set of codes to be established and a larger governing body to enforce the rules. But imagine, if you were considering going to a salon and their “salon health grade” was poor, you probably wouldn’t take the risk, but instead may be inclined to try another salon with a higher grade.    

Salon on demand

With salons operating at limited capacity and practicing social distancing, this will inevitably result in smaller crews and a reduced number of clients. With reduced work happening in salons, other business models like Glamsquad, that provide on-demand, in-home salon services may increase in popularity. Customers may not want to risk going to a salon when they can have the same service performed in the comfort of their own home. We may also see a rise in beauty professionals who specialize in multiple areas like makeup, hair and nails (like a one-stop shop). Trusting one person to take care of as many beauty needs as possible, in your own home, will limit the number of people you have to be in contact with and hopefully mitigate your risk. I can also see a model in which a salon creates a staggered work schedule, i.e. Team A and Team B, that balances working in the salon and making house calls. For example: On Monday, Team A is on the floor. Team B is still working—not on site—but instead makes house calls. The salon could act as a “home base” for both teams and allows stylists to pick up any materials and supplies, to mix formulas, etc.

Relationships

Many beauty professionals use Instagram as a portfolio to show off their work, attract new clients and build relationships. Some people have great relationships with their go-to colorist or manicurist, but others are fine receiving services from whoever. I think that the idea of having a good relationship with beauty professionals and salons is going to become even more important. When we build relationships with beauty professionals, we build up trust over time. In the post-COVID world we want to trust that our service is completed not only to our liking, but also in a safe and sanitary way. For example, I got to the same salon to get my hair cut but I will let any available stylist cut my hair. I don’t care who my stylist is because I am usually just getting a trim. But now, I’m going to think twice about the salon and the stylist I choose to use. I want to know that both the salon and stylist are taking measures to ensure the safety of their clients and staff before I book my appointment. The salon, stylist and client relationship are going to be so important as we move into re-opening. We’re all looking for the best way forward, in the safest possible way.