Beauty And Hair Salon Re-Opening Road Map

May 7, 2020,

Do you really need to put your makeup on if you are single and honoring stay at home, sheltering mandates? Who is going to see you?

It depends.

If you are communicating through Web Cams, you’ll be seen there but if it is a girlfriend, maybe that falls into the “who cares” category.

There are many fashion related groups across the country who care.

grapplingstars.com, femcompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, FCI Women’s Sports, pexels.com-Cottonbro

One such industry is the beauty and personal care salons that have temporarily been closed due to the recent coronavirus outbreak.

There is a sliver of good news.

Some are starting to re-open, with changes.

grapplingstars.com, femcompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, FCI Women’s Sports, pexels.com-Cottonbro

As reported by vogue.com, “As the spread of COVID-19 began to slow in China, where the virus first appeared in December, some hair salons, barbershops, and other personal-care businesses started to reopen in March, with cautionary measures. Stylists wore face masks, hazmat suits, and gloves; implemented new sanitation strategies; limited volume; and spaced out seating per social distancing mandates.”

Not sexy but necessary.

What has slowly become clear across the country is that beauty and hair salons are not just attended for personal enhancement services, but in terms of socializing, are a vital part of the communities they serve.

grapplingstars.com, femcompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, FCI Women’s Sports, pexels.com-Cottonbro

They reflect the fabric of who we are. And like many of us, economically they live near the edge. Always have, even in the good times but the recent pandemic is pushing them closer to or over the edge.

As shared by allure.com, “In the U.S., the salon and spa industry boasted more than 1.2 million businesses bringing in more than $57 billion in sales, according to a 2019 Professional Beauty Association (PBA) report. About 72 percent of hair salon workers polled said that they either live paycheck-to-paycheck or have only about a month’s worth of cash reserves to live on. About 23 percent reported having no health insurance.”

And that was during the good times.

“I'm just waiting for the first #MeToo moment to happen from a salon because the culture of how assistants are treated, especially in salons in L.A. and New York, is, like, truly unbelievable. You're expected to clock out for lunch and never get paid. You're expected to be there an hour early, stay two hours late.”…Jonathan Van Ness

As we are learning, watching the news, while it is important to get the economy back on track by opening up businesses again, given the strong threat of increased infections, pre-cautionary measures are being suggested.

One such group that is providing a road map for hair and beauty salons to re-open is the Professional Beauty Association.

According to their video page, they educate, “100,000 members strong, the Professional Beauty Association exists to elevate, unite and serve the beauty industry, and the professionals who improve people’s lives.”

Here are their well thought out suggestions.

The Professional Beauty Association Creates Reopening Roadmap to Help Beauty Professionals and Their Clientele Navigate the Changes Ahead

grapplingstars.com, femcompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, FCI Women’s Sports, Professional-Beauty-Association-photo-credit.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- It's been 6, 7, 8 weeks with no hair color, cuts or blowouts. But now, with a third of all states lifting their locally mandated quarantine measures to enable personal care services, you -- and your stylist -- are ready to go back to the salon. You've even booked your appointment. So what can you expect? Will things be different when you head back into the salon?

Steve Sleeper, Executive Director of the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), the largest and most inclusive national trade organization representing the professional beauty industry, says business is not as usual -- for both stylists AND clientele - and expects it to be this way for the foreseeable future.

As the industry's leading resource, the PBA has crafted a series of Recommended Guidelines for salons and spas to follow including increased sanitization measures, installing plexiglass or acrylic partitions, removing coffee and amenity stations, imparting electronic-only transactions, requiring face masks, staggered appointments and waiting in cars, having clients show up with clean, dry hair, and more -- all creating what this new normal will be holistically, and almost counterintuitive to the traditional salon experience, but entirely necessary.

With the $58B+ US salon industry seemingly paralyzed, "back to work" is going to look and feel, both logistically and emotionally, different for everyone. But with these new measures, how can the stylist and client ensure a smooth experience that only heightens their bond and leaves a lasting positive impression? "The most important thing is communication," shares Sleeper. "By ensuring that clients understand that the post-COVID Safe Salon experience is going to take some getting used to -- and that it's going to be this new, less indulgent moment is a great starting point." A Safe Salon, according to the PBA, follows its guidelines along with the state mandated guidelines, and ensures that the health and wellness of its staff and clientele comes first.

grapplingstars.com, femcompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com articles, FCI Women’s Sports, pexels.com-Cottonbro

In light of dozens of states beginning their phased reopenings, the professional beauty community still faces many challenges ahead in getting back on its feet. The PBA is entrenched in government affairs, including its active lobbying for the FICA Tax Tip Credit as part of the economic stimulus package, which would create significant savings for salon owners, and collaborating with state-level task forces to establish best practices in reopening, as well as ensuring the PBA Back to Work Guidelines are shared as a state resource, too. Further, the PBA has established its COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has raised over $1M to date with support from top industry brands like L'Oreal Professional brands, Moroccanoil, Henkel Professional Beauty Division, Dyson, and more; additional information available at http://Probeauty.org/relief. 100% of the donations are going directly to support licensed beauty professionals experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The PBA will continue its fundraising efforts to support the COVID-19 Relief Fund, as the more it raises, the more beauty professionals it can help provide for.

About the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) We're the Professional Beauty Association. We believe in redefining what it means to be a beauty professional in today's world by connecting, understanding, educating, celebrating, and fighting for the community that we -- collectively -- stand for and serve, whether you're working behind the chair or running a beauty brand. We aim to make your job easier through providing news, resources, blueprints, advocacy, recognition, and community, so you can focus on the things you love, like creating and growing your business. We're in the trenches with you, and out there advocating for you; because we are all in this beautiful industry together -- connected by beauty, united by passion. For more information, please visit www.probeauty.org.

SOURCE Professional Beauty Association