A whole new world for beauty and hair salons

Lifestyle, Health and Beauty with Denise McNamara

So have you managed to get into your hair or beauty salon yet?

The experience may feel more akin to attending a medical clinic with the precautions that business owners have had to put in and the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that staff must wear.

But so far that doesn’t seem to be bothering the women and men of Ireland as we are returning in our droves after a gap of 15 weeks.

Clients are asked to arrive alone and be on time for their pre-booked appointment. If they are early, they may be asked to wait outside or in their cars. If they are late, the appointment may have to be rescheduled.

Bigger hair salons will have erected protective screens between each hairdressing station and all hair and beauty staff have received Covid training.

Most salons have increased their prices slightly to cover the cost of the new equipment and the fact that they are not to allowed to take in as many clients at the one time – but in Galway at least they appear to be fairly minimal – between 5 and 10 per cent.

If you have been dying your hair at home and in need of dire colour correction – that will likely cost you more than your normal treatment. But most salons charge you more for this at any time.

Ditto for extra-long roots that need fixing as they will to use more colour.

My hairdressing friend in Mayo has increased her price for a man’s haircut from €10 to €15 as she can only have one client in her salon at any one time due to its size and configuration.

It is her first price increase for over eight years yet still feels bad about having to do it. But if she doesn’t, she won’t be able to reopen.

Zenith, which has a salon in the city and Claregalway, will be open from 8am to 9pm until they clear the backlog. The experience will be different for both clients and staff, as manager Siobhan McHugh explains.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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