In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, no one really knows how to act. These are truly unprecedented times. While much of the country is reopening, that doesn’t mean the virus is gone. But, trust us, we get the desire to get out of the house, especially when your hair and nails are a mess! 

So, if your local hair or nail salon has reopened and you’re itching to go, should you? Here are some thoughts to consider before and after you make this decision.

Do your homework.

Every area is different in terms of the number of cases and the level of reopening. Make sure you’re aware of the status quo before you go back to life as normal. If you live in a congested area with a high and growing number of cases, you may want to pump the brakes.

However, if you live in an area with a flat-lined or decreasing number of cases, you should be able to return your normal lifestyle in small ways (like visiting your favorite salon).

Consider your and your family’s health.

After doing your homework, the most important consideration before reentering the public is your own health. If you or a family member (with whom you live in close proximity) have a preexisting health condition that would make you vulnerable to the symptoms of COVID-19, you should take greater precautions and consider sheltering in place until you feel safe.

Additionally, you should feel confident that you don’t have the virus yourself. It’s possible for one to have coronavirus without showing symptoms, but if you do feel sick in any way, stay home so as not to spread the illness to anyone else.

Call ahead.

If you feel comfortable with your area’s status quo and your and your family’s health, the next consideration should be the salon you’re visiting. Salons are different than the grocery store you’ve probably been visiting for a while since hair and nail salons require a fair amount of human contact. For this reason, you’re going to want to be sure your salon is taking all the proper precautions.

Many salons that have reopened have taken multiple precautions to keep themselves and their patrons safe, including: requiring masks, taking patrons’ temperatures, installing dividers (in nail salons), and cleaning frequently. Like all public establishments, the salon should also be enforcing social distancing by staggering appointments and keeping individuals separated in the salon.

If your nail or hair salon is taking all of these precautions, you can feel pretty confident in returning to your favorite salon.

If you visit a salon, take all the proper precautions.

Your favorite salon will be doing all they can on their part to ensure the safety of their patrons and themselves, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your own part. In addition to wearing your mask, social distancing, and submitting to all other protocols the salon has in place, it’s on you to make sure you’re doing your part.

Here are some things you can do to help:

Avoid risky treatments

Some beauty treatments are going to be riskier than others. Facials and eyebrow threading, for example, require close face-to-face proximity. Consider, for the time being, sticking to manicures and blowouts.

Wash your hands before and after

Before you enter the salon, make sure you’ve washed your hands thoroughly, and do the same before you leave. This ensures you aren’t bringing germs in or out of the salon.

Tip well and thank the workers

Tipping well is always a good idea at salons, but never more so than now. Part of the reasons salons are reopening despite the lingering virus is to keep their business alive. The economy is suffering because of the pandemic, and workers are putting themselves and risk to stay above water. The least you can do is give a generous tip!

Leave a good review online

Finally, if you’re pleased with your salon’s services and how they handled reopening during the pandemic, leave them some love online. It’ll reassure warier customers about returning to the salon and ultimately boost the salon’s business.

If you’re a beauty salon owner or manager, click here to read more about how you can pandemic-proof your establishment.