Creative HEAD May/June 2020

NEW
NORMAL
WHEN SALON DOORS OPEN ONCE MORE, BOTH STAFF AND CLIENTS WILL
NEED TO GET USED TO A DIFFERENT WAY OF WORKING AND VISITING
FOR APPOINTMENTS. WE CONSIDER HOW THAT MIGHT LOOK, AS SALON
OWNERS SHARE THE PLANS THEY’RE PUTTING IN PLACE
ONE BRAND IN an incredible position to understand what
salons are facing post-lockdown is Treatwell, thanks to its
65,000 salon partners across Europe. Madeleine Raynel,
supply director at the company, admits the assumption was that
everyone would be raring to go as soon as that green light to
reopen is given. However, she’s noticed a mood of concern. She
says: “Early indications from survey results illustrate that by far
the biggest concern was hygiene and safety.”
It’s clear all salons will need to change the way they interact
with clients, and staff need to be completely on board, too.
L’Oréal Professional Products Division (LPPD) has worked in
conjunction with hygiene specialists in Europe to create specific
hygiene recommendations for salons (highlights of which are
listed below). “We want to do everything we can to support
all salons and hairdressers,” says Béatrice Dautzenberg, LPPD
managing director. “We are creating a new version of our Salon
Support Guide, which will focus on reopening, spanning topics
such as hygiene, client communication and service menu ideas.”
LPPD will be sharing further guidelines to support salons in
reopening but advises to always check government guidelines.
UPDATE HOW YOUR SALON IS ORGANISED
• Ensure you respect social distancing.
• Stagger appointments to reduce the number of people in the
salon at any one time. Adapt opening times, for example longer
hours and specified times for vulnerable clients.
• Organise your staff into teams to allow rotation – then if a
stylist needs to self-isolate, that whole team will self-isolate but
the business can stay operational with another team in place.
• Have greater gaps between stations/clients.
• Think about how clients will wait for their appointment – a
waiting zone outside? A queuing system with marked out zones?
• Don’t offer tea/coffee or food, offer disposable bottled drinks.
• Remove easily touchable items such as magazines and testers
and ask clients not to touch products on shelves.
• Revise your service menu – salons in post-lockdown countries
are offering express services such as dry cuts and root touch-ups.
• Try to go cash-free including digital receipts and disinfect
touch pad buttons after every use.
• Inform clients about the new measures on your website, in
online consultations or a conversation prior to the appointment.
GET EVERYONE ON TOP OF PERSONAL HYGIENE
• Keep washing and disinfecting your hands throughout the
day, and avoid wearing jewellery and fancy nails.
• Offer disinfection points for clients: at the door, the station etc.
• If you wear a mask, ones with ear loops are preferable.
• Gloves must be changed frequently and you’ll need to wash
your hands every time you remove them.
• Wear dedicated work clothes, washed daily and kept in a
clean, closed place, and used only for work (including shoes).
• Disposable fabrics where possible (gowns, technical collars,
towels), one new for each client. If you don’t use disposable
items, you’ll need to treat them as single use for each client.
RAMP UP HYGIENE IN THE SALON
• Stick to one station/backwash per staff member/client, and
disinfect the area after each client.
• Clean all salon surfaces at least twice a day – can you dedicate
one team member to cleaning?
• Don’t share kit or products with other team members, and
clean items after each use. It’s better not to use a tool belt.
• Hair dryers/stylers should also be disinfected after each use.
• Aim to clean ‘high touch’ surfaces three to five times a day, as
well as cleaning all contact surfaces after each client, and think
about how you’re going to manage salon waste.
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CREATIVE HEAD