CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Hampton Roads stylists are gearing up for a big day.
Virginia starts Phase One of reopening the state on Friday. Some salons and barbershops aren’t wasting any time opening their doors, while others are taking a slower approach.
“We’ll be going strong from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. all day tomorrow,” said Fringe Salon Owner Adrienne Grieco.
Grieco has two Fringe Salon locations, one in Chesapeake and one in Virginia Beach. She said both locations are fully booked.
“Our clients have been calling and calling, and asking,” Grieco said. “They want us back.”
Virginians will adhere to CDC guidelines, in Phase One, plus 12 added musts. Salon and other service industry owners will have to keep their shops at, or below, 50 percent capacity. Customers and employees will always have to wear masks.
They also must perform thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently contacted surfaces every hour.
“We’ve gone the extra mile, and everybody is wearing medical-grade scrubs as well,” Grieco said.
Fringe Salon will also take client temperatures before they enter.
All the extra and frequent sanitation comes at a cost. Grieco said she had to raise her prices by a dollar to help keep up.
“We are having to use extra cleaners that are hard to get,” Grieco said.
While many salons are ready to roll, others will sit out for now.
“It’s really just getting people prepared, getting teams stronger, getting leaders feeling confident,” said XO Hair Lab Owner Ash Fortis.
Fortis is entering Phase One on her own time, on June 1.
“I know I feel the pressure from clients who are frustrated, and we totally understand that,” Fortis said.
Fortis made a video that shows clients the new ropes when they return and posted it to the salon’s Facebook page.
Stylists will now greet clients at their car and provide paperwork with COVID-19 guidelines.
“We’ll take their temperature, make sure they have a safe temperature for their service,” Fortis said. “They are given a mask.”
XO is limiting services to two hours max. They also won’t blow dry, or use hot tools on hair, to keep clients comfortable while they are wearing masks.
“Appointments are going be more about maintenaincing and grooming,” Fortis said.
She said this is uncharted territory for the service industry, but that they are looking forward to June 1.
“It’s just difficult,” Fortis said. “You can be sanitizing and over sanitizing all you want. But we are still learning what is going to happen with COVID.”
Grieco supports the decision.
“I feel like hairdressers kind of fell through the cracks,” Grieco said. “I’m excited that some of us get to open, but it’s understandable if some people don’t want to.”
But she is excited to see familiar faces.
“I’m just ready to get back to making people feel good again,” Grieco said.
A few stores down from XO, Anchorage Barbershop will also open later on June 10. They said that’s partly because 70% of their business deals with beards, which can’t be serviced with masks on.