Salons reopen with new protocols: Disinfecting and social distancing are now part of normal operations for salons, spas

GALENA–Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Illinois residents were desperate for salons to open after the stay-at-home order ended.

COVID-19 brought about many DIY haircuts, drugstore dyes and completely shaved heads. Clients offered hairdressers top dollar to break protocol and give at-home treatments, which they were obliged to decline. Brenda Imbus-Sherman, owner of Indulge Day Spa & Salon, said she received messages bribing her with meals and other gifts. She told them she could not do any at-home treatments because she could lose her license.

When Galena salons and spas reopened on May 29, they were booked with appointments dating back to March.

“It was crazy in the beginning, especially with deciding who got to come in first,” Imbus-Sherman said.

Mickey Hefel, owner of Salon 603, said she received around 400 messages from clients on her personal phone during the shutdown. Going to the hair salon is very routine, and the hiatus threw people off.

“Being a hairdresser for 21 years, you build a schedule with clients,” Hefel said. “And now it’s all over the place. It feels like we’re never going to be caught up.”

Besides rescheduling appointments and dealing with concerned clients, salon owners had to purchase a hospital-grade disinfectant, remove reading material and other shared items, put up signage about masks and place styling stations six feet apart. Salons also had to purchase disposable masks, thermometers, closed containers and more capes. There are no waiting rooms, and no extra people are allowed in the salon.

“It’s a challenge for families because kids have to wait outside or in the car,” Hefel said.

Imbus-Sherman said a typical appointment now looks like this: A client comes in with his or her mask on, and then someone takes his or her temperature. The hairdresser also has a mask on and can only take one client at a time. After the client is finished, the entire station is disinfected. There is no overlap between appointments. Salon 603 uses disposable capes, while Indulge Day Spa & Salon washes the capes after use. Either way, no capes are ever reused for more than one client.

“The transition was manageable just because we already were doing most of it before the pandemic,” Imbus-Sherman said.

However, the elimination of client overlap and the addition of new disinfection methods have decreased the number of clients hairdressers can see in a day.

Both Hefel and Imbus-Sherman said people have been really understanding about the longer process and the scheduling back-up; they just want to get their hair done.

“After a client is finished, you have to wait until they leave to start anything else, and the disinfectant takes 15 minutes,” Hefel said. “The sanitization alone cuts out two extra hours every day.”

On Friday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 17, members of Prairie Ridge came to Indulge Day Spa & Salon. Usually, cosmetologist Anna Heller visits Prairie Ridge, but with COVID-19 all parties found it best to keep extra people away from the independent senior living facility. The clients were thrilled, and the salon successfully adapted to another change.

People experimenting with different cuts and colors was another positive that came out of temporary salon closure and subsequent reopening. Hefel and Imbus-Sherman said their clients were more willing to switch up their look since their hair was already at a different stage than when they normally come in for an appointment.

Illinois salons had a three-day turnaround between when they found out they could open to the May reopening date. It was stressful to learn new disinfecting methods, put up signage and contact clients in the short window of time, so area salon owners put their heads together to discuss ideas and strategies on a group Facebook page.

“It’s been really nice because all the salon owners in town have been working together to research and figure things out,” Hefel said.

This is another example of the Galena community coming together during a challenging time to ensure businesses remain open and afloat.