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Reopening Your Salon or Spa

After the traumatic year we’ve all had, we know there is going to be high demand for pampering spa and salon services as soon as they are offered! But as locations begin to reopen, more and more questions arise about how we are going to keep ourselves and each other safe, while also getting back to business. There is no one right answer for everyone, and we will have to learn from – and lean on – each other throughout the process. However, there are regulations and best practices to inform our decisions. To help you facilitate a successful reopening, we’ve gathered guidelines and materials from trustworthy sources and compiled them here.

NYS GUIDELINES FOR PERSONAL CARE EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES

As of September 3rd, New York State has reopened facial services! To view the most recent Guidelines for Personal Care Services, click here.

This PDF contains the full list of mandatory and recommended precautions for businesses to take when they reopen. Most of you are likely aware of what is required, so we’ve highlighted some suggested best practices that you may have overlooked. However, we highly recommend reading through the entire PDF to see which bullets apply to your business.

  • If you are a business that offers nail services – consider removing nail polish bottles or other shared items from displays, or place them in a protected location, prevent multiple customers handling the same item.
  • If you offer waxing services – Consider separating wax into clean single-use containers that it can be easily discarded after each client.
  • Get rid of or reduce cancellation fees so that clients are encouraged to stay home if they feel sick.
  • If you sell products in your business, limit customer contact with products prior to purchase.
  • Encourage customers to pay ahead or use touchless payment options when possible.

RESOURCES FOR REOPENING

  • The American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) created a Guide to Reopening that includes:
    • A Reopening Toolkit with relevant links to certification courses, as well as other toolkits and guides.
    • Links to Reopening and Sanitization information from sources including the CDC and U.S. Department of Labor.
  • The International Spa Association (iSPA) also came out with their own Spa Reopening Toolkit that contains links to various resources including:
    • Manuals for sanitization standards, a reopening checklist, management tips, and much more.
    • Templates for signs or visuals related to social distancing, sanitization, etc.
    • Videos from industry experts
  • MindBody has a COVID-19 Resources Page that includes:
    • Templates for business communications that you may need.
    • Blog posts, webinars and infographics on various topics focused on helping your business navigate these times.
    • Case studies on businesses across the country that have figured out how to successfully reopen.

Since the beginning of March, personal care businesses and workers have constantly had to adapt and reinvent themselves. It’s taken hard work, dedication and perseverance, and we could not be more proud of the beauty community as a whole for making it to this milestone! It’s been a long journey, and we still have a while to go before this is behind us, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel as spas and salons begin to do what they do best again – make clients happy. 

We have been updating our Coronavirus landing page as we learn more about the timeline for offering services

As part of our educational philosophy, we aim to provide thought leadership on topics relevant to industry professionals and those with a passion for beauty. Click here to visit our Educated Insights homepage to learn trends, tutorials, industry news, and tips for at-home care and spa treatments.

Some of the links on this page refer to sources outside of our website. The responsibility for the content of linked URLs is solely that of the owners of the linked pages.

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