Hairdressers And Barbers Advised Against Small-Talk As Salons Re-Open

There are two types of people in this world: the type who treat a trip to the hairdressers as a therapy session, and natter away to a complete stranger for hours on end, and the type who would rather sit in silence, and detest the idea of small-talk.

Depending which one of these you are, you'll either be thrilled or downright disappointed at the news just in.

It turns out chatting in the hairdresser may soon be a thing of the past, as salons have now been advised to keep conversation to a minimum when they re-open, to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Yep, the National Hair and Beauty Federation has published a list of guidelines to help combat the spread of the infection, and limiting chit-chatting is right at the top.

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The guidelines state that stylists should 'avoid face-to-face discussions with clients'.

They continue: "Discussions about cut, colour and treatments should be made via the mirror while standing behind the client and kept to a minimum. You can lower the risk of infection if you stand or sit side-to-side rather than facing people."

If they're even meant to wind down the styling chat, you can bet that any conversation about your next holiday is going to get the cut, too.

The guidelines also suggest salons could start " offering online consultations," to reduce the amount of time chatting during an appointment.

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They add that 'walk in' appointments should be cut, and customers should be advised to leave coats and jackets at home, as the virus can stay active on the fabric for days.

On top of these guidelines, salons will be taking their own initiative in order to ensure that haircuts are safe for their staff and customers.

One such example is Contemporary Salons, which has outlets across the north east and north Yorkshire.

They told the Sun that all their staff would be in PPE, plus, "they've "installed protective screens at reception, every two work stations and at the backwash to allow social distancing."

"Staff will also be adhering to the silence rule at the backwash so, not only can guests relax and enjoy their head massage, they can also feel reassured that germs and air particles are kept to a minimum."

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While the government originally told us that salons wouldn't be opening until mid July, The Telegraph reports that this could be moved forward to as soon as June in a bid to keep the economy afloat.

It looks like salons are preparing just in case, with Rush, Blue Tit, Unruly Curls, Duck & Dry and several Aveda salons already either accepting bookings, or opening up waiting lists for eager customers.

So we'd suggest booking now rather than trying to bag a walk-in!

Topics: Beauty, Style News, Coronavirus

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman