When you ask New York women if they are ready for a haircut, you’re guaranteed to get a grab-bag of answers.
While the opportunity to be pampered outside the realm of self-care Sunday does sound tempting, the consequences of letting your guard down and being so close to a stranger in an enclosed space is, for many, not worth it – especially with all the salon-centered horror stories that have emerged over the last 100 day like the 140 people infected in Missori,or this major COVID-19 salon scare in LA.
Of course, some people are willing to assume more risk than others, especially if they feel like they’ve already been exposed.
Though New York was originally the city hit the hardest by the pandemic, we’ve social distanced our way to tolerable numbers, at least for now. To gauge the comfort level of my fellow New Yorkers, I asked a group of girls who never once left their home turf during the pandemic, unlike many who decided to cash in on a lowkey second home and get out of dodge when ish went down.
Here’s what these tough city women have to say on returning back into the stylist’s chair.
Not Just Yet
“I don’t feel comfortable going to a salon just yet. Those types of services require the type of physical closeness that I’m not ready for, no matter how much sanitizing has gotten done. I’ve done quite well with at-home methods, thorough some things definitely require professional care and I do miss it.”
"Oh, my hairstylist — I think about him most days lately since my hair is looking rough around the edges. I’ve also started to notice more grays than ever before (thanks, quarantine stress). Mostly, I very much miss the feeling of looking put together and polished. But even in spite of those feelings — I’m not ready to go back to a salon. I’ve read stories about stylists passing on the virus to dozens of clients unwittingly. If the possibility arises of having my haircut outside in an open space, I’ll be first in line."
“I feel comfortable going back. I think it’s possible to be around anyone at this point, wear a mask, wash your hands before getting into the chair and after getting out of the chair, and be fine.”
"Usually, around my birthday, I treat myself to a salon for a blow-out and a trim. As a naturally curly-haired Black woman I try to minimize heat damage to my hair as much as possible. Pampering myself with regular deep conditioning treatments at home throughout the year has meant that the pandemic wasn't a total hair struggle for that very reason. I’m going to skip my professional annual summer trim, but I've been proudly rocking turbans, scarves, and durags from my WoBusu brand on video calls and during weekly errands."
“Personally I have no reservations getting back into a salon chair. I was sick in the beginning of March with obvious Covid symptoms and recently tested positive for antibodies. It’s definitely the reason behind my lax attitude and willingness to get back out there.”
"I only get maybe one haircut a year, and this year it was a DIY job which will last me until probably 2021! Until then, I probably won't be heading back to the salon.”
Xiaoxi L., Designer
Drybar is upping the ante on salon cleanliness. HERE’s how they plan to update post-Covid.
