Barbershops are reopening in Canada
Has closing beauty industry salons to quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic done more good than harm?
Toronto resident Jennifer Lake is looking forward to her first visit to a hairdresser in nearly 10 months as Ontario barbershops id="0">and other personal care services reopen Wednesday.
Before the pandemic began, Lake was a constant visitor to the Fiorio Cumberland beauty salon, getting her hair cut and dyed every two months. When the province announced last week the start of the second phase of the quarantine release, Jennifer, like many other Ontarians, rushed to make an appointment with her hairdresser.
The woman noticed that her hair wasn't styling well because her hair had grown back and become drier due to spending more time indoors under quarantine, "I think one of the reasons it's so exciting to get back to everyday life is to start taking care of yourself again."
The beauty and hygiene services industry in Canada was hit hard during the shutdown pandemic. And while regular salon customers may have felt the lack of professional help, some say there's a flip side to that as well: more people have started taking care of themselves at home.
The beauty industry in the provinces
Dean Lianos, owner of the Toronto salon, is preparing for its July 6 opening. Most clients have already booked their visit to the master salon — all spaces are booked until mid-August.
This situation is also due to the fact that the beauty industry businesses are only allowed to operate with a load of 25%, which reduces the number of visitors by two-thirds.
"It's going to take time to get used to the pace at which we were working before," Lianos told globalnews.ca. — People have a lot of hair, and it's going to take a long time to get rid of it.
In Manitoba, personal service businesses, such as hair salons, beauty salons and nail salons, are allowed to open with a 50% load and serve clients by appointment only.
Dermatologist's advice
According to Toronto-based dermatologist Julia Carroll, prolonged lack of cutting often leads to split ends, but taking a break from chemical treatments helps hair get healthier, although it worsens its appearance. The doctor advised improving hair by using simple techniques such as trimming the ends and adding highlights.
Amid the growing demand for personal care services and the rush to book appointments, Julia Carroll recommends spacing out the various treatments so that the body gradually gets used to the new things after a long hiatus.
"If you haven't used salon services in a long time, then you don't have to do everything all at once because it can have a bad effect on your skin or your nails," she said.