Isaac Maltin cuts Jay Johnson's hair while wearing a protective mask, glasses and gloves on Thursday at Isaac's Barber Shop in downtown Medicine Hat. Barbershops and hair salons across the city began re-opening Thursday under Stage 1 of the provincial government's relaunch strategy.--NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Hatters can finally go hatless again.
Barbershops and hair salons across the city began reopening their doors Thursday under Stage 1 of the provincial government’s relaunch plan. It comes with a handful of extra rules and regulations, but Isaac’s Barber Shop owner Isaac Maltin says sanitization has always been an important part of the barber’s profession, now it just requires a mask and gloves.
“Since the 1800s sanitization has been key. We have products with barbicide, clippercide and so on and so forth,” said Maltin, adding getting back into the habit is as much of a challenge. “It’s like riding a bike. It takes the first couple haircuts to get my motor skills back. My feet already hurt. It’s funny. It’s just getting back into it, physically as much as mentally, because of all the added precautions that are taken.”
The provincial government released an official list of guidelines for salons and barbershops to follow as they welcome customers back into the chair for a long-awaited trim. The guidelines recommend that clients remain in their vehicles until their appointment if the salon’s waiting room cannot accommodate two metres of social distancing, while all high-touch items like magazines, coffee cups and toys must be removed. Moreover, hand sanitizer should be provided for staff and customers, all work stations, washrooms and equipment are to be regularly cleaned and disinfected, or replaced, and all employees are instructed to wear masks when working directly with clients – who are encouraged to wear masks as well.
Red Velvet Hair and Body Bar owner Kole Dalgleish says three stylists will be working at a time when she reopens the Hat-based business on Tuesday. An extra employee has been hired to sanitize all equipment and work stations following every use and clients will stay in the chair for their entire session, including payment.
“I think one of the big reasons why they chose salons to be one of the first is because we have some of the strictest guidelines when it comes to sanitization,” said Dalgleish, adding she opted to wait until Tuesday to reopen in order to ensure all necessary personal protective equipment is available to staff and customers alike.
Maltin says he’s operating on his own at one booking per hour and has even manufactured his own disposable cape to cut down on potential spread.
“I throw them out after every client, as well as one-hour bookings now give time to fully clean and sanitize the area,” he said. “Isaac’s is definitely on the forefront of sanitary measures in the barbering industry and I take pride in that.”
After seven weeks without hair to cut, Dalgleish says she and her staff are thrilled to finally be reunited with their clients, even if they need to be hidden behind a mask.
“I feel like I’m missing my friends more so than clients,” she said. “We see the most impactful parts of their lives, from their weddings, to their child being born, to their child graduating high school, to them getting married and the loss of a loved one … I don’t think people realize how much we miss the interaction with our friends, and we’re really grateful to get back in and visit, socialize and see how people are doing.”
Dalgleish added that hiatus has taken a toll on numerous local businesses across the city, many of which began reopening under the provincial relaunch strategy on Thursday.
“I think it’s really important right now to shop local,” she said. “There’s never been more of a need for it, to keep small businesses alive in Medicine Hat. No matter where you go or where you get your hair done or where you’re shopping, please try to support local.”
For the full list of guidelines for hair salons and barbershops, visit http://www.alberta.ca/biz-connect.aspx.
