‘Salon at home’ becomes a hit amid pandemic

Avneet Kaur
Jalandhar, June 30

The stay-at-home restrictions might have been lifted but the residents are still reluctant to step out. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of normal life – the way we work, the way our homes function, personal hygiene, the way we interact, our leisure activities, and so on.

While salon services might not be essential, these are still an important step towards self-care. The need for hair-cut, waxing, threading and pedicure cannot be ruled out; neither could be delayed for a long time. Most of the women will resonate with the fact that the first thing they wanted to do after the lockdown ended was to hit the salon but had to act restraint amid rising Covid scare.

The salons have adopted standard operating procedures ranging from using more disposable materials for individual clients to disinfecting high-touch point zones, scissors and other equipment every three hours to replacing the towels with non-woven fabrics. They have also been preferring to use cutting sheets, bed sheets, gowns, aprons, gloves, etc, for just one-time use. Also, from following social distancing to providing each client separate time slots, the salons have been trying their best to win the trust of their customers.

However, the visitors despite having experienced a whole new salon environment believe that services at home are the best option during the unprecedented crisis. Most of the large salon chains and even those based in residential localities have too started offering home services with no additional charges.

Speaking out

The dynamics of the salon industry has changed. There are new methods of working, new patterns of consumption, and new ways of interacting with people. Safety and hygiene is our top priority. — Diksha Malhotra, make-up artist

We started our home services and all appointments now need to be scheduled in advance. Customers and staff have been asked to wear face masks, and people waiting to see a barber or hairstylist will have to wait outside. — Babita, owner of Lavanya Unisex Salon

I am scared to go out. Thus, I prefer home services for a simple grooming session. The beautician will come home at a time suggested by me and provide all services in the comfort of my home. — Monika Pandey, a resident

I think we all have now adapted to the new normal. But customers are still wary of contracting the infection. The industry is experimenting with home services, but I don’t think is a great solution either. — Pratishtha Kaura, PR professional