The new safety measures and regulations put out by the CDC and OSHA that nail salons have to compile to are extensive. Plastic shields have been put in place between the manicurists and customers, walk-in appointments have been suspended, there's more physical distance between stations, mandatory face masks are required to be worn by all employees and clients, employee temperature checks will occur regularly, and much more. Waivers and questionnaires will also likely be required of customers prior to their nail appointment which can be completed digitally.
Hygiene is already a top priority for many beauty salons but it will be even more top-of-mind amid COVID-19. "Our hygienic standards have always been at the highest bar possible, so that will continue, in addition to even more deep cleaning and constant wiping down of services between appointments with sanitizing wipes," said Hong. The same goes for Chillhouse: "Our facility is properly cleaned, sanitized, disinfected before the start, in-between every single client, and at the closing of each day using only hospital grade disinfectants and we are strictly following the local state health departments procedures." said Kourtesis.
At Paintbox, lookbooks are a signature part of the experience, but that has also had to change. "Our lookbooks are [now] takeaway postcards and our product displays are only touched by our coordinators and artists," said Hong.
Some nail technicians are also undergoing additional training to ensure they're up to date with all of the latest safety protocols. "All our nail artists, Chill Hosts, and service providers are all Barbicide certified," said Kourtesis. This is an online educational course for members of the salon, spa, and barbershop industry.