Salons Are Being Ordered To Close To Prevent Coronavirus — Here’s How You Can Help

As the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, hair salons, tattoo parlours, nail shops, spas, and more beauty and wellness destinations have become the latest businesses to temporarily close across the country.

Today, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all salons providing beauty services are required to shut their doors indefinitely starting this Saturday, March 21, at 8 pm. "These temporary closures are not going to be easy, but they are necessary to protect the public health," Cuomo announced on Twitter. 

The ordinance also includes nail shops, hair removal studios, and many other businesses that "cannot be provided while maintaining social distance," the order states. But New York isn't the first, or only, to put similar rules into place: Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are also requiring beauty pros to close their doors.

Meanwhile, many cities in California have implemented similar rules, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, both of which are under "Safer At Home" and "Shelter In Place" ordinances, respectively, that have forced closures on all non-essential businesses.

In London, various big name hair salons have decided shut up shop, too, including Buller & Rice, Adam Reed London and Charles Worthington.

As you might expect, the beauty industry is feeling the pressure. Hairstylist Kiyah Wright, who runs and operates Muze Hair Salon in Los Angeles, closed per government mandate today. She posted an emotional video on Instagram, sharing her concerns for beauty pros during this hard time. "I've never been in a position where I couldn't work," she says. "It makes me emotional because I've never been in a place where I didn't know what the next move was."

In New York City, salon and freelance manicurist Trenna Seney has been out of a job since Monday when the popular shop she works at voluntarily closed. Like many salon workers, she isn't being paid. "My job requires me to touch people and right now I can't do that," she says. "It really sucks."

Seney also creates and sells custom press-on nails, but she doesn't think her side hustle will be enough to support her. "What worries me is that so many people are losing their jobs and rationing their spending and disposable income," she says. 

While many beauty pros are faced with uncertainty around the future, customers are stepping in to help. Purchasing gift cards for future use, pre-paying for services, buying products online from local salons or stylists, supporting GoFundMe accounts, and tipping your technician in advance of your next appointment all go a long way.

It's undoubtably important to practice social distancing right now to protect the spread of COVID-19, but small actions from the greater community could mean the difference between your favourite salon making it through this crisis or closing its doors for good.

COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. Go to the CDC website for the latest information on symptoms, prevention, and other resources.