Inside Jeffery Stein Salon.

By Mariel Priven

After months of homemade haircuts, grey roots, and unfortunate attempts at highlights, Upper West Siders are excitedly returning to their hair salons, which were allowed to reopen for Phase 2 on Monday.

As grateful as many are to finally have their stylists repair the damage of any quarantine attempts, haircuts look different now. “Your stylist more closely resembles a doctor prepped for surgery than the guy who cuts your hair,” shared Amanda Riz from Salon Riz on 82nd in an email to the West Side Rag.

Many salons are operating at reduced capacity for safety’s sake.

At Laura Braunstein Hair Studio on 84th, both employees and clients will be required to wear N-95 masks provided by Braunstein—clients will wait outside of the salon and fit the mask on prior to entering, ensuring that nobody inside the space is breathing without a mask. All surfaces touched by anybody in the studio will be immediately sterilized, and hand sanitizer will be available for all.

Appointments must be made ahead of time at most salons, and waiting areas are to remain empty. Upon arrival, many salons, such as Salon West and Jeffery Stein Salon, will check clients’ temperatures before letting them in, and Jeffery Stein Salon is also requiring that clients sign a tracking/release form prior to their appointment.

A sheet explaining practices at Jeffery Stein.

Before the pandemic, many hair salons provided spaces for socializing, offering beverages and snacks, as well as waiting areas with magazines and other forms of entertainment. For now, those aspects of salons will be put on hold, and only cutting and coloring services will be provided—eyebrows, keratin, and makeup will come with later phases, at least at Salon West.

Once inside the salon, a few more things will look different. Most studios will operate at half capacity, utilizing every other chair and shampoo bowl. There will be longer breaks between clients to allow for cleaning, and some salons are cutting hours. This has resulted in a bit of a hold-up at some salons; Michael Fox, an owner of Jeffery Stein Salon, touched on this, asking that clients “support local businesses, be patient and generous, and come with love.” On his first day back, he expressed that so many clients are thrilled to return to the salon, and the feeling is very much mutual.

At Salon Riz, early morning hours have been set aside for any vulnerable clientele or frontline workers. Riz also shared that all staff members received Covid-19 certification from Barbicide, a leading education service in the beauty industry. “The course was designed to teach stylists and assistants all of the important protocols for creating the safest possible environment in a hair salon,” explained Riz.

Salon VMS, on 90th and Broadway, opened three weeks before the pandemic hit. Owner Vlad expressed excitement to finally reopen. He explained that with few working in the salon, it has been easy to keep distance between clients. Cutting around clients’ masks, however, provides a new challenge for stylists.

Though your favorite hair salon or barbershop may feel more like an operating room than a hair studio, stylists are back at work and excited to help you look your best.