Regina hair stylist excited to get back to business

Hair salons are one of the business types allowed to open under the second phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, and some stylists are excited to get back to work.

Nadine Seims, the owner of Salon Society in Regina, is optimistic about being able to open the doors.

“My team and I are very much looking forward to being with our clients again and being able to provide for our families,” she said.

The response from her customers has also been positive. She said there haven’t been many people worried about their health when booking appointments.

“Most of the time, immediately when I called somebody, they were like ‘oh my gosh, I’m so excited, I can’t believe you’re calling me, when can I get an appointment?’ So I knew I didn’t necessarily have to have a full-on conversation with them about whether they’re comfortable coming in,” she explained.

There will be measures put in place to limit the potential spread of COVID-19 in salons. Stylists will be required to wear facemasks and protective eye gear, equipment will need to be sanitized between customers, and there must be at least six feet between stations.

While some of these will be a challenge, Seims is confident in her salon’s ability to adapt.

Physical distancing is one step she doesn’t see as an issue.

“In our salon, we have quite a large space. We have 3700 square feet, so we are able to distance our stylists so nobody is close to each other,” she said.

Sanitizing equipment is also nothing new to her business.

“We are always taking precautions. Cleaning everything constantly, we wash everything after every single client, so we’ve never really been an environment where we felt it was unclean.”

She also hasn’t had any trouble finding personal protective equipment like facemasks for her staff to use.

“I’m just happy to be able to make people feel beautiful again.”

Salons are one of the business types allowed to open on Tuesday. Malls, massage therapists, acupuncturists, acupressurists and several retail stores will also be opening their doors.

-With files from 980 CJME’s Joseph Ho