HAIR SALONS QUESTION NEW GUIDELINES

Hair salons in Sacramento County are questioning whether new guidelines released Monday allowing for outdoor services are realistic, according to KCRA 3 News.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said hair salons and barbershops can operate outdoors with restrictions. The restrictions ban the use of chemicals outdoors, which means shampoo and coloring treatments are not allowed.

“We can do haircuts outside as long as there were no chemical services -- which equates to about 80% of our business,” said Brett Davison with Kreate Space at Face & Body Emporium in East Sacramento.

The announcement comes one week after Newsom said some businesses, including salons and barbershops, would have to halt indoor operations in more than two dozen counties because of an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

“We normally see 4,000 to 5,000 people a month, and we have about 80 on staff. So, it’s affecting a huge amount of people,” said Jill Cromwell with Maribou Salon. “We are back to square one. And I don’t know what to think, what’s going to happen from here?”

Cromwell and her husband Larry own three salons in the Folsom area.

“We don’t even know if they’re going to want to come because of the temperature and weather as it is,” Larry Cromwell explained. “We want to make it as inviting as possible. But actually, the bigger factor is our stylists. They have to be comfortable.”

Location and weather are also an issue. Face & Body Emporium is next door to a restaurant and loaned their portion of the patio to the eatery for outdoor dining.

“It’s not going to work. Being in Sacramento these last few days, it gets to 100, 103 degrees. The wind kicks up. We also have neighbors that are a restaurant,” Davison explained. “We can’t do hair next to food. So, we are in a sticky situation where we are.”

The Professional Beauty Federation of California represents more than 50,000 stylists in the state. They are moving forward with a lawsuit against the state filed in May to have services indoors.

“There will be that temptation to go underground,” legal counsel Fred Jones said. “We really think the safest thing to do for our customers is to just reopen our state-licensed, inspected establishments.”

In the meantime, owners are doubtful outdoor limited services are financially realistic.

“Just to give you an idea our lease payments are over $25,000 a month,” Larry Cromwell said. “I mean initially, I would say probably not. But the problem is this is our whole life. So, we have to do whatever it takes.”