VALLEY PARK, Mo. — Stylists will wield their scissors and brushes in St. Louis and St. Louis County again. Many salons will reopen next week, but it will not be business as usual.
"I am sure there have been some COVID bangs being cut," jokes stylist Charles Gillick.
Husband and wife team, Charles and Nicole Gillick, have been busy getting their Valley Park salon ready to welcome clients back in.
"Charles has been working nonstop just trying to get things ready," Nicole said. "Building our partitions we have to put in, in between our shampoo areas. We'll have one upfront as well for when people are checking out, like a sneeze guard."
They've also installed hand sanitizing stations and touchless sinks.
Salons will certainly look different, but the service is adapting as well. Salons in other counties have been open like Michael A's Hair Salon in St. Peters.
"Our waiting room is closed," said Kathy Johns, owner of Michael A's. "We take their temperatures before they come in. And everyone has to wear a mask"
Johns' shop is still doing blow dries, but both Blu A Color in St. Louis County and Salon One Six One in St. Louis will not.
No blow dries for us," said Salon One Six One owner Charlie Martin. "Other states are requiring the salons not use blow dryers as far as spreading germs."
Owners like Martin and the Gillicks never thought they'd see the day their clients walked out with wet hair.
"I do like to see my work finished, but we can see that more in the future," Martin said.
The stylists at Blu A Color Salon are actually looking forward to the new challenge.
"We're kind of excited about it because we think it could open up a whole new level of styling lessons for our guests," Nicole Gillick said.
