Hair salons still bleed customers after reopening

İZMİR - Demirören News Agency

Hair salons that reopened in mid-May following nearly a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic are still suffering as fewer customers are visiting their shops.

Women are reluctant to enter closed areas, such as shops, fearing that they may contract COVID-19, thus they avoid hair salons, according to Sezai Apaydın, the head of an association which represents hair salons and parlors in the western province of İzmir.

“People are buying hair color products online to do the dying at home, which hit our businesses,” Apayadın said.

Barber shops and hair salons remained closed between March 21 and May 11 as part of the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

However, in the wake of the reopening customers are still hesitating to visit those venues.

“We are still working at 25 percent capacity. Some of the businesses are having a hard time paying rent and the salaries of their staff. Blow drying and using air conditioners are still banned and we expect those bans to be dropped,” he added.

He assured that hair salons are taking all necessary precautions against the virus and their shops are no less safer than cafes, restaurants or shopping centers.

Apaydın noted that the wedding season has already begun, and grooms need to visit hair salons, however they are not allowed to put makeup on customers.

“I dyed may hair for three months at home because of the outbreak. I still do the dying by myself and I am here at the shop only to have a haircut,” said Cansu Tur, a customer.