Local Hair Salons Ready to Reopen Under Guidelines

WAITE PARK -- Starting Monday hospitality businesses all over Minnesota will begin reopening as part of the Stay Safe MN plan.

Among those businesses are hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, and tattoo parlors.

Jackie Hyndman is one of the owners of Poppy Salon in Waite Park. She says they have been closed for nearly two and a half months and are excited to get back to work.

We closed March 17th and we decided to make that decision for the safety of our team prior to any executive orders coming out. Since then the three of us owners have worked together to determine when a safe time would be to reopen.

One of the biggest changes coming to the salon is the in-depth check-in process. Hyndman says they are eliminating walk-in traffic and asking that customers stay in their cars and call the salon when they arrive. First, you will be asked a series of screening questions before being allowed inside the business. Then when you come in you will be temp checked and given hand sanitizer and a face mask if you do not already have one.

Hyndman says another important factor is controlling the airflow inside the salon.

We are going to implement a no blow dry policy. People will be offered the option to have their hair diffused, sit under a hood dryer, leave in wet braids, or leave with just wet hair, and we'll try our best to finish the hair as much as possible with hot tools if we can.

The salon is asking customers to limit the number of items brought to appointments to a cellphone, a cashless form of payment, car keys, and a beverage if absolutely necessary.

They will also be lengthening the sanitation process between guests and offering curbside pick-up or delivery of hair products available for sale in the salon.

Hyndman says they have been in conversation with other salons in the Twin Cities St. Cloud metro areas to determine the best steps to take moving forward and are on-board with the revised industry standards.