I can chart the past three months of sheltering in place on my nails. Since my last manicure in early March, my nails have sported gel polish, grown out gel polish, truly unsightly gel scraps, a hasty coat of solid polish, an Olive & June rainbow gradient, sloppy paperclip polka dots, and now, finally, some pretty decent DIY geometric nail art. Each time I spill nail polish remover or accidentally swipe polish way outside the nail bed, I find myself daydreaming about the day when nail salons are open and seeing customers once again. 카지노사이트

In Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, and more states, that day has arrived, while salon owners in New York and California wait for a late-phase reopening. Even if you can’t wait to book that first professional post-quarantine manicure, it’s clear that the nail salons that managed to survive the pandemic will look very different than we left them.

Manicures and pedicures, like so many other beauty services, require close physical contact for a sustained amount of time. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance specifically designated for nail salon workers states that “as a nail salon employee, you might come into contact with the virus that causes COVID-19 at your job by being in close contact with clients or coworkers for more than 15 minutes at a time.” The guidance goes on to state the inevitable: “jobs like manicures, pedicures, and acrylic nails will place you in close contact with clients.”

For Bertha P., a nail technician at Sundays in New York City, the need for income outweighs the intense health concerns of returning to the salon. Bertha has used her savings to stay afloat since she last worked in March, while family members around her have fallen ill with COVID-19. “I was saving for my kids to go to college, but now I’ve been using [that money],” she says. 안전한카지노사이트

In addition, Bertha is immunocompromised. Still, she’ll be going back to Sundays as soon as the doors reopen. “My doctor told me if I catch the virus, it’s probably a nine percent survival rate. [Returning to work] is very scary, because my system isn’t good. I thought about applying to a different job, but every job has a risk.”

The Nail Industry & COVID-19
When nail salons shuttered across the country, some studio owners looked to alternate business models to stay afloat. Studios like Sundays and Chicago’s Pear Nova shifted gears to e-commerce, selling branded polish, manicure kits, or even virtual classes. Pear Nova owner Rachel James says some nail techs sold their own hand-painted press-on nails throughout the studio closure, or survived on “stimulus checks, generous tips from our regulars, and a percentage of sales from Pear Nova [e-commerce].” Others started GoFundMe campaigns to help pay employees and keep up with rent.

Nail salons that managed to make it through the closures will be facing additional reopening challenges beyond the financial. In May, California governor Gavin Newsom caused an outcry when he alleged that California’s first community spread of COVID-19 occurred in a nail salon, a statement that was later revealed to be inaccurate. Nail advocates criticized what some perceive as putting unfair stigma on their businesses.

In addition, it’s important to remember that 76 percent of nail salon workers are of Asian descent, according to a 2018 report by UCLA Labor Center and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. Thanks in part to President Trump’s early insistence on referring to COVID-19 as “the Chinese virus,” antiracism against Asians has increased since the pandemic began.

Once salons do reopen, there’s no guarantee that customers will rush back to their regular manicure appointments. “The prolonged closures pushed many Manhattan residents and many of our loyal clients outside of the city,” says Paintbox CEO Jane Hong. “I anticipate reduced regular clientele as many have families and have decided to relocate at least through the end of the summer, if not for the entirety of the year.”

In addition, social distancing measures mean that even full-capacity salons will suffer reduced business. I reached out to Tran Wills, founder of Base Coat, the week that her three Colorado salons opened. Her largest location had only six chairs, and to maintain social distancing it now only has three.

Nail technicians and salon owners may be facing a changed and difficult landscape, but many have responded to the pandemic with innovation and care for their employees and customers. Of the many nail experts Allure has spoken with, each one has emphasized the increased health and safety precautions inside their studios. 카지노사이트 추천

What Your Next Manicure Will Look Like
Local Chicago stay-at-home orders on nail salns lifted on June 3, but James decided to open Pear Nova on June 9 in order to prepare her staff. Among the many health and safety updates required, are face coverings, handwashing, and touch-free temperature checks for both clients and staff. James placed acrylic dividers at each station between client and technician and has removed common touchpoints such as magazines and refreshments. She’s also done away with nail swatches, which means no more testing out a shade on your nail before handing it over to a technician.

To prepare for the reopening of Base Coat’s three Colorado locations, Wills estimates she spent $15,000 on face coverings and other personal protective equipment (PPE), acrylic dividers, no-touch thermometers, pedicure liners, and plastic coating for her chairs. The alcohol the staff uses to sanitize, which was $10 before the salon closed, became $40 per gallon.