BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Hair stylists are preparing for madness at Jennifer Julia Salon in Buffalo. Now that Western New York is entering Phase One of reopening Tuesday, hair salons are one step closer to beginning to take clients. After two weeks in phase one, Western New York could enter Phase Two. Some stylists are preparing to increase their workload from 40 hours a week to 60 or more hours a week.
“I think it's going to be nuts. I personally am going to be doing 6 days a week, 12-hour days. I think that I'll probably have to do that for about four weeks,” said Jennifer Swift, owner of Jennifer Julia Salon.
“We love working. Like this is not really a job for us, so for us getting that news that we get to go back soon whether it's two weeks or a month we now know that it's coming,” Alexa Ayers, a stylist at Jennifer Julia Salon said.
Swift said her and her employees haven’t stopped moving since they got word Friday hair salons would be opening in Phase Two. Everyone at the salon has now been certified to use Barbicide which sterilizes all of their tools, but it's not exactly anything new.
“That's what beauty school is. Beauty school teaches you how to do hair in a sanitary way so it's not that different from our normal day to day life,” Swift said.
There are more changes coming, like keeping clients at least six feet apart and requiring them to wait in their car for their appointment. All stylists and clients will be required to wear masks.
With reopening now in their sights, the stylists can't wait to have clippers in hand.
“I am so excited. I can't wait to go back to work,” Ayers said.
“We've all been so isolated and separated from one another I can't wait to see everyone again,” said Swift.
In the mean time, they said resist that urge to touch up your roots or trim your ends. Jennifer Julia will begin taking appointments once the official date to begin Phase Two is set.
