Hairdressers still hindered by level-2 restrictions

Hairdressers and barbers will be back at work at New Zealand’s level-2 lockdown, but some are worrying safety guidelines will make it too difficult to cut hair.

“I can’t do a haircut with gloves on. I’ll just chop [the client] up,” said self-employed Whangarei hairdresser Tracey Martin.

“[And] your clients can’t really wear a mask around the ears.”

In a press conference this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that level 2 “for hairdressers and beauticians, means wearing appropriate PPE because of the close proximity you have with your customers throughout the day”.

“It’s going to be hard,” said Ms Martin. “It will be challenging to try and keep masks on people.”

New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers chairperson Niq James said along with the hairdressers wearing PPE, single-use capes will be provided for customers and close face contact will be minimised.

“We will be working with gloves on,” he said.

With level 2 poised to begin tomorrow, Mr James said PPE would be made available to members of the association.

One city barber said his barbershop would do their best to make it work.

“It’s our bread and butter, so we have to make sure we are onto it,” said Adrian Evans, the owner and operator of The Gentry in Auckland.

Mr Evans said while the guidelines would force hairdressers and barbers to change how they do things, he was not too worried.

“There’s challenges in getting things back to normal. But what’s normal now?”

With the new guidelines in place, the public needed to be aware that the job of cutting hair may be more challenging.

“It will be difficult if extra pressure is put on [hairdressers] by the public,” he said.

“People need to realise it will maybe take a little bit longer to have your hair done.”