Hampton salons, barbershops reopen with added safety and sanitation in place

Shaggy Hamptonites wasted little time taking advantage of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to reopen barbershops and hair salons effective Friday, May 15.

Most Hampton hair care spots that chose to open immediately had callers eager to book a haircut or style after salons and barbers had been closed for two and a half months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Her (Reynolds’) press conference wasn’t even over yet and we were getting messages,” said Amy Craighton, owner of Head Quarters.

“I had at least five calls in the first five minutes,” added Amber Morton-Weydert, a cosmetologist with a chair at Styles on Third.

The demand, along with rescheduling customers who had appointments cancelled due to closures, has created a considerable waitlist for barbers and stylists.

Mercedes Swart, stylist at Studio 13, said her daytime appointments stretch into mid-June while nighttime appointments have already been booked into July.

“People who had to miss were at the top of the list and as others got ahold of me, they were added,” she said. “I think I had 105 people to get ahold of.”

Swart and Craighton said their bookings venture into mid-June as well.

Along with demand that comes from months of waiting, attention to sanitation and social distancing measures has prolonged wait times as well. Morton-Weydert said she and her colleague, Nadine Goodwin, allow 15 minutes after each appointment to sanitize equipment, chairs and anything else that could potentially carry the virus.

“I would say in a day, we only see about half the people we normally would,” she said

. Swart said she allows at least a half hour between appointments to make sure everything is properly cleaned and sanitized.

“Every towel, every cape gets washed right away,” she said.

Craighton didn’t specify how much time was distanced between each customer, but said cleaning is a round-the-clock effort.

“It seems like we’re cleaning all the time,” she said. “With all the sanitation and stuff we already had in place, it was just adding a few steps.”

Some of the stylists and barbers also noted that within the shop, they wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves.

Aside from the employees, customers are also expected to follow guidelines as well. Mayra Cano, owner of Cano’s Golden Shears, said that customers must wear a mask and be asked basic health questions followed by a temperature check. Customers with a temperature of 99 degrees will not be admitted.

Cano added that she sanitizes each chair and equipment after appointments.

In order to be mindful of social distancing guidelines, many shops ask customers to wait in the car until their appointment time. Some require masks, while the rest strongly recommend face covering of some sort.

Ron Peyton, with Ron’s Barber Shop, said that some of these measures can be inconvenient, but his customers have showed patience to this point.

“People have been really good in understanding that I can only have one person at a time,” he said.

Despite the extensive sanitation and practices necessary to keep both themselves and customers safe, hair care professionals feel thankful to once again be open to the public.

For some customers, Morton-Weydert said, a hair appointment goes far beyond a coloring or a cut.

“Everyone has been so grateful and they’re all tired of their hair,” she said, “but some just wanted that human interaction. Some of our older clients don’t have any human interaction except with us once a week.”

Likewise, barbers and stylists are happy to see their customers with whom they’ve grown close to over the years.

“I missed my clients,” said Cano.

“It’s nice to be back and see the familiar faces and find out what they’ve been doing,” added Craighton. “It’s been really nice to see them again.”