California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on July 20 that barbershop services and salons are permitted to reopen for outdoor operations, so long as they meet a new set of guidelines from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and the California Department of Public Health. 

Isla Vista barbershop services, including Richie’s Barber Shop on Pardall Road, can once again reopen under the new guidelines, albeit outdoors. Ida Kazerani / Daily Nexus

The new announcement comes on the heels of a reopening rollercoaster for barbershop services and salons, many of which have shuttered and reopened twice in the past four months as a result of the March 19 stay-at-home order, Phase 3 reopening guidelines and health orders issued to counties — including Santa Barbara — on the state’s “watch list.” 

Under the new guidelines, barbershops and hair salons must meet a set of requirements before they can reopen in accordance with local regulations. Barbershops and salons can now operate under only outdoor operations, while all piercing, tattoo and electrolysis services are still prohibited from reopening at this time.

Barbershops and hair salons must provide health-safety training for employees, a workspace-specific coronavirus prevention plan, control and screening measures, sanitary protocols and physical distancing regulations, according to the guidelines. 

Outdoor venues are considered compliant so long as business is conducted under a “tent, canopy, or other sun shelter” and “no more than one side is closed, allowing sufficient outdoor air movement,” according to the regulations. 

“Ensure any outdoor shade or outdoor working area has the same ventilation and airflow as the outdoors. Outdoor shaded areas can be configured to block wind but cannot be enclosed or partially enclosed on more than one side in a way that otherwise restricts normal airflow,” the guidelines read. 

Face coverings are mandated at all times and all customer appointments must be conducted at least 6 feet apart from one another, according to the guidelines. Employee temperatures must be taken before the start of each shift, according to the guidelines, and “customers should be screened upon arrival.” At no point should customers enter the inside of an establishment. 

On top of suspending walk-in appointments entirely, the guidelines also recommend that businesses stagger appointments to “reduce reception congestion” and suggest “servicing fewer customers each day or expanding operating hours to allow for more time between customers.”

Workstations and the corresponding equipment used between customers — such as chairs, trimmers, scissors and shears — must be “routinely and frequently cleaned,” according to the guidelines. Customer amenities, such as magazines, books, coffee and water, must be removed from the premises entirely. 

Isla Vista barbershop services and salons such as Wanderlust Hair Studio, Richie’s Barber Shop and Campus Cuts Hair Salon can once again reopen under the new guidelines, albeit outdoors.

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Max Abrams
Max Abrams served as the lead news editor for the 2020-2021 school year. He is from Buffalo. That's all you need to know.