As the quarantine hit the business world, most businesses were able to adapt with Zoom and other online platforms to keep rolling.
But in the personal services industry, there’s no such thing as a virtual hair cut or Zoom touch up on those roots. Sunflower County cosmetologists and barbers have been locked out of the shops and quarantined at home.
Carly Hardin Gill who owns Cuts by Carly and Marcus Hampton, owner of Cutting Edge are just two of many who are shut down indefinitely.
“We’re not allowed to do anything. We’re not allowed to open up,” Gill said. “They’re not giving us a date. They’re just saying we’ll be fined $1,000 if we open up and are working in our shops. And there are people in Indianola who are working in their shops. I’m not one of them and I’m not about to.”
The Mississippi State Board of Cosmetology is the governing board that is issuing the restrictions that comply with the governor’s emergency orders. They include the following:
A. No holder of a salon license issued by the Board may open the business operations of a salon to the public, thereby increasing the risk of transmission of the disease, in violation of an Executive Order of the Governor or the lawful order of any county or municipal authority created to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fine for each violation of this rule shall be no more than $1,000.
B. No holder of a salon license issued by the Board may allow any person to practice cosmetology, aesthetics, or manicuring in their salon in violation of an Executive Order of the Governor or the lawful order of any county or municipal authority created to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every person practicing cosmetology, manicuring, or esthetics in a salon constitutes a separate violation of this rule. The fine for each violation of this rule shall be no more than $500.
C. No holder of a cosmetologist, aesthetician, manicurist or instructor license may practice cosmetology, manicuring, or aesthetics, thereby increasing the risk of transmission of disease, in a salon or nursing home in violation of an Executive Order of the Governor or the lawful order of any county of municipal authority created to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fine for each violation of this rule shall be no more than $200.
Gill doesn’t understand why the idea of just limiting a salon or barber shop to one customer at a time can’t be applied.
“Why can’t we do one client at one time and sanitize between them versus all these people in groups in hardware stores and Walmart and Dollar General who are out shopping in large groups? Why is that ok but small business owners can’t open up their shops?”
The majority of hair shops only have one or two chairs, according to Gill.
“I just can’t fathom any of this. Where does this make sense?”
Hampton notes the hair business is more of a close-knit family unit with clients and customers.
“It is like a family. Especially when they come by once a week or stop in more often,” Hampton said. “You get accustomed to talking and seeing what’s going on with their lives and they pretty much know what’s going on with your life. Over the years, you have a strong relationship, a strong bond and to have that severed it definitely changed the dynamic of the relationship with your client. It will be great to get back into fellowship and have an opportunity to catch up and see how they weathered this. It will be good to get back in the swing of things.”
Hampton noted that his clients keep up with him and vice versa to “make sure everyone is doing fine.”
Gill agrees with Hampton.
“I have clients who have become friends who have become family that I love. They are the reason I have a roof over my head and over my children’s heads and they are the reason I have the car that I have. They have supported my business and they want me and need me,” she said. “Sometimes those clients need those conversations with their hairdresser. Maybe I’m the only one they can open up to, who knows?”
With more than a decade of experience, Gill knows her career is where she’s supposed to be. She just wants to get back to work – and soon – and not rely on the government to sustain her.
“I got into this business because I love it. I love doing hair. It’s been very nice being with the kids and that’s been wonderful. But when you take my sense of security, and I’ve been working since I was 11 years old. When you take my ability to take care of my children away from me, I don’t think that’s ok,” she said. “I don’t want your handout, yes, the money is nice. I want to work because I know I can only depend on myself to take care of my kids. Don’t we have rights?”
Gill thinks her industry’s state governing board needs to do more, a lot more, to help those in her industry.
“They have been slacking majorly. I think the state board of cosmetology should be doing more to get us open. If I have to wear a dadgum hazmat suit, I won’t like it but by God I’ll do it.”
