There are fresh calls for the Government and health officials to allow hairdressers back to work next month.
Under the roadmap revealed last week, hairdressing salons would not be able to reopen until 'phase four' of the easing of coronavirus restrictions on July 20th.
However, the Irish Hairdressers Federation wants salons to be moved into phase three of the plan - which starts on June 29th - due to fears of a 'black market' economy of house calls.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Dylan Bradshaw - the owner and creative director of Dylan Bradshaw salon - said he would be ready to resume work at the beginning of June if allowed.
He said: “I think this hasn’t been thought out really well, to be honest… I definitely think we need to get out a lot earlier.
“We’ve been closed for eight weeks now… we’ve had a lot of time to prepare and get ready."
Mr Bradshaw put forward a number of suggestions about how salons could operate while ensuring the safety of customers and staff.
He explained: “We’ll have to scale back on the visits to the salon - we can’t have a full salon again until obviously there’s a vaccine brought out.
“A lot of people forget in our industry we’re incredibly clean in what we do - when I’m cutting somebody’s hair normally, I’d be washing my hands two or three times. You’re [also] working behind your clients.
“If a client comes through the space, then you [would] have to take 15 minutes in between to do a deep cleanse of the station you’re working in. [Then] there’s disposable gowns, and you don’t let anyone into the salon unless it’s appointment only… there is a lot that we have researched."
Mr Bradshaw said the emergence of a 'black market' means we risk creating an environment that isn't as safe as it would be if salons were allowed open.
He observed: “I’m getting texts and emails and social media people are reaching out to me asking ‘is there any way you can send your team?’
“If you ask women not to touch their hair for the last eight weeks, and then you’re going to stick another 70 days on top of it… I don’t blame women in the sense they’re panicking this much, [and] I don’t think the Government really gave it a lot of thought."
He said the situation is going to 'decimate' the industry, and therefore hairdressers need a 'proactive' route back to business while ensuring everyone recognises and follows the health advice.
