Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Insider visited a Fox & Jane salon in Brooklyn, New York, and spoke with their lead hairstylist, Nicole Cordoba, about how her job has changed since reopening in late June.
The salon is operating at half its pre-pandemic capacity, all employees must wear masks and either safety goggles or a face shield throughout their shifts, and the waiting room is closed.
From having clients wait outside to sanitizing everything but the walls, here's an inside look at what it's like to be a hairstylist right now.
Advertisement
On the eve of Fox & Jane salon's June 29 reopening, Nicole Cordoba, the lead hairstylist there, said she had an anxiety attack.
Nicole Cordoba works at Fox & Jane's Brooklyn location.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
"My fear was me contracting something and then passing it on to my child, or my in-laws who live with me, and putting them at risk," Cordoba told Insider.
Nicole Cordoba is the lead hairstylist at Fox & Jane's Brooklyn location.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Advertisement
On the Monday that Fox & Jane reopened, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the worst of the pandemic was "yet to come."
New Yorkers wait for trains during the pandemic.
Joey Hadden/Insider
While the city slowed down its reopening plan, Fox & Jane had three months of delayed appointments to reschedule. This was a struggle to manage, especially while operating at half capacity.
Fox & Jane's Brooklyn location is on Atlantic Ave.
Joey Hadden/Business Inisder
Advertisement
The first month was hard, Cordoba told Insider. "There were so many things to remember and so many new processes that it felt very overwhelming," she said.
Partitions divide stations in the salon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Before you even walk in the door, the salon's coronavirus-era procedures stare you in the face. If an employee was exposed to the virus, they'd likely be out of work for at least a week.
The salon's door lets clients know the new rules.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Advertisement
Once inside, all the stations are either six feet apart or separated by partitions to keep clients spaced out.
Some of the chairs are empty inside Fox & Jane's Brooklyn location.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The first thing hairstylists do when they walk in the door is check their temperatures.
Employees start their shifts by checking their temperatures.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Advertisement
Staff members set up their stations after they go through these safety procedures, which includes disinfecting everything, from the tools to the chairs.
Stations are separated by partitions.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
When customers arrive before their scheduled appointment times, they have to wait outside because the waiting area is closed.
The waiting room remains empty at the salon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Advertisement
Health questions for clients are stuck on the mirror in front of each chair.
Cordoba styles hair in the salon.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Throughout the day, staff members are constantly using Clorox wipes and hospital-grade cleaner to sanitize everything they touch, Cordoba said.
The front desk at Fox & Jane has a bottle of hand sanitizer.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Advertisement
Cordoba says it can be challenging when her clients talk about the pandemic. "If I have five clients in a day and if all five of them have something that happened very close to home, it's hard to change that subject and pull them out and let them know that they are safe and everything is okay," she added.
Cordoba styles a client's hair.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Despite the challenges, Cordoba said she thinks Fox & Jane came back from the pandemic "stronger than ever."
Cordoba works at Fox & Jane in Brooklyn.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider