Freelance hairdressing is a big part of our industry. Freelancers work in many different capacities as well; to ensure that all freelance hairstylists receive the correct hygiene protocols for when returning to work, Indola in association with The FHA created 3 separate guidelines for those freelance stylists who rent a chair in a salon, visit clients in their own homes and have an at-home-salon.
The guides focus on the 3 big Cs: Communication, Client Contact and Cleanliness.
Communication
- Communication is key. All freelancers will need to contact your clients to share information about your hygiene protocol (for example cashless payments only). This will help your appointments to run smoothly and provide added confidence your customers.
- When you meet your client, inform them of the safety measures you have in place and thank them for their compliance.
- For the freelancers who rent a chair in a salon, it’s important to have discussed all protocols with the salon owner/manager and made sure that your hygiene protocols fit with the rest of the salon.
Client Contact
- Greetings should be verbal and any hugs and handshakes should be avoided.
- Washing hands (around 20-30 seconds) for both you and your client should happen before the appointment starts and regular hand sanitation is encouraged – have a sanitiser readily available at all times.
- Gowns and gloves must be provided and worn by yourself and the client throughout.
- Any bags and jackets that are not needed should be left in entrance or a separate space/chair.
Cleanliness
- You are advised to wear gloves whilst doing technical services but not for cutting and styling.
- Washing hands thoroughly with soap followed by a sanitiser spray or gel will be sufficient.
- The most important thing, now more than ever: make sure your tools, equipment and products including your kit bags are cleaned and sanitised properly BEFORE and AFTER your next appointment.
- Put ALL gowns and washable items in a
sealed bag ready to take home if you are a mobile freelancer. - The FHA recommends sterilising your tools with a LED sterilising bag/box, like the 59s UK. 59s UK’s current range includes rechargeable sterilisation bags which are great for mobile stylists and boxes designed to sit neatly in any home; both will sterilise all your hair tools in just 59 seconds. 59s UK uses UVC light which kills 99.9% of bacteria and germ and deactivates viruses on surfaces, in the air and in water. UVC has been used extensively to fight viruses, with all pathogens tested to date responding to UVC.
- All laundry should be taken home in the sealed bag and washed with a laundry detergent at a minimum temperature of 60ºC for no less than 10 minutes.
- When finishing for the day, take time to ensure that all equipment used is cleaned down and laundry is washed immediately. All combs and scissors should be left to sterilise overnight.
- A routine of cleaning and disinfecting common touch points and cross infection areas is essential. If you are at the client’s home don’t touch too many surfaces. The FHA suggests using a disinfectant such as Saloncide Solutions which reduces the number of microorganisms present to a level that is unlikely to cause infection and aims to reduce microorganisms by 99.9% and only takes 2 minutes to wor Saloncide Solutions can be used as a one stop disinfectant on: brushes, scissors, hair clips/pins, rollers, tweezers, clippers, hair straighteners, combs, spatulas, shampoo bowls, hair dryers, workstation surfaces, furniture, chairs, arm cushions, neck cushions, sinks, taps, shower heads, door handles, floors, mop heads.
Note that this is not official Government advice; Indola will continue to share guidance from the official Government website as it becomes available and will update as the information changes.
At Colour World UK we believe in colourists being equally important as hairdressers to the success of a salon business! Clients deserve excellent colour services, embracing the importance of a great colour consultation through to end result. We salute manufacturers and brands offering a great product innovation which enable colour technicians to explore their creativity and offer a bespoke colour to every client. We offer colour conversation and inspiration for you to browse, and respect colour-focused education and events from what’s on and where, to our own Colour World UK event 2018 which support our industry and promise to do our best to bring you news and information to help you succeed.