How does it feel to be a hairdresser during lockdown 2.0?

How does it feel to be a hairdresser during lockdown 2.0? Here, Melissa Timperley Salons owner, Melissa Timperley shares her realistic yet optimistic view on how she is feeling right now. Earlier this year Melissa shared her inspirational account of what it really means to be a hairdresser so we were thrilled for her to share her insights with us once again on how she's feeling during lockdown 2.0 and we hope you'll want to share it with fellow hairdressers, team members and your clients. "I’ll be honest and say that I wanted to be angry at COVID-19 for all the disruption it has caused to my life and my plans. I wanted to hate the UK Government's decisionsto lockdown hairdressers for the SECOND time – and I wanted to cry for all the things I’ve missed that I had so looked forward to this year. At the same time, I need to stay strong and positive for my team - but there’s a part of me that’s panicking about what the future holds for the business I’ve put my heart and soul into for nearly four years.

Is this how you feel about being a hairdresser during lockdown 2.0?

Like all of us, I could spend my time crying about all the things that COVID-19 has caused; but I know that I must look at the positives - even though it means looking REALLY hard to find them sometimes. On reflection though, there are lots of things to be positive about, and grateful for.  We are all in different places personally, of course, but I for one, feel much calmer in this second lockdown.  The first one was a rollercoaster of emotions. None of us knew what was happening. But this lockdown is different. We know the drill, we know how it’s going to work and we can see a light at the end of the tunnel with an actual date of reopening (fingers crossed for 3 December)!  Not to mention the happy thought of a potential vaccine on the horizon. More good news is the fact that our businesses are already well prepared with the relevant hygiene measures in place. In the first lockdown we didn’t know that we would need plastic protective screens, hand sanitiser stations, we didn’t even know what PPE we would be expected to wear. Cue for stress all round! Now, of course, we’ve got very used to wearing the PPE, even though it is not pleasant, and we all know the cleaning regime to make sure everything is sanitised.

Hairdressers have a positive role to play for clients during lockdown 2.0 and beyond

I personally believe that we stylists also have a leadership role to play here, to make clients look good and feel good through our positive ‘can do’ attitude and approach when they are back with us in the salon. We have been with our clients through every milestone such as proms, weddings, babies and birthdays. 2020 is just another milestone that we will get them through! So, maybe us hairdressers can look at Lockdown 2.0 though a different lens – as a second opportunity to do the things we procrastinated about in the first lockdown. Whether that was to exercise more, do the online course you said you were going to do or even clean out your cupboards. We all have a second opportunity to stop worrying and get doing.

A second opportunity to do what you avoided during the first lockdown

For example, previously for me as a salon owner, time off didn’t happen. In fact the first time I had a holiday after three years of opening the business was two weeks for my honeymoon! I’m not joking. The latest lockdown offers us the opportunity to reset and recharge – whether that’s binge-watching Netflix or reading a book, we now have the time. It’s also a time to look after ourselves both mentally and physically before we start back, and get organised personally before what promises to be a mad pre-Christmas for those of us fortunate enough to be in a geography where clients will return to the salon. As things move more and more virtually – the Christmas shopping can be sorted online - and there are some fabulous skills training courses out there for us to do during the remainder of this period. But one thing that always stands out to me, and is a ray of great hope, is that hairdressing is still one of the few things that can’t be done online. We will create beautiful hair once again, and we will do it with a smile on our face (even if it can’t be seen through all the PPE). And we will be there for our clients through another milestone - 2020 cannot and will not hold us down!"