Others are getting creative to try to eliminate more ways the illness can spread. Darling, for example, says he has plans to get the front door of his Austin salon swapped out for one that requires less physical touching to open or close it. Bellacures, a small chain with six locations in L.A. (set to open June 1) and one in Dallas (which opened last week), will now be using light sterilizers to clean the upholstered chairs between clients. As for Glosslab, Apfel Glass says, “We’ve installed plexiglass screen partitions at all manicure and pedicure stations. And our staff will now wear face shields in addition to masks.”
What the experts say about safety
Unsurprisingly, according to the experts we spoke with, there’s no such thing as a completely risk-free nail appointment—no matter how many precautions are taken—until there’s a vaccine for COVID-19.
“Just because you’re allowed to do something doesn’t mean you should or that it’s safe, unfortunately," says Shoshana Ungerleider, M.D., an internal medicine physician in San Francisco. “In the case of a manicure and pedicure, people need to weigh their own individual risk factors like age, underlying medical conditions, and potential for family-member exposure, especially if you live in an area where COVID-19 cases are still active.”
The somewhat good news is that experts agree the new precautions being taken—masks, gloves, partitions, spacing between stations, eliminating walk-in appointments, and increased sterilization—do all add up to reducing your chances of picking up the virus. “If you decide to go, I would recommend you wear a face mask and maybe even goggles to reduce the risk of respiratory particles reaching your eyes,” says Ungerleider. “Wash your hands immediately after with soap and water, and be sure not to touch your face while you are there.”
Another thing you can do to minimize exposure is limit the amount of time you spend in the salon. “The longer you are in the chair, the greater your risk of acquiring the coronavirus,” says Steffanie Strathdee, associate dean of global health sciences at UC San Diego’s Department of Medicine. That means going for a polish change instead of a full manicure and skipping the longer specialty pedicures with all the bells and whistles.
Some nail experts, like Marcela Correa, owner of Medi Pedi NYC, also recommend bringing your own tools (like a stainless-steel foot file with disposable pads) and polish to cut down on cross-contamination. In fact, you might find that some salons are requiring it.
If you do book an appointment, what else can you expect?
This should also go without saying, but remember with all the necessary precautions, getting your nails done right now might not be the luxury experience you’re used to. Be kind and amenable to the changes at your local salon and know that your nail techs are probably putting in overtime despite being able to see less clients. And their health is at risk with every client.
“There’s no way around it, because of social distancing, we will work longer hours to serve fewer people,” says Tiffany Amorosino, owner of Bella Sante salon, which has locations in Boston, Wellesley, and Lexington, Massachusetts. “My hope as a business is just to survive the next few months and then perhaps thrive again sometime soon.”
