Law prevents hair, nail salons from moving outside—even as virus protection method
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - California's new health guidelines this week ordered businesses in certain sectors--including barber shops and other personal care services--to close indoor operations in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
According to the state's website, there is a window of opportunity for businesses affected to remain open if "they can be modified to operate outside." However, that exception does not apply to personal care services because their permits specify that their operations must be indoors.
The state Board of Barbering & Cosmetology gives licenses to personal care service businesses. The Board--citing state law in the Business & Professions Code--says that all barbering and cosmetology services must be performed in a licensed establishment. This is because of safety and sanitation concerns that come with outdoor operations, which are managed more easily inside.
These concerns are not related to COVID-19, which is considered less likely to be spread outdoors than indoors.
“There’s multiple business or industry types that can’t work outdoors because their existing licenses or permits specifically say they have to be indoors,” said Kendra Wise, a supervising environmental health specialist with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
“And so our hope was and our messaging has been, if you’re one of those businesses, you need to double check with whoever issues your permit or your license to make sure that it’s okay for you to move outside.”
Currently, the Board of Barbering & Cosmetology is not allowing such a move, given safety and sanitation standards.
With concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19 indoors, that means barber shops, hair and nail salons and other personal care businesses are now forced to close completely.
“We really really appreciate that this is a significant and, for many [personal care businesses], a really substantial sacrifice," Wise said.
Dalia Morales, co-owner of Dahlia's Beauty Salon in Santa Barbara, worked side gigs to make it through the first extended closure this year. She says that she and her mother, who also owns the salon, were unable to receive any unemployment benefits or small business loans during that time.
Now comes another period of uncertainty.
“I don’t really know what to do at this point,” Morales said. “This is what I’ve done for 15 years and I’m hoping I can continue to do so. But after this year, I’m having second thoughts.”
She wants the Gov. Newsom and the state to consider other options for personal care businesses.
“For them, maybe it’s just a haircut, it’s just a wax, but for us, it’s our livelihood,” Morales said. “We live off our job. It makes it very hard to survive.”
Morales acknowledges, however, that while some are hopeful for outdoor haircuts becoming possible, other esthetician services would be difficult to move outdoors given the lack of a controlled environment or privacy that would be necessary.
A representative from the California Department of Consumer Affairs told NewsChannel 3 in an email Wednesday that it is "taking an in-depth look into this issue" as it "explore[s] options going forward."
