Hair salons in California are still not allowed to operate indoors and some local hairstylists say the restrictions are making it hard to do a majority of their work.
Many hair salons are being forced to use parking lots and patios because of the state mandate but some don't have that outside space, which means stylists can't work until the state steps in.
For over a month now, Shear Elegance hair salon in Grover Beach has been closed. The shop has been locked up ever since Governor Gavin Newsom announced the statewide decision on July 13th.
Shear Elegance salon owner Carrie Duncan says most services she and her staff provide could not be done outside even if they had the space.
"Only five percent of what we do is cutting hair, like men's cuts. We can't stand outside and do perms and color and wash ladies' hair that are seniors. We can't do that," she said.
On Monday, Duncan and her staff stood outside of the salon on Grand Avenue, holding signs and asking people to sign a petition allowing them to go back to work.
Duncan feels her salon's safety protocols should be taken into account and says things went as well as they could when the salon reopened a couple of months ago.
"We did 4,800 services in the seven weeks that we were open and not one person came back sick," she said.
Patricia Daniels is a customer at Shear Elegance and she says she'd feel more comfortable going back right now if the salon was open.
"If you could go into a store wearing a mask, then you could go into a salon and get your haircut," Daniels said.
The state has made a list of criteria for hair salons to follow if they want to operate outside, but as of now, there is no timetable for when stylists will be allowed to work indoors.
