‘Why not us?’ Salons question why massages are OK, but haircuts are still off limits

Chris Biagini would much rather be at work with his daughters Sam and Alex, clipping and styling hair in his small, east-end salon.

Instead, the long-time stylist has been spending most of the past few weeks either idling at home or going mountain biking to relieve the boredom during the COVID-19 shutdown.

I had to do something or I'd be going crazy," said the owner of Studio CPB, open since 1985.

Last week, that boredom turned to frustration and a bit of anger when the provincial government announced it was loosening COVID-19 restrictions on non-emergency medical services, including massage therapy.

Non-medical services aren't expected to reopen until Stage 3 of the government's reopening plan.

I don't know how they justify it," Biagini said of the government's decision.

I'm standing behind you, wearing a mask. Massage therapists? They're getting right in there with their hands on your body. They're a lot closer than six feet," Biagini added.

Still, Biagini admitted, he's in a better situation than some small businesses - his landlord has applied for the federal government's CECRA rent credit, which means he'll only have to pay 25 per cent of his rent while he's closed.

Ryan Mallough, Ontario regional director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said he's been taking plenty of calls from members who are in the styling business.

They're frustrated. They see other businesses opening up and say, We can do that, too. We can wear masks. We can be careful. So why not us?' " Mallough said.

A spokesperson for Ontario's finance minister stressed that non-emergency medical services would only be allowed to open if their regulatory body provided strict, detailed guidelines on how to keep staff and patients safe from COVID-19.

It's important to note that this does not mean that all health services will be available. ... Rather, health regulatory colleges are now in the process of developing guidance to ensure high-quality and safe clinical care that must be met before services can resume," said Emily Hogeveen.

Two days after the province's May 27 announcement that it was allowing some health-care providers to reopen, the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario issued guidelines for its members. Among the rules? Strict sanitization of therapy rooms, wearing masks and prioritizing people with greater medical need.

The Registered Massage Therapists' Association of Ontario said it has reached out to the federal and provincial governments to help find a way to ensure its members have access to personal protective equipment. They're also trying to make sure it's affordable, said spokesperson Laura Fixman.

We are working closely with various suppliers to eventually provide discounts and access to PPE for our members," Fixman said.

Walter Cheung, who owns two Hand & Stone massage therapy clinics - one on Danforth Ave. and the other on Lawrence Ave. E. - said he's been busy preparing for reopening on Saturday.

I was pretty well prepared. I bought PPE before the announcement, so all our therapists will be wearing masks. We've got medical-grade disinfectants. We'll be completely sanitizing the room after each client. We want to make it as safe as possible for our clients and our therapists," said Cheung, adding that only about half of his RMTs are returning to work immediately.

Some of them are waiting to see what the environment is like, which is totally understandable. We'll probably have a lot more coming back in July and August," said Cheung. He estimates the staff shortage means he'll probably only be bringing in about 40 per cent of the revenue he made in June last year, despite plenty of interest from clients.

We started taking bookings Tuesday, and our phone and email have been going non-stop. There's a huge demand," Cheung said.

Biagini said he, too, has been inundated with calls from now-shaggy clients. They're pre-booking appointments for whenever hair salons are allowed to open.

I've got a waiting list of 150 people, but I'll probably only be able to do about 30 a week once we're allowed to open up again, because we wouldn't be able to socially distance properly if both of my daughters are in here with me. I'm probably going to have to raise my rates a bit to make up for it," said Biagini.

Some callers have even begged Biagini for a black market haircut.

I've had people calling up and offering me a hundred bucks for a trim. It's just not worth it," Biagini said.

Still, while almost all stylists would rather be open right now, some understand the province's approach, at least in principle.

This is a haircut. This isn't medical," said Hiro Hayashi, owner of Yorkville's Salon Bespoke.

Hayashi said he's been able to take out a Canadian Emergency Business Account $40,000 loan, which has helped bridge the financial gap while he's shut down. His landlord has also only been charging him the TMI portion of his rent (taxes, maintenance and insurance).

I've been lucky with the landlord. They understand what we're going through, so right now they're only making us pay TMI. We'll have to pay the rent, too, when this is all over," said Hayashi.

Being without revenue since mid-March has been tough, Hayashi admitted. But whenever he gets frustrated, he thinks of his mother.

I'm frustrated, but I understand. Health has to come first. My mother's in Japan on dialysis, so she's in a high-risk category for COVID. So I think of her, and I understand why we have to do this."