COLE HARBOUR, N.S. -- New Brunswickers now have the opportunity to get a hair trim, but Nova Scotia salons and barber shop owners are still waiting to learn a date for when they can reopen.
Guidelines have been created to ensure customers and employees are safe.
Melinda O'Hearn is ready to re-open her hair salon and barber shop in Cole Harbour and she's been ready for a while.
"It's comin and hopefully soon," O'Hearn said.
But it will all be very different.
"For example, all clients will need to wear a mask when they come into the salon," she said.
Only one guideline that's been drawn up by organizations representing hair professionals around Nova Scotia.
"There's some people who are nervous about starting as soon as we are, and a lot of members who are very excited to get back to work," said Tim Smith, president of the Nova Scotia Registered Barbers Association.
O'Hearn has already spent her own time and money to get her shop ready for re-opening.
That included putting up a shower curtain between each shampoo station.
"I had to take them down and I thought it was great because they could come down, they could be washed, they could be put back up," O'Hearn said. "But in the meeting we were told that's not acceptable, so my contractor is coming back Saturday and putting something in place because the association believes we should be prepared for at least two years to work in this manner.
Anybody looking to get a professional haircut may have to wear a face covering too, which would make trimming any facial hair a bit difficult
"We're trying to avoid that in the beginning because you can wear a face mask and get a face shave, and you can't wear a face mask and get a beard trim," Smith said.
The guidelines, which haven't been made final, would also prevent people from walking in to wait for a haircut.
"I think people not waiting in the waiting area will actually be less stressful for the hair dressers, the barber, the aestheticians," O'Hearn said. "And then you aren't doing your job and seeing somebody tapping their foot, or sitting there waiting."
