Hair and nail salons across Plano reported balancing new safety measures with a high demand for their services on the first day salons were allowed to reopen in Texas.

Blondie’s Salon in Plano was among the first to welcome back customers. It had been preparing to reopen since it was first told to close, owner Nikole Wood said.

She would pick up items as she saw them in-store, adding to an already well-stocked sanitary selection for her salon, Wood said. This allowed for Blondie’s to reopen May 8, the soonest that Texas regulations allowed.

The salon is now booked through the end of May with rescheduled appointments and will begin taking bookings for June, she said. While her older clients are waiting to book or chose to book later in the month, Wood said most wanted in as soon as possible—especially the men.

“I would say 95% of them [clients] would like to get in now,” Wood said.




While many of the safety and sanitary regulations asked for by the state are regular occurrences at the salon, Blondie’s did rearrange parts of the salon to accommodate for six-foot distancing, Wood said. Clients are being asked to sign a liability waiver during check-in. They must also wait in their cars until their stylist is ready for them, Wood said.

The salon opened with a small staff for May 8 and the weekend but expects to have a full staff working beginning Tuesday.

Luxe Salon & Design took a similar approach, reopening May 8 with a couple staff members and planning to return to full staffing next week.

Joel Ferdinandsen, who owns and operates Luxe alongside his wife, Angela, said he thinks operating under the current restrictions is financially sustainable for his business going forward.




“The clients, they’ve been great. They’ve been abiding by all the rules and regulations that we have to abide by,” Ferdinandsen said. “It was an influx of phone calls trying to get in today.”

The salon has had to avoid its usual practice of double-booking, he said. Under normal conditions, booking more than one client at a time helps stylists to see more customers. But now that they are having to do a thorough clean of surfaces after every appointment, this practice is no longer possible, he said.

Nail Care Plano opened May 8 with added precautions as well. Manicurists wear face masks and aprons and are disinfecting between customers. Customers are all placed six feet apart as well, owner Thoa Nguyen said.

The main difference for Nail Care is that they have moved to appointment-only nail care for the salon’s natural manicures and pedicures, she said.




“It’s a little bit different because [there are] less customers,” Nguyen said.

But not all Plano salons were ready to reopen on the first day they were allowed.

Chuck’s World Class Barber Shop and Salon was one of those that remains closed for now.

“I have to continue to look out for the best interest of not only my [barbers and stylists], but for the clients that are patiently waiting to come back home,” the business said in a Facebook message to customers.




When Chuck’s reopens, new safety standards will be put in place, and customers will be notified a few days in advance, the message said.