"Effective May 8—this Friday—cosmetology salons, barbershops, hair salons, nail salons and tanning salons are able to open," Abbott said during a press conference. "There are rules in the best policies manual that we have provided that all of these should consult."
Some of those rules include limiting one customer per stylist unless the individual is waiting for service, using an appointment-only system, maintaining 6 feet of separation between stations and ensuring both the stylist and customer wear face masks.
Katy Barber Shop, located at 5817 Highway Blvd., Katy, will reopen May 12, and owner Angel Lopez said he will thoroughly disinfect all tools and items used between customers.
"To ensure social distancing, I will be removing several waiting room seats, removing magazines for now, providing hand sanitizer for customers and maintain a 10-person maximum occupancy, including myself," Lopez said.
However, Lopez said he is concerned with how he could provide a customer with any beard services, such as a goatee trim or a razor shave, with a mask on.
Katy Barber Shop has been closed since March 27, a few days before the governor's order, due to a lack of customers.
"In 10 years of the business I had never experienced a full business day with only two customers," Lopez said.
Abbott reiterated it is up to each business owner's own discretion on when best to safely reopen.
"No one is being required to open up. Every owner of every salon should use their own best judgment about when it is going to be best for them to safely reopen, whether it's May 8 or sometime after May 8," he said.
Delia Maldonado, the owner of Delia's Beauty Salon at 5740 Highway Blvd., Katy, said she will wait at least one week after May 8 to reopen.
"We're not ready to reopen," Maldonado said in Spanish. "But we will reopen next week, and I will be following all governor-issued regulations."
Hannah Zedaker contributed to this report.
