Staff photos / Ron Selak Jr. Kelan Bilal of Youngstown, owner of Excalibur Barber Grooming Lounge at the Southern Park Mall, took the time the business was closed under a state order to do some improvements. He reopens Friday, but under guidelines that all barbers and salons in Ohio must follow to address COVID-19.

Just one more day and the top that’s turned into a mop can be trimmed, cut, styled and even colored to hide that gray strand or two, or more, that may have appeared or reappeared.

Barbers and hair salons Friday can start seeing clients again, marking another critical turning point in reopening Ohio’s economy, devastated by strict restrictions imposed on businesses to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In addition, nail salons, tattoo and massage parlors, and restaurants and bars can welcome back customers, but to outside areas only. Those eager to enjoy their favorite meal or alcoholic beverage inside those establishments will have to wait another week for dine-in service to reopen.

In-store consumer, retail and some service businesses reopened Tuesday.

WHY WAIT?

Kelan Bilal, owner of Excalibur Barber Grooming Lounge at the Southern Park Mall, said he was going to wait until June to reopen — but why wait?

“During this time, I was watching the news and discussing things … it’s not really restructured what we do because our guidelines are already strict,” said Bilal.

The shop offers a diverse array of services for men and women, from cuts to hot shaves. It also has a hybrid barber / cosmetologist who specializes in dreadlock care.

It closed March 14, a few days ahead of the state’s order shuttering nonessential businesses.

His staff will wear face masks and hand sanitizer is “in stock and on deck at all places of contact from clientele,” he said. Capes will be single-use per client and disinfected after.

Spacing isn’t an issue because the shop was designed for barbers to have privacy with their clients. And all services are by appointment-only. If someone walks in, however, that person can make a same-day appointment if slots allow. Chairs and magazines in the waiting room are gone.

“It’s going to be a change for a lot of people,” Bilal said. “I’ve already been taking the time to speak with clients, already booking ahead of time.”

TRIMS AND TATS

In Austintown, Bareknuckle Tattoo and Barbershop will follow similar safety protocols Friday. It closed March 18.

In addition to requiring clients to wait outside, taking temperatures and a short survey and limiting the number of people inside the parlor, outside food and drink are prohibited; magazines and other high-touch items — such as portfolios of the tattooists — have been removed. The portfolios are on the shop’s website and a kiosk that will be wiped clean after every use. Clothing will be folded and put into a display case rather than on a rack.

“Anything that people could sift through, we had to get rid of,” said owner Joe Davila.

Tattooists, Davila said, are required to wear a mask as well as the customer, which limits tattoos on a person’s face. Barber clients, however, aren’t required to wear a mask, but Davila said doing so will be recommended.

The shop’s three barber chairs will be cleaned and disinfected after each customer, said barber Joavan Mallory of Youngstown. And like Excalibur, neck cloths will be single-use per client and disinfected after.

“Once the client is done, we’re allowing 20 to 30 minutes after that to completely wipe the station down,” Mallory said.

The shop also does piercing, eyebrows, facials and has a massage therapist. Those services will follow similar safety precautions.

“We’re trying to work with the client as much as they are trying to work with us,” Davila said.

rselak@tribtoday.com