After a week, scissors and comb struggle to find hair

New Delhi: A week after saloons were allowed to open in the Capital, the owners are still finding it hard to carry on with the business as the customers are reluctant to visit saloons in Delhi. Many saloons which had a long waiting list are vacant after opening shutters on June 1. The hair business it seems has taken a major blow during the lockdown as it involved close human contact between the customer and barber.

"In normal times it would have been a busy day and my three chair shop might have seen atleast 12 customers in waiting. However, since we opened the shop, the business is low. People are hesitant in visiting us. They only stop to offer greetings but don't get a hair cut. Its just 5 to 6 customers in a day," said Adil, a saloon owner in Jamia Nagar.

During the lockdown many have started self-experimenting with the hair cut and hence would be away from salon fpr atleast a month. Many others feel visiting a saloon now is a risky affair.

"Why will I visit a saloon and risk myself. Even if the saloon owner takes good precautions there is always a possibility. So, I would stay away from the saloons for some more time and manage the haircut al by myself," said Irfan , a resident of the area.

Though some high end saloons in posh Delhi areas are taking good precautions to combat Coivid-19 spread and doing whatever they can to instill confidence in its customers, the business is not at all the same and the profit has dwindled drastically in this week.

Many saloons tactic of not doing threading and shaving which require close contact also did not bring back the customers.

Many feel that it might take some months for business to be back on the track.