Immediately following a session, it is important to consider how you prepare for station sanitation. It is also imperative to have a follow-up plan for reporting on any COVID symptoms displayed by you or your clients.
Practitioner Sanitation Protocols
- Immediately following the service, undergo your hand-washing protocol. Do not touch or adjust your face covering. Wash hands thoroughly, up to the elbows, using WHO guidelines for best practices.
- Do not remove your face mask until the client has left. If you must handle cash or credit cards, do so using a pair of disposable gloves. Once the client leaves, dispose of the gloves and remove your apron, folding it in on itself and keeping the soiled surfaces inside. Place in a lidded container for daily laundry removal and wash hands before next removing your face mask carefully for additional uses. Finally, redress in a clean apron.
- Hand hygiene after removing PPE or clothing is particularly important to remove any pathogens that might have been transferred to bare hands during the removal process. If hands are visibly soiled, use soap and water before applying alcohol-based hand sanitizer. For the removal of masks, the CDC says you must wash your hands both before and after removal. (See more PPE guidelines in Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Hair Care Professionals)
- Apply a clean pair of gloves and begin station sanitation.
Post-Session Client Interaction
- Have a post-session check-in with the client 2–3 days later; ask about their service and check in on their health. Create a protocol that a client will call you and you will call a client if either start showing any apparent COVID-19 symptoms.