LA County hairstylist shares struggle following county orders to stay closed
LOS ANGELES - While hair salons and barbershops are set to reopen across California, establishments in LA County are not permitted to do so, following the county's health officer order.
Stevi D, the owner of "Hair Elite," has been a stylist for 24 years, and is urging health officials in LA County to reopen salons.
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"What I'm trying to figure out is why isn't everybody governed by the same rules? Why aren't others shut down? Why are we closed, unless they want to devastate us," she said.
Stevi has had to use her 401K funds and knows other stylists struggling to get by due to the closure.
"There are people I care about, and I see them hurting and I've seen them working, and I've seen them thrive and during this pandemic, they went from thriving to crying to depression to suicidal thoughts," she said.
Stevi said she knows some stylists who are leaving the industry because they are unable to support themselves. She said stylists know how to practice social distancing and clean their workspaces, and said she doesn't notice staff sanitizing at the majority of grocery stores, or big-box stores.
RELATED:
• Gov. Newsom says California hair and nail salons are allowed to operate outside
• Gov. Newsom orders additional businesses in most of California to reclose
"They're not sanitizing the carts like they were before. Unfortunately, everybody needs to come out of extra expenses like we did," she said.
Stevi has an at-home salon where she would service mostly family members and is unable to work where she normally did at Trinity Experience Salon" in Hawthorne due to the LA County health order.
"We're all trying to help each other [the stylists]. I'm proud of that. I'm proud of my peers. I've seen our comradery. I've seen us pull together. I see everybody checking on each other and that is one great thing that I think came from this is that we can thrive if we help each other," she said.
Yvonne, a loyal customer of Trinity, stopped by the salon on Monday to see if they were open so she could get her hair done.
"I've been going to this beauty salon for 10 years. They've always been very clean and sanitized. Look at my hair [pointing at her hair]. I'm in bad shape! I need my hair done. I can't do it myself. I'm handicapped. Please LA County, Governor, Mayor, whoever you are, open up the beauty salons so we can get back in and get our hair done," said Yvonne.
Stevi said even when salons are able to reopen in LA County, it will be difficult.
"We're only able to service four clients, maybe, in a day now when we used to service eight at the same time. Income is down, and expenses are up because we have to have extra masks and all these things," she said.
In late July, hair salons and barbershops were permitted to operate outdoors, but the new guidelines from Newsom permit salons to open indoors in California.
LA County officials are not yet allowing indoor operations.