Hair Stylist Warns If Salons Are Not Opened As An Essential Business They Will Beginning Making House Calls

CALABASAS (CBSLA) — A local business owner is campaigning to be labeled "essential" so that she, and others in her position, can get back to work.

Veteran stylist Raychel Harrison has been spending her time preparing color to-go for her loyal customers after being forced to close her salon in Calabasas six weeks ago.

"When I turned off the lights and heard the echo with nobody here, it was heartbreaking," Harrison said.

When Harrison saw the governor's proposal this week for reopening California, with salons in Stage 3, behind retail, schools, and childcare, she wrote an open letter, urging the state to reconsider.

"I listened to him, and I think he really doesn't understand our industry and how we clean, we disinfect and we sterilize," she said.

In the letter, Harrison pointed out that cosmetologists are required by the state to take 1,600 hours of sanitation law courses.

"The most education we learn is we never use the same brush without sterilizing. everything we do is under surveillance. Our license means something. It deserves some respect," Harrison said.

She made a list of 30 precaution salons should employ before they open their doors.

"The first thing is protective gear. Face shields for all of my stylists. We already wear gloves and sanitize everything," said Harrison.

She also advised adding time between clients and fewer people in the salon at a time.

Earlier this week, a salon in Corona defied the state's stay-at-home order and opened for business.

The Riverside County Public Health Department said the owner could face criminal charges.

For now, Harrison has no plans to reopen before the order is lifted, but she is barely scraping by and has yet to receive a small business loan.

"Even if I get all of this, I still have to pay it back. How will I do that? I am losing sleep about being closed but also how do I face tomorrow," Harrison asked.

Harrison also warned in her letter that if salons are not allowed to open for months, more and more stylists will move their businesses to customers' homes, putting more people at risk.