According to the Alford, every service may now require different solutions in terms of keeping customers and employees safe, like technicians working behind 'sneeze guards,' hairdressers no longer offering blow-dries, massage therapists wearing gloves, and aestheticians wearing face shields. "There won't a be a one-stop solution as each salon and spa will need to address their own levels of risk to take appropriate action."
Hogle also said that, while there's always been a heavy focus on sanitation in spas, the environment at the moment is "hypersanitary," and some locations might even cut back on what kinds of products and services they offer. "All products must be sanitary, easy to sanitize, or disposed of," he said.
Hot-stone massage treatments in particular might be trickier to navigate, according to Spa Revolutions's vice president of development and design, Kristin Sartore. "With hot stones being porous, it makes it very difficult to clean," she said. "And they're also heated with a roaster that would need to be sanitized as well. It's a breeding ground for bacteria."
With that in mind, Sartore mentions that the guidelines for how these treatments should be offered will become a lot more strict, and a handful of spa locations have already begun using nonporous stones that only have to be wiped down and cleaned with disinfectant in between customers.
