With Ontario moving into Stage 3 of its Reopening Plan, restrictions are being lifted, both for businesses and public spaces. While safety guidelines such as physical distancing and the wearing of masks whenever possible are still in place, Stage 3 has opened up new possibilities for estheticians and the services they can begin to offer to clients once again.
Although Stage 3 is in place, estheticians should be mindful of the recommendations for maintaining a safe practice and prioritizing the health of themselves and their clients. Keep reading to see what’s different about Stage 3, and how to stay safe while working.
Services Those with a Career in Esthetics Can Offer in Stage 3
During Stage 2 of Ontario’s Recovery Plan, personal care services were allowed to open, but with strict limits to the kinds of services that could be performed. What’s different about Stage 3 is that all services which involve tending to a client’s face, such as eyebrow grooming and waxing, eyelash extensions, facials, and piercings are allowed. This opens up a wider range of services those with an esthetician diploma can perform, allowing for the return of customers who relied on those services from professionals with an esthetician diploma before the pandemic. However, services such as the use of saunas, oxygen bars, steam rooms, and bath houses are still not available in Stage 3.
Safety Precautions During Stage 3
While those with a career in esthetics can now perform a wider range of services, it is important to be mindful of the safety precautions which are still in place. In line with Ontario’s Stage 3 guidelines, clients must wear face coverings at all times unless they are receiving a service performed directly on an area of their face which would otherwise be covered by a mask. Additionally, all workers must continue to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Stage 3 guidelines also recommend that if a staff member is working with a client who is receiving a service that requires them to remove their mask, the staff member should consider wearing both a mask and a shield for enhanced protection.
As a practicing esthetician, it is important to be mindful of the Government of Ontario’s workplace recommendations for reopening safely. These include allowing for physical distancing by redesigning and reimagining spaces to accommodate for a distance of two metres between clients, and disinfecting surfaces and equipment as often as necessary to maintain a clean environment. The government’s recommendations also note that businesses should consider keeping track of visiting clients’ contact information to facilitate effective contact tracing, as well as considering requiring clients to book appointments in advance to avoid unnecessary flows of people indoors.
Stage 3 is exciting, opening up many possibilities for the kinds of services that estheticians can perform, but it’s important to remember that health and beauty go hand in hand. While reopening parts of your practice, be mindful of the guidelines that are still in place, so you can keep yourself and others as safe as possible.
Are you thinking about a career in esthetics?
Take a look at Oxford College’s esthetician program to learn more.