Hyderabad: Salons get lukewarm response

Hyderabad: Apprehensions loomed large at the salons in the city as the owners as well as customers reluctantly went about their chores.

S Neelam, a beautician of Laurel Beauty Parlour and Training Institute at Dr AS Rao Nagar, said, ""Since Thursday, most of the customers have come for services of eyebrows, chin wax and upper lip.

Only one customer wanted facial but we refused as it is risky." Raju, a worker at Melody Hair Salon in Malkajgiri said, "We have three service chairs. Earlier, we used to make the customers sit on the chairs side by side.

Now we are allowing only two customers leaving one chair empty." Owners of salons say that people are scared and are not coming. The new rule of opening on alternate days too is hitting business.

Another hair dresser, Srinivas Pellapally of Srinivas Hair Salon in Neredmet said, "My co-worker has gone to his native village.

It's a loss running the shop as I have to pay the electricity bill and the rent."

Several other hair salons expressed their inability to pay rent, "We may have to raise the cost for haircutting and shaving," says Raju.