ALBANY COUNTY — While there is much talk about the “new normal” as the Capital Region prepares for Phase 2 businesses to reopen, Joleen Benincasa painted a vivid picture of what that means for her hair salon.

She co-owns Avanti Hair Studios in Guilderland. Benincasa described at Friday’s county press briefing the way women used to regard the day they got their hair done as “a social day.” They would sit in Avanti’s waiting room, drink coffee, read a magazine, and chat.

“It’s a great experience,” she said. “We want to keep the experience positive, keep them happy to come, and not worried or scared.”

Now, like other hair salons and barber shops, Avanti will follow a long list of state requirements and recommendations.

Benincasa and her partner have 16 stations in their salon, which are rented by hair stylists. The shop has many loyal clients, she said, who have called and texted to offer support during the shutdown, which was meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“They’ve become our family and friends, more than just clients,” she said.

During the shutdown, Benincasa said, all of the staff have taken an online course to get Barbicide COVID-19 certification so they are informed on the guidelines for keeping themselves and their clients safe.

Following state guidelines, heavy vinyl curtains have been hung between the work stations. All of the staff as well as the clients will wear masks.

Clients will be asked to come alone unless they need assistance. A stylist will take each client right to a sanitation station where they will use hand sanitizer from a touchless dispenser. If a client is not wearing a mask, she will be given one, and gloves as well if she wants them.

“We won’t be shampooing or blow-drying,” said Benincasa. “We’ll give them the option.”

The studio will not follow its usual procedure of double-booking so that, for example, a stylist could be cutting one client’s hair while another client is having her hair colored.

Rather, just one client will be served at a time. “We want to keep the numbers down,” said Benincasa.

The studio will stagger its schedule so staff is not all there at the same time and can be spaced apart from each other.

“We’ll keep them at the station the whole time,” Benincasa said of clients. “They will cash out at the station.”

She hopes clients will be able to make their next appointments through their phones “so we don’t have to get pens and cards and things like that,” she said.

Benincasa thinks some clients may worry, “Is my hair going to come out OK because I have a mask on?” The client could then hold the mask, by its ear straps, against her face, said Benincasa. “We can work around it.”

She went on, “We’ve reached out to our hundreds of clients and they’re all aware of what’s going to happen. And they’re all sending us thumbs up, whatever you have to do.” Typical messages from the studio’s clients are: “We just want to come in. We want to get our hair done. We miss you. We have so much to catch up on,” she said.

“We’re trying our best to keep everyone safe and relaxed,” said Benincasa. “We know some people are not going to be comfortable.They’ll be a little nervous and that’s OK. They’ll come when they’re ready.”

She and her partner and the stylists have all been on the phone together, Benincasa said, supporting each other. The big question, she said, has been, “When? When? When? For all these weeks.”

 Benincasa also said, “It’s been a hardship for everybody. My business partner and I, we feel very responsible for these girls. Even though they are self-employed and they rent booths from us, they’re our family and, you know, we worry about them and some of them have been struggling quite a bit …

“It’s been really heart-warming to know how many of our clients just feel for us and support us the way they do.”

Benincasa said she has been doing hair for 42 years and now will be working in a completely different way. “Every surface has to be sanitized, chair, instrument in between every client,” she said. “So we’re going to need extra help. We’ve hired an extra receptionist to come and help us with the cleaning.”

Benincasa concluded, “We’re going to do what we have to do. It’s the new normal.”