KITCHENER -- From dead ends to overgrown sideburns, many of us are longing for the day that we can visit a hairstylist again.

However, when salons are given the greenlight to reopen, things will look a little different than what you’re used to.

Luxe Appeal Salon in Kitchener has been sitting empty for the past three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We're still paying our rent, still paying our bills. So, you know, it’s a big impact,” says co-owner Mark Muia.

There’s is still no word from the province on when salons will be able to reopen.

After the Victoria Day long weekend, the province entered phase one of its recovery plan, initially saying it would reassess in two to four weeks before deciding whether or not to start phase two.

“I'm ready to get back,” says Muia.

He says that, when they do reopen, it won’t be business as usual

“Working in a hair salon, we like to be social and have fun with clients and staff. It’s going to be different,” he says.

All staff and customers will have to wear facemasks and the salon will work at 50 per cent capacity

“You know we have six stylists working, We're going to have three with one customer per staff member,” Muia says.

He says the waiting area will be closed and clients will have to wait in their vehicles until their appointment time.

“No more refreshments, no more magazines, things like that,” he adds.

Stylists will no longer offered clients a blow dry in order to help prevent the spread of germs.

The CBON group, a distributor that supplies disinfectants to salons, says there is a laundry list of measures that should be put in place in these types of businesses

“What do you do when the customer is sitting down, for example before they sit down, the professional should be showing them disinfecting the bed or the chair,” says Jeff Alford, ceo, CBON group.

The group says it recommends these safety measures become permanent in the industry

“We’re recommending to our industry now to ratchet up their understanding of infection control and their protocols and make it a way of life,” Alford says.

Changes will be made at Luxe Appeal but they're hopeful business will bounce back.