News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Shear Envy owner Madison Frishett said that, even though her shop was closed, many of her loyal customers purchased products via curbside pick-up, or purchased gift certificates to use in the future. She said those gestures helped her weather the financial storm of having to be closed.

ALPENA — Madison Frishett received some good news on Friday.

She learned that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would allow her and other salon owners to open on Wednesday after being forced to close nearly three months ago over coronavirus concerns.

Frishett owns Shear Envy in downtown Alpena and said she has built a strong clientele over the last four years.

She said that, at first, closing seemed the right thing to do because of the threat of the spread of COVID-19.

But, as time wore on and other businesses were allowed to open and she wasn’t, she became stressed and confused why she and other hair stylists and beauticians were excluded.

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Shear Envy owner Madison Frishett disinfects one of the swivel chairs she uses when styling or cutting people's hair.

Frishett said all stylists are licensed by the state and have learned how to protect themselves and their customers from the spread of harmful germs. She said she believes her shop and others should have been allowed to open sooner, which would have resulted in less loss of business and revenue.

“This has been really crazy the entire time,” she said. “Thank God I was still able to sell products and gift certificates to my customers. It was those things, and the support of the people in the community, that made it possible for me to keep the shop afloat.”

Frishett said that, if she was allowed to open sooner, she could have done so safely, because, before salon owners can become licensed, they must know how to disinfect and sterilize tools of the trade and their facilities.

She said she got upset and nervous when taverns and restaurants were given permission to open back up before Memorial Day.

“We are certified in sanitation and disinfecting,” Frishett said. “We all learn that early on and need to to get licensed. I don’t think bars are any more safe to be than here at the salon. You can be behind a chair, doing hair or nails, with a mask on.”

Earlier this week, Whitmer suggested people who need to cut or style their own hair could do so simply by googling instructions or watching a YouTube video tutorial. Frishett, who said she is not a political person, said she took exception to the governor’s comments.

“I was upset, and she apologized, but I’m not sure she was sincere,” she said. “I thought it was really degrading. We don’t tell people nurses can’t see you right now, so go ahead and google how to put in stitches. For that to come out of her mouth was really inappropriate, and it upset a lot of people, besides myself.”

Frishett said she considers herself essential, regardless of what the government thinks. Many times, when she is working, she notices something on someone’s scalp, face, neck, or other parts of the body that raise concerns. She said she has pointed things out to clients and recommended they see a doctor to be sure it isn’t something serious.

“There are times I will see something that wasn’t there the last time they came in and it can be concerning, especially if they don’t know,” Frishett said. “We see a lot of different things and are always looking out for the welfare and health of our customers.”

Since Whitmer’s announcement Friday that salons can reopen, Frishett said her phone, email, and social media pages have been busy. She said her calendar is booking up fast, and things are going to be busy.

That is good, she said, but there is also a sense of nerves for her and her three employees.

“The calls, messages, and emails came the entire time, even though people knew we were closed,” she said. “I’m excited to get back to work, but there is also a little bit of anxiety, because you don’t know what is going to happen next.”