A 55-year-old hairdresser, whose livelihood has come under threat due to the lockdown, has started offering his service at the doorsteps of customers in the city.
R. Arunachalam, who owns a hairdressing saloon on the Collector Office road in the city, visits each and every apartment with a kit of scissors, blades, after-shave lotion, and canvases with customers. It is not easy for him to make the men agree for a haircut or a shave. Many men, even if they are badly in need of haircuts, hesitate to accept Arunachalam’s fervent canvassing. However, he manages to convince a few customers by demonstrating the safety precautions he follows to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus while doing his job.
“I need at least ₹400 a day to take care of my family’s need. If I remain in doors, I cannot take care of the basic necessities. Hence, I have no other option but to offer service at the doorsteps of the customers,” Mr. Arunachalam says.
He said that he used to earn an average of ₹700 a day until the lockdown. He had no need to go canvassing as he had some regular customers.
But, the unexpected lockdown has dealt a severe blow to the hairdressers. With nil income for over a month, several hairdressers have been finding it difficult to meet their day-to-day household expenditure.
Mr. Arunachalam said due to the closure of saloons, several men preferred to grow a beard or try different moustache styles on their own. Some were desperate to find hairdressers to cut their overgrown hair. The home service offered by him would not only take care of their needs but also help him financially to an extent.
Stating that he makes it a point to adhere to all safety precautions and personal hygiene while serving the customers, Mr. Arunachalam said that the State government must include the service of hairdressers in the essential services category.
