VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Michelle Dieges felt some relief getting her nails done at Aloha Nails and Spa, two months after it closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's wonderful. The first time I came back I almost cried," Dieges said told News 3 with a laugh. "You don't feel very pretty when your nails aren't done and your nail polish and nails are chipped."
She is a regular customer at the salon, who said this was her second visit after it reopened on May 19.
The salon's owner got to work on Diege's nails. She made sure her nails looked good as new, after Diege said she tried to do her nails on her own during the salon's closure.
"I have tried and the nail polish was all over the hand," Dieges said.
Other employees, such as Jennie Pfeffer, were tending to two other clients getting pedicures and work on their eyebrows.
"It's been amazing, honestly, catching up with everybody," Pfeffer said. "Your clients become your family. I know more about my clients than I do my family members."
The only services they have right now are nail, pedicure and eyebrow services. They normally offer spa and facial treatment services, but have suspended those services for the time being.
Pfeffer said they are not sure when they can reintroduce those services, but said she hopes it'll happen during Virginia's Phase Two reopening. The salon is taking measures to make sure everything is clean, safe and sanitized for their customers.
"Everything gets wiped down and sanitized with antibacterial soap, alcohol, barbicide," Pfeffer explained.
The nail stations have Plexiglas barriers, and the salon is allowing at most 10 people inside, including the employees. The bathrooms are closed to avoid cross-contamination. Clients will be asked to wear a face mask and sign a form.
"It's just a questionnaire making sure that if you've traveled, if you've been around anybody that's traveled, you're not feeling any symptoms of it."
The salon is accepting appointments ahead by phone -- by calling (757) 579-8730 -- or on the salon's website, alohanailsspa.com.
Aloha Nails and Spa is located at 1080 Aragona Blvd, Suite D in Virginia Beach.
