Yesterday’s news that barber shops, hair salons and beauty centres no longer have to close shop came as a welcome relief to many Malaysians who lets face it, quite desperately need a hair cut. That being said however, the announcement does not come without its caveats.

On top of having to adhere to strict SOPs, it looks like Malaysians are also going to have to pay a little bit more to get their hair cut. According to a report by the New Straight Times, the Malaysian Hairdressing Groups Association recently had a meeting where they discussed and agreed on the prospect of additional fees for each customer.

Malaysians looking to cut their hair can now expect to pay an additional RM5 to RM10 for their cuts. This is because salons need to cover expenses for a new set of disposable protective equipment for every customer when they resume operations. There’s little choice here given that facilitating compliance with the governments Covid-19 precautions is a must.

“It was unanimously agreed after taking into account the additional cost we would incur for the use of disposable kits for each customer. The increase in service charge is still relevantly minimum because owners and operators have to take into account the number of customers allowed and other SOPs which must be complied with at salons,” the group’s spokesman Bambang Sutrisno Soteto was quoted saying by the NST.

While no one really ever wants to pay more for anything, I don’t think many Malaysians will have any issues with paying an extra RM10. These businesses have been shut down for the past three months and they simply can’t afford to bear anymore additional costs that come with the MCO, CMCO and now RMCO.

Be sure to make an appointment with your favourite stylist to avoid disappointment!