Video: Greeks in coronavirus lockdown eager for barbers to fix home haircut disasters

Angelos Antonopoulos, owner of Sir Barber barber shop and hair salon in central Athens, has already got a long list of bookings from customers who desperately want a haircut as soon as the lockdown ends.

A poll earlier this month in Greece showed a visit to the hairdresser ranked high for Greeks when the lockdown is over.

In the survey by pollsters MRB it even ranked higher than going on vacation or going shopping.

“Pre-booking has already started,” said Antonopoulos, who says customers have been e-mailing him photographs of their overgrown hair or home hair cutting disasters.

“Usually they entrust their hair and beard, and general upkeep, to their wives, and when you are not a professional there are various problems, for example some holes or gaps are created. And then comes the phone call afterwards, (where they ask me) ‘what do I do now?’” he says.

“Personally, I took a small scissors - and I am not a hairdresser but I am pretty good at it - (and) I went to the mirror and gave myself a haircut,” said Greek resident Antonis Lakopoulos.

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The country shut hair salons on March 14, weeks after its first coronavirus cases emerged. A reopening is expected in early May, but a specific date has not yet been announced.

Angelopoulos said keeping one’s hair in good shape has an impact on our mood, but people should not let it get them down.

“We have to look at all of this with a dose of humor so we don’t get upset,” he said, adding, “We can look at this as an opportunity to grow our hair and beards, so we have the possibility of making a change, we can see a different version of ourselves.”

And until then, he says, they need to just be patient.

“I have already booked an appointment, May 4. As soon as they open, I will be the first person in the hair salon for a dye job,” said resident Smaro Skoulikidou.

“I miss it very much,” said resident Kaity, of the hairdresser. “And I have been doing the best I can. I even used that spray that covers the roots. We carry on, we carry on,” she added.

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