Makeup

General instructions on physical distancing from other people and hand hygiene (soap washing and sanitiser), as well as general coronavirus cleaning instructions (wiping of contact surfaces with a basic all-purpose cleaner and, if necessary, disinfectant, at least daily) and continuous, adequate ventilation are also valid for hair and makeup work.

  • The exceptional situation calls for changes in the working culture in the performing arts sector: all close contacts must be reduced, the social working culture changed and there should be a lower threshold to stay at home sick.
  • An employee with the symptoms of the illness cannot come to work. After the illness there must be one completely asymptomatic day. We recommend continuing a procedure in which employees can notify employers themselves about staying at home sick.
  • We recommend dividing the workplace into teams (or “families”) which colleagues do not change between and in which they avoid contact with other teams’ members.
  • We recommend that personnel wear masks, whenever possible, in all situations.

We also recommend these measures for hair and makeup work:

In hair/makeup spaces:

  • Actors can come for hair/makeup only during their slot according to the makeup schedule or with an appointment, to avoid queues and congestion. We recommend no extra haircuts during the pandemic period to reduce contact.
  • We recommend that performers do not come with food, bags and outer clothing to makeup/hair.
  • Employees and performers must wash and disinfect hands upon arrival and before and after customer work. The hairdresser/makeup artist must also observe hand hygiene between clients.
  • We recommend that hairdressers and make-up artists wear mouth-nose protection/breath protector/visors while working with customers. Please note that the use of protective equipment is decided on a case-by-case basis on the basis of the employer’s risk assessment.
  • We recommend avoiding unnecessary face-to-face conversation with the actor. The conversation can take place via the mirror.
  • We recommend that the customer chairs be located at a sufficient distance from each other to maintain physical distancing. If necessary, additional customer spaces can be established in other vacant spaces, or screens can be used.
  • We recommend reserving dedicated tools for each performer. When the performer’s hair or makeup is done, the equipment is washed and disinfected immediately or, if this is not permitted by the schedule, it is put in a container for used tools.
  • We recommend that the cape be changed after each customer.

In scenes:

The same instructions as above apply, in addition to which particular attention should be given to:

  • To avoid close contact, performers can be taught to make part or all of the mask themselves, e.g. the base or lips. In this case, every performer has personal accessories and products, and the mask is made in his/her own dressing room/other space.
  • Employees disinfect their hands after each makeup change during the performance.
  • The order of set changes is arranged on a play-by-play basis, so that no congestion occurs.
  • After the performance, wigs are dismantled in a predetermined order. If agreed, the performer can remove the wig himself/herself and put it back in place.

Cleaning instructions:

  • During the working day, the contact surfaces of all machines, devices (e.g. hair dryer) in shared use are cleaned after each use.
  • Clean the contact surfaces of electronic devices (computer keyboards, phones and other smart devices) by wiping them with a towel/cloth intended for that purpose.
  • Pay particular attention to the thoroughness of existing cleaning measures: for example, the neck bracket and the sink are wiped after each customer with a detergent solution.
  • The dressing table, chair and especially its armrests are wiped after each customer with a soapy solution.

You can read a more detailed example of the makeup safety instructions of the Helsinki City Theatre by following the link.


Update information:

Updated on 4 June 2021: changed 2 metres distance to sufficient distance.

Updated on 23 February 2021: updated physical distance to 2 metres, added mask recommendation in all situations.

Updated on 5 November 2020: added general mask recommendation.

These instructions were updated on 18 June 2020 by the makeup subordinate working group, led by: Henri Karjalainen, henri.karjalainen@hkt.fi (Helsinki City Theatre). Others present at the working group’s meetings were: Titta Stoor (Svenska Teatern), Marjo Riihimäki (Finnish National Opera and Ballet), Jessica Rosenberg (Turku City Theatre), Jari Kettunen (Finnish National Theatre), Sanna Virkkula (Kuopio City Theatre), Eija Juutistenaho (Oulu Theatre) ja Sanna Sahlman (Joensuu City Theatre).