Hair stylist Tricia Marquez waited for her next client.

She had disinfected her styling chair after the last client and wiped door handles and other high-touch areas. The waiting area gleamed, devoid of magazines and other unnecessary items. A bright pink mask with the words “Dye Pretty” hung from her neck.

After two months of closure during Gov. Kate Brown’s stay-at-home order, salons got permission to reopen on May 15 in counties, such as Umatilla, that have declining cases of COVID-19 and meet other criteria. The Hermiston stylist and co-owner of Trim’Ers feels elated to be back at the styling chair. There’s no way for a stylist to self-distance while coloring and cutting hair, but Marquez said that she respects the virus, but doesn’t fear it. The long list of state requirements — the longer break between clients, having them wait in their cars, the extra sanitizing — add complexity to her day, but help mitigate the risk.

“I’m thrilled to be up and running,” said the Hermiston stylist. “If I had to wear a garbage bag, I’d do it just to be able to come back and work.”

Clients are clamoring for appointments. The salon is booked up for two-and-a-half months out. Marquez feels bad having to turn people away.

“Eighty-five percent of people calling are from Washington,” she said. “They’re just desperate.”

A short way up Highway 395, stylist Heather Smith has experienced much the same at Elli’gance by Cherice.

“I’m overbooked,” Smith said. “The phone’s been ringing off the hook. There are people from Washington calling who we’ve had to refuse except for the ones who are already clients.”

Brenda Cooper sat in Smith’s chair, masked up and ready to say farewell to her pandemic hair. This is the highlight of the month, Cooper said. However, not everyone is ready to return.

“For clients scared of coming in, we’ve urged them to stay home until they’re comfortable,” Smith said. “Everyone’s got to do it on their own time. We’ll be happy to see them when they come back.”

Washington hair salons and barbershops could resume as soon as June 1, part of phase two in the state’s four-phase gradual opening. California, however, considers salons as higher risk businesses, along with movie theaters and sporting events.

Not every Oregon county has moved into phase one. In Marion County, which has the state’s highest rate of coronavirus infections, one salon owner defied the state order and opened her salon on May 5. According to the Oregonian, Lindsey Graham, owner of the Glamour Salon in Salem, said she made the decision to provide for her family. The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit her with a $14,000 fine.

Neither Marquez nor Smith love wearing a mask while they work. The masks slip and are itchy. But both women say they are committed to wearing them for the foreseeable future.

Marquez said she is torn about whether to pass on some of the increased costs to her customers. She sanitized a lot before, but now she uses even more cleaning solution and lets it sit on the surfaces for at least 10 minutes. Appointments don’t bump up against each other anymore to give time for sanitizing and to keep clients away from each other. Masks for customers cost money, too. Still, she hesitates to bump prices.

“Everyone has been really, really supportive,” Marquez said.

Her phone rang and Marquez fished out her cellphone. Her next customer, Jennifer McDonough, said she was swinging through the drive-thru at Starbucks. Could she bring her a coffee? Marquez grinned, said no thanks, she had water. She hung up and looked happily around her light-drenched salon.

“I feel like I have a passion for this,” she said. “I love what I do. I’m thrilled to be back.”