'Respect My Profession': Hairstylists Urge Customers To Stop Asking Them To Break Coronavirus Quarantine

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CBS Local) -- Do-it-yourself haircuts in the age of the coronavirus have produced mixed results, so its not surprising that some people are trying to hire their favorite stylist on the sly.

But some hairstylists in the Kansas City, Missouri, area are pushing back, urging customers to stop asking them to cut their hair while salons are considered non-essential under shelter-in-place orders.

"Asking a hairstylist to do your hair right now, when it's CLEARLY PROHIBITED, is like asking a doctor friend to write you a random prescription for narcotics," Jodi Pennington, owner of Jodi's Hive salon in Kansas City, wrote on Facebook.

"I'm not going to lose my license or go to jail for you. Sorry. Please, respect my profession and my career and know I'd never ask the same of you," she continued.

"To be fair, I don't think it's people thinking it that way," said Michelle Frazee, a highly sought after stylist in Kansas City. "I think they think I don't have income and they're trying to help me out. I just don't think they're thinking about it like that."

But Frazee is also refusing to bend the rules.

"I'm not willing to risk my license to do business or my cosmetology license, so for me its a no-go," she told WDAF.

Frazee said she appreciates the support and loyalty of her clients. But she's recommending people show their support in other ways, such as purchasing hair treatments or other products.