Pornsupa Hatthayong, left, is at work.

An increasing number of hairdressers are now making house calls because of the government's lockdown order -- but Pornsupa Hatthayong, armed with her hairdressing gear, chooses to head to hospitals instead.

A seasoned hairstylist at a leading hair salon, Ms Pornsupa, 43, took to her Facebook page to announce that she would give haircuts to medical personnel treating Covid-19 patients for free.

Ms Pornsupa said she has plenty of free time as her workplace -- along with other hair salons nationwide -- has been closed since March 28. As such, she decided to chip in to support men and women on the front line of the war against the novel coronavirus.

After seeing the overwhelming response to her Facebook post, Ms Pornsupa made arrangements with hospitals so she could come and give their medical staff a haircut.

The hairdresser said she wasn't scared of contracting the coronavirus at the hospitals, as she trusted their disinfection protocols. That said, Ms Pornsupa added, she always comes to her appointments in protective gear and a face mask.

Ms Pornsupa isn't alone -- she teamed up with a handful of like-minded colleagues who help her make her "hospital calls".

"We know these medical professionals spend a great deal of their time attending to their patients," Ms Pornsupa said.

"Treating patients must be a stressful job and to do my bit by bringing out their smiles was very rewarding for me.

"I've been a hairdresser for 20 years. I have never felt so proud to deliver my service and see everyone smiling," she added.

Ms Pornsupa said most of the doctors and nurses whom she attended to had long, unkempt hair.

"They may not have had time to go to their regular salons before all were ordered to close," she said.

"Everyone asked me to cut their hair short, so I obliged."

On her first day, Ms Pornsupa recalled, she gave 30 haircuts from 11am to 4pm. The next day, about 20 people came to get their hair cut. About 80% of them were women, she noted.

"We're glad we could be of service. We don't feel tired because we're used to standing for hours on end," she said, before adding that several hospitals have contacted her to work her magic on their staff.

At the same time, she and her colleagues are also producing face shields to be donated to hospitals in and outside of Bangkok.

A nurse at a state-run hospital who had her hair trimmed by Ms Pornsupa said for her, short hair isn't a fashion statement -- it's a necessity.

The nurse, who requested anonymity, said long hair presents a problem for medical personnel who have to slip in and out of personal protective equipment often.

"Every day, we bathe and wash our hair, especially after examining patients," she said. "Long hair takes longer to dry, which isn't practical considering the limited amount of time we have on our hands."

Shorter hair also ensures less risk of accidental transmission, she added.