The coronavirus pandemic has been hair-raising in a lot of ways to say the least. With lockdown turning us into social pariahs (unless you’re a fan of the Zoom get together), and all hairdressers shut, we have been left to handle our hair by ourselves, with mixed results. Now with hairdressers set to open in April, we could at last be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That is, as long as your hair doesn’t grow between now and then, and you can fight the queues to get an appointment.
Bad hair days
Naturally, our hair isn’t going to be Vogue-worthy after over three months of isolation. We now have to contend with dark roots, grey roots, frizz, split ends and dry ends, as well as styles growing-out. And, whether you’ve managed to stay away from the box dyes and home haircuts or not, you’re likely to have come to the end of your tether with your locks at least once or twice throughout the last few months.
Managing The Great Wait
Getting an appointment at your favourite salon could be like panning for gold, if they even decide to open at all. With 67 million Brits being locked down and only around 43,000 registered hairdressers / salons in the UK (nhbf.co.uk), it’s likely to be a bit of a wait. You may also be in the position where you have to self-isolate, or maybe you just don’t feel comfortable going out. So, what can you do in the meantime to look your best?
Experiment
When our hair looks good, we feel good. This is half the battle to get us through Covid-19 with our sanity intact, even if we are tempted to spend most of our time in our pajamas or loungewear. Tidying up your own hair is not as daunting as it sounds, so before you reach for a hat to wear 24/7 why not try the following tips to get you back to feeling like your previously confident self.
- Try different partings
- Opt for pretty clips and headbands to keep your hair out of the way
- Consider trying different textures; there are tons of products that could help with this
A cut above
If you are really tempted to change the length, cutting your own hair at home is easier than you think, but before you grab the scissors, read our tips below to avoid a #hairfail that’s worse than the problems you had before:
- Wash and towel dry your hair
- Comb your hair into 2 sections from the midline of your head, dividing front from back
- Start at the back. Split the back into two sections and cut the same amount from each section; approximately 1-2cm for a trim.
- Divide the front into two sections and repeat.
- Dry with a hair dryer and check the hair looks “connected” – tidy up if necessary.
Colour me beautiful
It is wise to avoid going a completely different colour; professional advice is to stick to your current shade or go 1-2 shades lighter or darker. Changing from one colour group to another, for example going dark brown to blonde, can be a complicated process and using one box of bleach could risk the dreaded orange colour or hair breakage that no amount of toner or conditioner will fix.
If you are already blonde then don’t be afraid to rock your roots. Chunky re-growth is quickly becoming a trend in its own right and the new “messy hair don’t care”, plus creating waves, is also an effective way to soften this look.
Rapunzel Style
One of the most common long hair gripes during lockdown is growing out a fringe, but a side sweep or simply twisting it into plaits can work wonders. Take both sides up and with accessories and clips you can actually create an attractive feature, especially if you twist before gripping or clipping.
And for those girls with longer tresses, a salon-style blow-dry at home can have you feeling more glamorous in no time. Here is a guide on how to achieve this, with all of the secrets that professional hair stylists have been keeping from you.
While there’s something about going to the hair salon that many of us are really missing, creating a great hairstyle at home may make you consider how often you really need to visit the salon once they all open back up!