How To Take Care Of Your Hair During This Pandemic

Taking Care of Tresses During COVID-19: Quick Tips for Maintaining Any Look

With 95 percent of Americans under stay-at-home orders to help curb the spread of COVID-19, most hair salons are labeled nonessential businesses, forcing their closure. A month into lockdown and Americans are replacing panic buying of toilet paper and cleaning products with hair dye and beard trimmers. 

While it may not be ideal, there are home-care steps that will help keep your tresses in tip-top shape until it is safe to visit the salon again. 

1. Grow it out

Those with all one length strands are probably faring the best among us right now. It’s easy to pull it up and forget about it. Shorter cuts are probably at the point of needing a good trimming to maintain the style. It can be tempting to take matters — and scissors — into your own hands to remedy the situation, but it is not advisable. Now might be the best time to let the cut grow out a bit, pinning it away from your face and using some extra product to keep it under control until a stylist can properly trim it. If you do trim it, just remember: There is no mistake a professional can’t fix later. 

2. Trim bangs while dry

Cutting your own bangs is tempting, but not as easy as it sounds. We advise against doing it, but if you must, do it while your hair is dry. Wet hair shrinks. As a result, trimming wet bangs can result in taking off more than intended. Trim in small sections, making each one a slightly different length to create a natural look.

3. Use clippers effectively

Focus on trimming the areas around your neck and ears, and seek help from another person for the back. It is difficult, if not impossible, to use clippers on the back of your own neck. Choose a blade guard that corresponds with the length you want your hair to be: No guard leaves nothing but stubble; a number one guard leaves 1/8 inch of hair; a number two gives you ¼ inch of hair. Remember: The lower the guard number, the more hair that ends up trimmed off. 

4. Avoid home hair dye

We know it’s tempting, but don’t do it! Home dye kits will not produce the same results. Some salons are offering customers at-home color kits using salon-grade products for curbside pickup. Check with yours to see if this is an option. If covering gray roots is the objective, a great alternative is to use spray-on root color. Not able to find it in the store? Use any contouring makeup brush, dip it in eye shadow and apply to the root line to provide spot coverage. 

5. Give it a rest

Unless your job requires you to video conference with colleagues daily, now is an excellent time to give your hair a rest from all the daily washing, styling and harsh products that damage it. Wash it once or twice a week, use moisturizing products and let it air-dry. Your hair will thank you for it.