As the weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic turn into months, we are longing for our regular routine more and more.
Drinks with friends, dining out, shopping at the mall, even going to the gym; there are many things we wish would get back to normal, but the one that is most noticeable to other people, is how badly many of us miss our hair stylists.
Nadine Woitt, owner of Mezzanine Hair Studio, said it is important to take care of both your physical and emotion needs during this time, even if that means cutting and colouring your own hair.
However, she followed up with a few warnings.
“My suggestion would be to cut as little as possible to get you through until you can see your stylist,” she said, adding bangs can be the trickiest thing to cut.
She suggested determining how much you want to take off and then cutting a quarter to a half inch less to allow for them to shrink.
She said she warns against home colouring as the consequences could be detrimental to the outcome of any other colour used afterwards.
“There is a lot of chemistry behind formulating colour, based on the integrity of the hair, colour history and the existing colour,” she said.
Wendy Bates, owner of the Hair Lounge, agrees and recommends that people do not dye or colour their own hair, no matter how tempted they may be.
“When you do your own colour or cuts at home, you’re potentially creating more work for the stylist when we reopen,” she cautioned.
“This means more work to get you back to where you were, which in turn, will cost you more money and time.”
That said, Bates added she knows that it is hard to hold off and wants to give some advice for the most common complaint she hears.
“I know a lot of people are having a hard time with their roots. What I would suggest is parting your hair differently, wearing a cute headband or hat when on those Zoom calls,” she said.
“Otherwise if you’re just hanging at home, embrace that natural colour and wait for us.”
She added it may be a great time for many people who regularly style their hair to let it heal.
“A lot of people are not drying, flat ironing or curling their hair and their hair is having some time to heal,” she said.
Both stylists recommend taking this time to treat your hair in other ways with home treatments like masques for that extra moisture or damage repair.
