The coronavirus crisis has brought with it a whole range of small, unexpected difficulties. And one question a lot of us asked during last year’s national lockdown and now again in the current lockdown is what are we going to do about our hair?
As no one knows when we’ll next make it to the salon, coupled with the inevitable boredom of staying at home, many people have already started thinking about trimming their own locks yet again.
Many men have responded to the situation by shaving their heads entirely. This is definitely a low-maintenance way of managing your hair in isolation, but it’s not for everyone.
While it’s more than acceptable to let your hair run free during this time, it might be worth considering a small trim if it gets too unruly. Getting rid of split ends will help your hair grow out strong and healthy, as it stops the splits from travelling up the hair shaft.
Cutting your own hair for the first time is a nerve-racking prospect. Luckily, stylists are on hand to help – and if it does go slightly astray, just remember, no one’s really going to see it anyway.
How to cut your own hair at home
Stephane Ferreira of salon Live True London says: “Cutting your hair is not easy and we would always recommend you leave it to the professionals, waiting until the salons are once again open.” However, if your hair is just getting too long, these are Ferreira’s top tips…
Make sure you section…
“The most important part to get right is sectioning,” the pro explains. “After your hair is washed and towel dried, section your hair first from the front and the back, and then split your back sections into two new sections – the split needs to be from ear to ear.”
There’s a simple reason for this. It’s much easier to manage a smaller chunk of hair, and you’ll be able to cut far more precisely. “Make sure you cut in clean lines and you cut the same amount on each section,” Ferreira advises.
As your hairdresser does in the salon, start from the bottom section and repeat until you get to the top of your head. “You then need to divide the front into two new sections each,” Ferreira says. “Again, make sure that you cut the same amount as you did at the back.”
He recommends trimming one to two centimetres of hair, which “will ensure split ends are removed and your hair looks clean and fresh”.
Treat your fringe differently…
Many people won’t want to give themselves a full-blown haircut at home, but will still want to keep their fringe in check. There’s really nothing more annoying than having stray hairs dangling in your eyes.
“For fringes, make sure that you blow dry it first in the way you wish it to go,” is Ferreira’s key advice. “Cut your fringe only on dry hair, as otherwise it will bounce back and look shorter than you intended.”
He says: “Cut only half a centimetre at a time, so you have control over the length. If you have a sweeping fringe, avoid blunt cutting and only cut with the tip of the scissors” – this will prevent the result from looking overly severe.
Use the right tools…
Unfortunately, those great big kitchen scissors sitting in your drawer aren’t going to give the best haircut. Instead, Ferreira recommends “you use the thinnest scissor you can find, so you can control the amount of hair cut at all times”.
Try Candure’s Professional Hairdressing Scissors, available on Amazon
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