Things to do with your hair during self-isolation
With our salons shut – and, in fact, everything other than supermarkets and (apparently “essential”) liquor stores closed – many people are facing boredom like no other. The jigsaw puzzles have long been completed, every TikTok dance has been attempted with varying success, and the pets are so fed up with being fussed over that they’re in the garden, refusing to come in. What next?
For some people, next on their quest was to begin baking bread like the next Paul Hollywood. This was the far more innocent path to take. Others, unfortunately, decided to take it into their hands to cut their own hair.
Look, there’s nothing that can be said on this topic that hasn’t already been said. Let’s just keep it short and sweet: don’t do it. Not unless you want to give your mates a reason to bully you for the rest of your life.
This doesn’t mean you should forget about your hair altogether though, and let it grow into a matted, knotty mess akin to Hagrid’s beard. Why not give it a bit of love during quarantine? It doesn’t matter if your roots are showing, or your manly close-cut is now skimming your shoulders. There are still ways to look after your hair when it can’t be looked after by your own stylist.
Check out the tips below for some inspiration.
1. Treat it to a homemade hair mask
There are roughly 8,973 homemade hair mask recipes on the internet for you to try out (okay, we made that number up, but you get the idea. There are a lot). The best bit is, the good ones are completely natural, and use stuff you’ve probably already got in your cupboards, like coconut oil and banana.
Obviously, while the majority of homemade hair masks nourish your hair and help it to stay healthy, they can also leave your locks looking a bit greasy. But who cares, when you won’t be going outside for the foreseeable future?
2. Get plaiting
If your boredom has led you to experiment with the clippers, tone it down a bit, for goodness’ sake. Why not accept that you’re not a professional stylist, and therefore shouldn’t attempt something that’s bound to go wrong? Instead, the far safer option is to plait your own (or someone else’s) hair.
Plaiting, or braiding, as it’s otherwise known, is seriously therapeutic for both the braider and the braidee. Plus, you can keep entertained for hours learning the different braiding styles and trying them out on your willing participant. You know you haven’t reached ultimate self-isolation pro level until you’ve successfully figured out how to do a French braid. Just saying.
3. Craft with your old hair
This tip is for the people who are seriously bored in isolation and feel like they’ve tried everything to stay entertained. If you’ve got plenty of time and patience on your hands, it’s time to learn how to make legitimate art with your old hair.
Hear us out on this one. Cat fur crafting is a serious, real thing (check this out if you don’t believe us). And while cat fur is a bit softer and more pliable than the old hair you can find in your hairbrush, we believe the more creative of our readers might be able to make something out of human hair. Even if it’s just a ball with eyes.
4. Do a “selfie a day” hair challenge
Self-isolation might be boring, but you’ll look back on this time in slight awe – did it really happen? So why not document this crazy time with a selfie a day? If you stick to the same angle, the same lighting and the same pose every day, it’ll be really interesting to see how small things about you change over several weeks.
This, of course, includes your hair. You won’t see the slightest difference over a few days, but if you keep the “selfie a day” challenge up for a month (look, self-isolation really could last that long), you’ll probably notice your roots coming through and getting more and more pronounced as your hair grows. There’s a reason not to cut or dye your hair – or you’d be missing out on what is clearly a fascinating at-home experiment.