Hair care at home: How to keep looking your best during lockdown

A good hair cut or a fresh new colour can boost our confidence and make us feel like we can take on the world. We all deserve some pampering now and again and this is the perfect way to put a spring in our step.

But for now this little luxury is no longer an option and no one knows when we will next see our hairdressers.

Panicky thoughts of “what are we going to do about our hair?” will be going through most women’s minds at the moment.

Whether it’s unruly split ends, roots starting to show or a length fringe, it will soon reach the point where we will be reaching for the scissors or bottle of hair dye to try some DIY re-styling.

But if you’re struggling to pluck up the courage or are worried about doing more harm than good, Weekend is here to help. We’ve spoken to top Midland stylist Tammy Reynolds for her tips on how we can maintain our style and colour until we can next get to the salon.

The third-generation hairdresser, who has worked in Australia, New Zealand and New York, runs her own studio in Kidderminster and has more than 30 years of experience – so she knows what she’s talking about.

Many women will be worrying about their roots making an unwelcome appearance before life is back to normal.

But Tammy, who is known for her pixie cuts and being a blonde expert, says there are many clever ways to hide them until your next salon appointment. “Zig zag partings are a great way to hide roots, it diffuses the line between colour and natural hair, check out YouTube for tutorials.

“Root touch-up powders and sprays are fantastic at disguising roots or grey hairs, the WOW brand is a really good one,” she tells Weekend.

And if you want to disguise those pesky grey hairs then Tammy says mascara works well as an emergency tool.

If you have a fringe that keeps getting in your eyes then she recommends following in the footsteps of celebrities such as actress and singer Jennifer Lopez who have embraced a longer style.

“Two of the biggest trends in fringes right now are the ‘side swept’ – whole fringe pushed over to the side, think Reese Witherspoon – or ‘curtain fringe’ – pushed to the sides from the centre aka J.Lo. With these two trends there’s no need to struggle to cut your own hair. You’re actually going to look more fashionable if its longer and it’s only temporary if you want to go back to how it normally is,” says Tammy, who has previously completed several seasons of New York Fashion Week.

Although it can be tempting to try cutting your hair yourself, she doesn’t recommend it because if anything goes wrong you will be stuck with it until the salons re-open. “Please don’t cut or colour your own hair, you might think it’s ok but if anything goes wrong we are not open to fix it for you and a 30 minute DIY job can take months to put right,” says Tammy.

With our social lives pretty much non-existent at the moment, it’s the perfect opportunity to treat our hair to some pampering we wouldn’t normally have time to do.

“Give your hair some self care. Shampoo less often, it strips your hair of your own conditioning natural oils, and renourish hair with conditioning masks. Leave them on for at least ten minutes before rinsing, you will definitely feel the benefit. Stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water is actually really good for your hair and your skin,” says Tammy.

Although you can’t get to the salon, she advises connecting with your hairdresser over social media as they are doing all they can to help their customers during this difficult time. “Follow your hairdresser on Facebook and Instagram. To get you through this time they’re all doing tutorials to help you with the struggle.”

Now many of you will still be tempted to grab the scissors because you know you can’t wait until you can get a salon appointment or maybe you are just bored with your current style and fancy a change.

Stylists will always recommend you leave it to the professionals but if you are determined to do it yourself then Stephane Ferreira of salon Live True London has some tips to help it go more smoothly.

“The most important part to get right is sectioning. 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,” he says. This is because it is much easier to manage a smaller chunk of hair, and you will be able to cut far more precisely.

“Make sure you cut in clean lines and you cut the same amount on each section.

“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. 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

Stephane also has advice for people who are fed up of their fringe dangling in their eyes.

“For fringes, make sure that you blow dry it first in the way you wish it to go. Cut your fringe only on dry hair, as otherwise it will bounce back and look shorter than you intended.”

“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.”

Using the right tools can also make a big difference. “Use the thinnest scissors you can find, so you can control the amount of hair cut at all times.

“Pretend you’re in the salon when you cut your own hair. When you think you’re finished, style your hair fully and do a final check to see if it’s all connected. If not, make the adjustment needed.”