How to manage and maintain our lockdown locks

We have slowly but surely approached the ninth week of lockdown, and while some of us may be appreciating a break from our hectic lifestyles, our hair is probably craving some long overdue TLC by now.

Parts of the UK are still on pause at the moment, with the encouraged advice to only leave our houses for exercise, essential shopping and working if safe to do so. While there is hope that the country may start gradually going back to ‘normal’ at the beginning of July, hairdressers and barbers still remain very much closed for the forseeable future.

Some of us have roots down to our ears, hideous split ends, and hair that’s almost as long as the classic Bieber haircut that many of you boys used to rock back in the day. After nine weeks housebound, and inevitably more to come, people are getting desperate to find a way to revive their lockdown locks. Is attempting to chop it worth the risk? Or should we wait until the professionals can do it properly?

“I don’t have any tips for cutting hair, other than don’t do it!”

Hairdresser and owner of Bombshell hair salon, Bridie Hillman, is known as the queen of hair in Saltash, Cornwall. She strongly advises that you do not attempt to trim your own hair, because it could lead to further damage. Using a pair of paper or kitchen scissors could actually lead to more split ends, and without the right training you’ll probably end up with a rather wonky cut.

“Some people will get away with it, but the majority of people will wish they hadn’t so just go heavy on taking care of it and leave [the cutting] to the professionals”.

So, if we shouldn’t trim our own hair to look after it, what should we be doing to keep it in a healthy condition while we can’t get to a salon?

Here are Bridie’s top tips and tricks:

Hiding or embracing the roots:

For those of you who attend the salon regularly for a colour refresh, you may be really struggling with the growth of your roots right now. But, luckily there are some ways that you can cover them at home without trying to match the colour and risking a dodgy at-home box dye.

Bridie recommends “dry shampoo or talcum powder always to hide roots, or the L’Oréal hair touch up. It’s a spray to cover grey roots and then it just washes back out”. These temporary sprays can be found in most supermarkets, and are great to keep your roots at bay while the hairdressers are shut. They come in a range of different colours so you can match the rest of your hair quite easily

There are also some hairstyles that you can wear, that are quite an easy alternative if you can’t make it to a shop to buy the above items.

“Head bands are a life saver, I don’t know of other brands but there are some called ‘Kaz Bands’. I’m sure there are cheaper versions”.

“Volume definitely helps – a bit of texturising spray or back combing even just before [hair] is in a ponytail so it doesn’t look so lifeless.

“Waves definitely disguise that bit more than straight hair does, so I’d always go for a more messy or undone look, so [the roots are] not quite so in your face”.

Or, like Bridie, you can just add a little more product to your brows. “I’m personally just going eyebrows a bit darker, and embracing the roots”.

Hair products:

As for those nasty split ends, there are some products that you can use to reduce the appearance and get them looking strong and healthy again.

“Olaplex no.3 rebuilds the bonds in your hair to strengthen it. It’s a treatment you do once a week”. This can be purchased from most online beauty stores such as Look Fantastic and Cult Beauty.

A heat defence spray is vital to keep your locks shielded from hot temperatures when using styling tools such as straighteners and curling wands. Bridie’s go-to is the “Paul Mitchell hot off the press heat defence spray. This is my fave because it smells yummy, but any will do just to protect the hair”.

For all the blondies out there, Bridie has you covered with these recommendations for keeping your hair looking bright and fresh, and to diminish those brassy tones at home. “Schwarzkopf bonacure silver shampoo for blondes, or Fudge silver shampoo for those who like a more grey finish”.

Redken All soft shampoo and conditioner makes the hair feel incredible if you want to soften it. Also Redken extreme shampoo & conditioner for weak and broken hair – this is beaut to strengthen it”.

“Macadamia oil, I use the ‘healing oil treatment ‘ you can use it as a serum, dry it in your hair, mix it with a treatment to make it extra intense, you literally use a pea size amount. Or pop on once you’ve styled & finished”.

So, your lockdown hair doesn’t have to be a disaster after all. With these product recommendations and hair-styling tips, you can rock the roots and and save your hair at home, without risking a catastrophic cut.