With the salons currently shut, searches for self-styling hair at home have risen. In fact, one study by Cosmetify shows searches for “Should I cut my own hair” have risen by 412% since lockdown began, proving many of us are tempted to play hair stylist.
While roots and split ends cause annoying problems, attempting to cut and colour your own hair can be risky business. Looking online there are pros and cons for both, making it hard to decide whether to give it a go. Read on to see if it is really worth styling your own hair or if you risk doing more damage than good.
Should I Cut My Hair?
One of the biggest obstacles when cutting your hair is naturally going to be perspective. It will be extremely difficult to evenly cut the back of your hair, even with mirrors set-up. One wrong snip and you could end up spending lockdown wearing hats for your future Zoom meetings.
Pinterest does act as a good base to get inspiration from, but you should never take it as a direct expectation for reality. You may see your dream haircut, but it is worth factoring in that the model from the photo could have a completely different hair type to yourself. Making mistakes could only lead to costly and time-consuming repairs at a later date.
Founder of SALON64, Ricky Walters, gives expert advice on if we should be cutting hair at home: “First of all, do not lose patience with your hair! In my years within the hairdressing industry I have only ever seen disasters when clients cut their own hair. Whether it be a little trim or simply cutting out the split ends it never ends well! Wait for all this to blow over and return to your salon as usual.”
Should I Dye My Hair?
If you feel confident, you can have a go at box dying your hair. If you are well equipped with all the tools and have expert know-how then you may feel comfortable in dying you own hair at home. If you are going to take the plunge and try it, as a novice though, you must be aware of the potential adverse effects.
Your current hair condition can have a huge impact on the end result of dying it, and you may need a professional to choose the best course of action to get your desired result. If you have dyed your own hair for years, or been too frequently to the salon, you could have layer-upon-layer of dye over your natural colour.
Each layer can damage your hair more than the last, so using at home solutions could prove to cause hard to repair damage in the long run. Hair specialist brand Laura K Collins states: “[Box dyes] typically contain high amounts of ammonia, PPDs, nitro dyes, metallic salts, and even henna. These arell harsh chemicals that can be extremely damaging to the hair as well as cause reactions to sensitive skin and allergies.”
Katie Allan, Founder of MAYFIVE Hair agreed and commented: “Application is key! As hairdressers, we are able to apply the colour correctly to the areas needed – applying it to other areas will cause unwanted bands and build up. More often than not the colours wouldn’t be as true to those advertised. If you end up with a colour you absolutely hate, no hairdressers will be open so you will be unable to get it fixed until further notice. “
Using strong products like strippers or bleaches can break your hair to the point of snapping, certainly not worth the risk for the sake of a few weeks of roots. It may be worth having a quick video chat with your hairdresser to chat through options, many are actually offering free advice to clients on how to make it through the lockdown period.
How to Maintain Your Style
If you want to simply make the most of your current style, roots and all, there are a few things you can do:
Change up your hairstyles: Learn to french plait your hair and this can turn lacklustre styles into a pretty and low maintenance style. Great for getting your hair out of the way on busy work days and also helpful to hide roots as you can blend your natural colour into your dyed shade.
Get some cute headbands: Luckily headbands are all the rage right now and have the added benefit of hiding your roots or keeping a wayward long fringe at bay. They also work great for both up and down dos, giving you plenty of wear for your cash.
Look at temporary dyes: If you have light or blonde hair, investing in a pastel dye can switch up your look and make roots look more deliberate. Bleach London is a great brand to go to for easy dyes that wash out in just a few days.
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