Grey re-growth, split ends, and iso haircuts, we have the answers for you.
Body+Soul speaks to the haircare experts on how to maintain and care for your hair in lockdown.
If you’re starting to channel Dua Lipa with your roots and severely worried about what your ends are going to look like after lockdown, never fear.
While experimenting with your hair is often deemed risky by qualified technicians, there are some exemptions we must make during lockdown to keep up with the Joneses. God forbid you’re overseen by nosy neighbours taking the bins out with four weeks of regrowth!
So, we consulted the experts. What steps should we take ourselves and what should we just accept? Also, with all this time on our hands, which haircare practices should we be investing in?
The answers to all your questions, are answered by the experts below.
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My greys are taking over, what should I do?
“I wouldn’t suggest buying a supermarket colour, or permanent colour from your hairdresser and trying to do it at home yourself,” advises Dee Parker Attwood, Schwarzkopf Professional National Ambassador.
“Blonde hair will break when overlapped and dark hair will get bands if applications aren’t perfect. It’s a minefield.”
If you’re not ready to accept your greys though, there is something you can do to tide you over.
“Being from Melbourne, when we opened following lockdown, we spent a lot of time fixing DIY’s. It can cause a lot trouble, damage and become an expensive exercise. I would use temporary spray to cover greys.”
I’m too scared to do a haircut but my split ends are out of control!
Dusting. The answer ladies and gentlemen, is dusting.
Hair guru Anthony Nader of Sydney’s RAW Anthony Nader salon says that while it does “only remove those nasty dead wispy ends” hair dusting is an alternative for those who want to avoid a jagged iso cut.
“For those that have highly coloured hair (from blonde to dark, and vice versa) the dusting technique works a treat on removing those fragile ends, whilst still maintaining length,” confirms Nader.
While it cannot fully make up for missing a haircut appointment, think of it as “the added icing on the cake that makes your hair ‘salon-worthy’ and picture perfect.” Those with thin hair should be wary of ‘over dusting’ as it may further thin the ends.
There are a few ways to do a dusting cut, but the easiest on yourself is to:
- Divide your dry, detangled hair into sections so it’s more manageable
- Twist one section (about half an inch) super tightly. You’ll notice that the ends of your layers will stick out of the twist, and you’ll be able to see which ones are damaged.
- Trim the ends of the hairs very carefully with hair cutting scissors (I repeat, do not use kitchen scissors). Don’t try to take too much off. This is a very small snip, often only a couple of millimeters off the ends sticking out of the twist to freshen them.
- Do the same thing when the hair is twisted in the other direction.
- Once complete, the hair that’s been removed should look like a light layer of dust on the ground.
Note: hairdressers will sometimes not twist the hair and just dust with it straight. You can also use this technique if you feel comfortable or are doing it on a member of your household.
How often should we be washing our hair during lockdown? More or less? What can be achieved by changing up our routine?
“I would use this time to give hair a break from blow waving and using hot tools,” adds Schwarzkopf’s Dee Parker Attwood.
“I would love to see clients using conditioning treatments twice a week, something like Schwarzkopf Professional Fibre Clinix Fortify treatment. These treatments really make a big difference to the strength, quality and condition of the hair. And what better time to wear a hair mask than in lockdowns!”
It’s also a great opportunity to consult your hair washing products – do they contain silicones, parabens and sulfates? It might be time for an online shopping spree to replace them if they do.
I finally want to tackle my frizzy hair now I have time, what should I do?
Did you know your hair might not be frizzy, it just might be curly (read: drier and not to be brushed through copiously). Try the curly girl method.
“The Curly Girl Method (CGM) is a way of looking after wavy, curly and coily hair types as they require different care and products to keep the delicate curl structures at their best,” says Brianne West, Founder and CEO, Ethique, who have just launched curl-specific solid hair bars.
“The basic premise of the CGM is to use hair products which are free from silicones, sulfates, waxes and drying alcohols – anything that is particularly drying or anything that will create a lot of build-up. Many following the method also strictly only comb their hair when wet, never dry, and avoid towel drying to minimise risk of frizz.”
You can also try the Denman hairbrush hack to shape your natural curls when you hop out of the shower. Make sure to keep strands moisturised with oil, we love Kyn’s Argan Oil for a moisture bomb without greasiness.
How can we use lockdown as an opportunity to care and prepare our hair?
With so much time on our hands, it’s an amazing opportunity to spend time nourishing the hair. One thing that’s worth figuring out is whether you have high or low porosity hair.
Low porosity (LP) means the cuticles of your strands lay flat and close together, and products have a hard time penetrating it. LP hair can feel like products are ‘sitting on top’ of the hair, it also usually takes ages to dry after washing. Oil masks (Argan, jojoba, Moroccan – leaving on for 1-3 hours) before washing can help to add moisture without build up.
What is hair porosity?
High porosity (HP) means that the cuticles are widely spaced, so products sink in quickly, but also quickly escape the hair. People with HP hair will generally find their hair is quicker to dry after washing and tolerates heavier products better. Using highly nourishing treatments, more often, is a go here.
You can also get on the all-day hair mask bandwagon with our beauty editor Kelsey Ferencak.
“Dubbed ‘all-day masking’ it literally means you’re spending all day masking. You can swap between formulas or opt to wear a solution like an overnight mask during the day so skin can soak up nutrients while you’re sitting down. Remember that some formulas are better suited to the timing on the packet,” she says.
Finally, you could also try a ricewater rinse for your strands. There’s a whole village of women in China who use ricewater and their hair goes down to their feet. Nuff said (recipe here).