THE UPSIDES..

Natalie Montgomery, 29, says lockdown has been a nightmare for her afro hair.

The London business owner and natural hair enthusiast says: “I used to visit a stylist up to two times a month as my hair is very important to me and I take a lot of pride in embracing the way it grows naturally.

“I usually wear my hair in ‘protective styles’ such as braids and wigs. But to wear a wig I need my hair to be braided flat underneath, which I cannot do

Lockdown made Cheryl Frost, 53, reassess her hair dreams.

She was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and, after a gruelling year of treatment, began to start her recovery.

After losing her hair, Cheryl, from Grimsby, Lincs, had longed for her preened blonde locks.

But lockdown has given her the chance to embrace a whole new look. She says: “Before chemotherapy I’d go to the hairdresser for a cut and colour every six weeks myself very well. I have been rather lazy with my hair during lockdown.

“It has been drier since I haven’t had access to salon steam treatments or hot oil treatments, so I am doing the best I can and have trimmed off some dead ends – 70% of the time it’s a nightmare but 30% of the time I have the energy to make it look decent.

“I’ll never let my hair get to this state again. I have learnt a harsh lesson that I need to be more self-reliant. I’ve booked in for my next visit this month.”

I’ve learnt a harsh lesson that I need to be more self-reliant

and took great pride in my hair. When it started to fall out it was awful.

“Thankfully, at the start of the year, I got the amazing news that the treatment had worked.

“But just as my hair started to grow back we went into lockdown and I was told I needed to shield.

“I was devastated as I’d dreamt of going to the hairdresser. But I’ve grown to love my lockdown locks. My hair is the thickest it’s ever been – alongside being curly and grey. I couldn’t be happier.”

Just as my hair started to grow after chemo I was told to shield

@GOT.COILS