DIY HAIR CARE?
With salons closed, there are few options. But stylists warn some things best left to pros.
When the call for physical distancing and the subsequent closing of non-essential businesses and services came down from the federal and provincial governments in recent weeks, the last thing most people were worried about was their hair.
As the lockdowns lengthen into the foreseeable future, questions have begun to arise in online conversations and on social media about how people would cope with their hair at home.
A quick search on Youtube for do-it-yourself hair tutorials for cut and colour yields plenty of videos and millions of views, numbers that have, undoubtedly, climbed in recent weeks due to COVID-19 quarantines and closings.
“Who else is here because of that damn virus?” a user asked in the comments section of a video titled Perfect Fade in 4 Minutes by Tips for Clips Haircutting. The video boasts more than 6.2 million views.
“Coronavirus can’t keep my hair down. I’m officially my families (sic) hair stylist,” another user commented on the video How to Create a DIY A-line Bob Cut by Sharee Anonuevo, which has also garnered more than six million views.
While the promise of a simple hair DIY at home may seem tempting the longer salons remain closed, Vancouver hair professionals stress it’s an online trend that should be skipped.
“Haircuts and colour should be left to the professionals,” Michelle Harrison, the general manger of Suki’s Salons, Spa and Academy, says. “A Youtube video is simply no match for the years of training and experience that a good hairdresser has. I think we’ve all seen those videos where a bang trim ends up a complete disaster, or a drugstore colour ends up melting off the hair. “Better to let your hair be a bit too long and better to let your roots show a bit more than normal, than to require a massive cut-and-colour correction when we are finally able to reopen.”
The case for keeping away from box dyes is especially strong for blondes, says Melissa Voje, a stylist at Black Orchid Hair Studio in Langley, B.C.
“If you are a blond and working with a lightener at home, you can severely burn your scalp and cause significant hair breakage,” Voje explains. “I’ve seen it happen several times, it is not worth it.”
For those who are battling visible grey hairs or obvious regrowth while working from home and are facing daily video conference calls, Michael Gibson, co-owner of the salon Brush, recommends trying hair makeup instead of reaching for a bottle of do-it-yourself dye.
“If your roots are showing and you have a Facetime meeting, then use a root concealer; it’s makeup for hair that is pigmented and washes off in the shower,” Gibson says. “Nobody will know the difference.”
While some men’s cuts allow for at-home cleanup that is a little easier to accomplish than women’s, experts still strongly advise against going the Youtube tutorial route.
“I would not encourage it, because there are videos that are not giving good advice,” stresses Mikey Sbeih, owner and master barber at El Barbero Men’s Grooming Lounge. “I would say contact your barber to get expert advice from the person who knows your hair best.”
Sbeih says he has been receiving regular messages from his clients and their partners with questions about cutting men’s hair while his barbershop is closed.
“I have been getting pictures of clients with their wives and girlfriends cutting their hair with questions of what clipper I would use and what guard number,” he explains.
His solution has been to set up a quick video chat in order to give instructions over the phone.
Sbeih also said the time away from the barber’s chair might provide some men with a perfectly private opportunity to try out a new style or facial hair without worrying about having any face time with coworkers or friends.
“Take advantage of this time and embrace longer hair, a change of style, and see how a beard might look on you,” he says.
Instead of focusing on how long your hair is getting, or how dull the colour has become, stylists recommend taking the time to emphasize hair health while salon closures continue.
“Shift your focus,” Gibson says simply. “Rather than focusing on the colour and cut, use this time to nourish and hydrate your hair through a proper hair-care regime using masks and treatments. This is the perfect time to give your hair a break from bleaching, highlighting and chemical treatments.”
The switch toward more selfcare for your hair is one that all the hair professionals we spoke to recommended, mentioning that most, if not all, salons have switched to online product sales and delivery in order to help ease the strain of lost revenue during closures and appointment cancellations.
“Salons are getting very resourceful about selling retail online,
and some are even providing delivery so that clients can stay on top of their home care needs,” Harrison says.
Most salons are also offering consultations regarding products to get their clients’ hair in the best condition possible while staying away from the stylists’ chairs.
Voje says she has also noticed many stylists turning to their online profiles to offer creative styling tutorials and information sessions for their clients to keep them engaged and informed about the potential perils of picking up their kitchen scissors to “do a trim” or applying at-home colour.
“They showcase different athome styling techniques such as braiding, deep conditioning methods and ways to manipulate your hot tools to try different styles,” Voje says.
Harrison says the long-term impact on salons and individual stylists has been “monumental” with several establishments laying off personnel shortly after the closures went into effect.
“The biggest issue most salon owners and hairdressers are now facing is how they will be able to pay their rent or mortgages in the coming months with no income coming in at all. Some landlords and banks have been kind enough to offer deferrals, others have offered no flexibility.”
In an industry that regularly boasts razor-thin margins and high costs, insiders say there will undoubtedly be salons that aren’t able to reopen once the lockdowns are lifted. But they remain optimistic that those that can will be overrun with clients eager for an appointment.
“People always want to look good, and we anticipate that guests will be thrilled to return once the government tells us that it is safe to reopen,” Harrison says.