How to make the cut if quarantine wrecks your roots

We have a few grooming suggestions to help keep your roots under wraps.

Quarantine likely has you feeling like a natural woman – and not in the way Aretha Franklin sang about.

Grooming and upkeep has become an inside job since businesses have closed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Even as salons slowly reopen in parts of the country, some may not yet feel safe in the styling chair or face competition to reschedule lost hair appointments.

If being without your colorist is making you blue, here are some tips and tricks for keeping roots under wraps.

❚ Thick headbands: Online shop True North Collection, which has also completed more than 80,000 transactions on Etsy on its 5-star rated page, has numerous styles of wide headbands that would be perfect for covering up growth around the face. Headbands range from $7-12 and come in a variety of patterns and designs.

❚ Hats: In quarantine everyone has a face for hats – that’s just the rule! Be on the tie-dye trend with a cap from Francesca’s that comes in blush and lavender ($20). Or if you’re feelin’ fancier, check out the flat-brim fedora from Urban Outfitters ($44). If you have more traditional tastes, Lululemon offers a basic ball cap in black, pink taupe and a neutral they call “stargaze” ($38).

❚ Root cover sprays: Rita Hazan Root Concealer Touch-Up Spray ($25 for a 2ounce can) has more than 14,000 loves on Sephora’s website and after 1,000 reviews, has four out of five stars. The waterproof product comes in five shades.

L’Oreal ambassador Eva Longoria Baston showed just how she camouflaged her gray hair using the brand’s Magic Root Cover Up ($10.99 for a 2ounce can) in a video shared to Instagram April 21. “You guys, that was like 10 seconds,” she said marveling at the results. L’Oreal offers eight shades.

❚ Head scarf: YouTube personality

Lisette, who offers tips on glam, has shown her subscribers four simple ways to fashion a headscarf. In one style, her bouncy curls rest atop her head wrapped with a colorful scarf. For another look, she fashions her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck and covers her entire hair with the scarf.

❚ Braids: Why not distract from severe growth by drawing the eye to an intricate hairstyle? YouTube user Cassie Scroggins shares how to do large pull-through braided pigtails, which are actually highlighted by the contrast between growth and color. Bonus: You can watch the whole tutorial in less than five minutes.