Social-distancing and self-isolation have made current times strange and uncertain. One significant change is a lot of regular businesses are closed–and that includes hair salons. But just because your salon is closed right now doesn’t mean you should be cutting your hair at home.
Here are all the reasons you should wait for your hairstylist to come back to work before you make any minor or dramatic changes to your hairstyle.
Cutting your hair at home: don’t do it
Yes, being trapped at home might drive you to have some crazy ideas.
During an emotional or mental crisis, many people feel the desire to change their appearance dramatically. A new hair color, bangs, or a significant chop might be the result of feelings of distress.
Being stuck inside your home can cause some emotional strain. You’re currently forced to socialize with only the people you live with and can’t do many of the things you enjoy.
Things like going out to eat, shopping for non-essential items, or having a family gathering are a big no-no. Not having that sense of normalcy is enough to stress anyone out.
But, cutting your hair at home is not the solution to social distancing.
Without help from a professional hairstylist, your hair probably won’t turn out the way you envision it. You’ll likely end up with too-short bangs or uneven layers.
What’s worse is that you’ll be stuck with your DIY ‘do until salons re-open, and you can get an appointment with your stylist.
Or, you’ll end up with no hair if it’s bad enough!
Do yourself a favor, put your kitchen scissors down and let it go.
If you still want bangs when salons open up again, your stylist will be happy to give you that new look during your appointment.
In the meanwhile, get creative with bobby pins, barrettes, bows, headbands, or any other hair accessory that delivers the pizazz you’re missing during quarantine.
Box dye: please avoid it
Not only is cutting your hair at home a bad idea but so attempting to change or maintain your salon hair color.
With places like Sally’s Beauty Supply deemed a non-essential business just like salons, they have been forced to shutter their doors for the temporary, but foreseeable future.
These closures leave places like Walmart and Target as your source for hair dyes.
Known as “box dye,” these products can permanently damage your hair until the damage grows out.
Looking and feeling your best is important, but please embrace a little fading or root growth until your stylist can come back to work.
Using a box dye over hair that has been previously treated with chemicals like permanent straightening solution, perm solution, or yes, other hair dyes can leave you with some scary results.
Box dye results are totally unpredictable. While yes, the model might have stunning red hair on the box, the truth is that the model didn’t use that hair dye. In fact, that image is most likely altered using photoshop to make it look that good.
Dark dye
While dark shades of box dye might be easy to use, they are not easy to remove.
If you decide that you want a darker mane, hold off until your stylist can take care of you. They’ll take you to the dark side the right way to maintain the integrity of your hair.
Coming back from dark dye, but box dye specifically is no easy feat and will cost you a lot of time with how many sessions it will take to lighten it. Not to mention, color corrections will cost you a pretty penny, too.
Boxed blonde
So maybe you’re over dark hair, and you really see yourself as a blonde.
Blonde boxed dyes are terrifying. You can cause a ton of damage and end up with yellow or orange hair.
What’s more, most blonde boxed dyes don’t come with toner, and that is the best way to correct undesirable shades of blonde like yellow, green, and orange.
With any DIY dye jobs, the risk of patchy color is high, but especially when lightening your strands is involved.
The heat from your scalp can leave you with roots a completely different shade than the rest of your hair.
It’s best to leave it to the professionals, and go blonde slowly, safely and beautifully.
In the meanwhile, headbands, scarves, hats, and creative styling on your own can help you live with your roots or “blah” color until you can get back to your beloved stylist.
What you can do in the meantime
If you can’t shake the idea that you want to change your style before stay-at-home orders are lifted, here is a list of a few options that are a little less risky and less permanent than cutting your hair at home.
- Try faux bangs.
Create faux bangs by using the ends of your hair sticking out of a bun. Here’s a step by step tutorial.
- Try a new makeup trend.
Search Instagram and Youtube for makeup trends you might not normally try. Since you aren’t leaving the house, no one will see if you make a mistake!
- Try a wig.
A lot of online retailers are still operational during the pandemic. If you really want to see yourself with pastel purple hair, you can purchase an inexpensive wig online.
The best part about a wig? You can take it off, and your hairstylist won’t have to color correct any pastel hair gone wrong.
- Tune in to Mill Pond Salon’s live streams
The team at Mill Pond Salon is showcasing makeup and hairstyles how-to’s via live streams on the Mill Pond Salon Facebook page. ‘Like’ the page so you never miss a live stream or giveaway.
- Support the salon in other ways
If you’re interested in ways you can support Mill Pond Salon during the pandemic closures, check out this list.
Your stylist can’t wait to see you
Mill Pond Salon is excited to re-open its doors and pamper you when the time comes.
In the meantime, practice social distancing, avoid the boxed hair dye aisle at Target and stop yourself from cutting your hair at home.
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment for sometime in the future, visit the Mill Pond Salon website.
