You can't go to the salon right now. You're home more than usual. You're bored, and maybe slightly distressed. I get it. But this too shall pass. And I've compiled this list of do's and don'ts to help you make the most of this without making any regrettable beauty decisions.
*Bonus tip for brides at the end.
DON'T cut your own hair!
Or give yourself bangs.
Now, I do have a handful of clients that do a great job cutting their own bangs. They know how they like them, they look good, so I'm fine with that. If that's you, and your hairstylist has previously approved of your diy-bangs, then continue to do you boo.
But now is NOT the time to try a new cut on yourself for the first time.
Why? Well, I could go on a tangent, or you could just search YouTube for "diy haircut fails" and see for yourself.
Hairstylists can fix a lot of things... if you've left us with adequate length to work with. But 9 times out of 10 when I work on a cut correction, the client has taken too much off in the wrong places, and the only solution for that is going shorter, or dealing with it until it grows out.
Also, with bangs specifically, the section you take to be the "bang" section is really important to how its going to behave, and is so custom to your head shape and hair type. That's something that's best left to a professional. Once they're in there, they're in there - and they're gonna drive you nuts if they don't lay right.
*For guys or those with super short styles, a slight exception: have a family member trim around your ears and your neckline, but leave the rest alone. The edges being clean makes the whole cut look clean, even while leaving the rest of the length to grow until your hairstylist can get to it again. This is a lot easier to just follow the lines of the natural hairline than doing a full DIY cut.
DO experiment with new styles.
Bangs becoming overgrown?
Re-adjust your styling to get them out of your way. Here's a few ideas:
Getting bored of your style?
You probably go between like the same 2 or 3 styles, don't you? I do too, and so do most of us. Well, now's the time to experiment with adding in something new. A few simple styles to switch it up:
DON'T color your own hair!
Again, an exception- if you already have been and you are the only person who colors your hair. If you don't see and don't intend to see a hairstylist for your color, proceed.
But if you plan to go back to your stylist, please for the love of God don't DIY it in the meantime.
At-home hair color is formulated differently, and doesn't respond as well to change as professional color does. Meaning, if we need to remove the color, it's usually going to be really difficult, time consuming, and damaging. If even possible. Some colors (red tones especially) can permanently stain the hair. If we need to highlight through home color, it may come out brassy or banded. And even if you think it's the same color you usually get, it's probably at least slightly different, and could cause banding and/or damage once your return to salon color.
And all that is assuming we don't have to correct the application! If the application of the color is spotty or the placement is poor, or the color is darker than what you wanted, now we're talking a full out color correction. Which means 4+ hour appointments, possibly more than one, further damage to your hair, and a lot more $$$ than if you just patiently waited to return to your stylist.
I know, I know. Grown out, faded hair is so uncomfortable, especially if you are still working and being seen by peers and the public. Here are some solutions to hold you over:
DO learn the ways of temporary hair color.
Have grays you need to cover? Try a temporary root coverage spray! This is something I usually recommend my gray coverage clients anyway to hold them over between appointments, and right now is the perfect circumstance to utilize one.
A tip: go for a color slightly darker than your own, especially blondes, for a more natural look.
Are you fading or getting brassy? Try oVertone.
Just bored? Try hair chalk or pomade.
DON'T sleep with wet hair, or put your hair in a bun or pony while it's wet.
I know this one is tempting if you're not working currently. But it's something I always advise against. Why? Your hair is like spaghetti. When wet, it's moldable and stretchy. When dry, it holds a stronger shape but is also more brittle. And it takes the shape of however it dries. So stretching and crimping and rubbing your hair around as it dries leads to more frizz and more breakage later. It's best to let your hair air dry completely or blow it dry before going to bed or putting it up. And if you HAVE to go to bed with wet hair, braid it (I do this with my 5-year-old).
*Side note - although blowdrying is technically heat styling, it's not nearly as damaging as styling irons as there is no direct heat. Just don't forget some sort of leave-in moisture product!
DO take the opportunity to give your hair, skin, and nails a breather and reset.
Go polish, makeup, and heat-styling free for a little bit. Clean your makeup brushes. Keep your natural nails filed and use some cuticle oil. Simplify your skincare regimen. Let your hair air dry and remind yourself of your natural texture. Do some restorative masks. Are you an every day shampooer? Use this time to allow your hair to adjust to an every-other-day routine. Now is a great chance to neutralize your self care habits. Less about what the outside world needs of your beauty routine, and more focus on the health and wellbeing of you in your natural state.
DON'T shave, trim, or try to wax your own brows.
I speak from middle-school experience when I say you don't want to start shaving or trimming your brows when they start to grow out. Eyebrow stubble is not cute. And you're not going to like how long you'll have to grow that back out before wax or thread will catch it again when you return to the salon.
I also advise against trying to wax your own brows. It's easier than you'd think to accidentally spread the wax too far and take more of your brow off than you intended. Also, if you're not careful with your technique and temp of the wax, you could take some skin off along with it.
DO embrace the brow grow out, and tweeze the really out-there hairs.
If you have brows that don't look insane when they start to grow out, then God bless you. Let 'em grow baby. It's on trend right now anyway, and you may either find you like the fuller look, or have a nice fresh canvas when you do make it back to the salon.
But, if you're like me and your brow hairs grow all the way down to your crease, go ahead and tweeze the outliers. Just be careful not to go near your main shape and leave some room, because once you get too close, removing one wrong hair actually can make a noticeable difference.
For brides:
DON'T freak out!
I know how much it's gotta suck having planned your wedding for right around now. But whatever course of action you decide to take, it's going to be okay.
I've seen and been a part of a lot of weddings over the years, and I've seen a lot of sh*t go down, and a lot of things not go according to plan. But do you know what I've never seen? A wedding in which the bride ended the night unhappy or disappointed.
If you've made it to the point that you've planned a wedding with someone, however you marry your person is going to be beautiful and amazing and so special. Remind yourself of that as you adjust and adapt your plan, and don't let this bump in the road turn this into a negative experience. Think about what a story this'll be, right?
DO reschedule for a Friday or Sunday.
If you are planning to reschedule for later this year, I highly recommend doing so on a Friday or Sunday. You'll have a better chance of your same (or any, really) vendors being available which will make the process of moving your day much easier.
In summary, don't go stir crazy and do something that can't be easily undone once things return to normal. Embrace this break and take care of yourself. And remember we're all in this together. Alone, shaggy and overgrown, but together.
Please feel free to reach out via email or social media if I can be of any virtual beauty assistance during these times.
If you'd like to get on my waitlist for services once they are available again you can do so here.
Stay healthy and happy everyone,
xo, Sam
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