Quarantine Hair Tips From A Hairdresser

….or two. My mom and my best friend are both licensed cosmetologists. Yes, I know how lucky I am. That’s why I’m sharing some of their healthy hair tips with you all. Everyone knows that trims are an important part of keeping your hair healthy and looking good. For most of us right now, they aren’t possible. (For the record, neither my mom or best friend recommend DIY cuts, but more on that later! ) Here’s what you can be doing instead.

1. Take your vitamins & stay hydrated!

Healthy body, healthy hair. Your hair is directly affected by what you put into your body, so make sure that you’re treating it right. This should always be where you start if you want to notice a difference in your hair health. I’ve been taking these for years now, and they’re super affordable.

2. Use this time to train your hair.

A lot of influencers are talking about this, but it bears repeating! While neither my mom or bestie are believers in 7 day hair (the grease buildup clogs your follicles!), you shouldn’t be washing your hair every day either. Use a clarifying shampoo once a week and try to skip washing every other day. If you need a touch up, try dry shampoo or baby powder at your roots.

3. Don’t sleep with a wet head

If you don’t use a blowdryer, let your hair air dry during the day. Sleeping on a wet head is rough on your cuticle, which can leave your hair frizzy and matted. Which brings me to number 4….

4. Try a silk pillowcase

If you have your head on one surface for 8-10 hours, you want to make sure that surface is gentle. Silk pillowcases are kind of your hair cuticle, and it’s good for your skin!

5. Let your hair down

Having your hair up all the time can leave you with a lot of breakage, so have it down when you can! And don’t ever put wet hair into a ponytail. Your hair is extra fragile when it is wet!

6. Use less heat and a heat protectant when you must.

And…a blowdryer counts as heat. I use this blowdrying cream every time I dry my hair.

7. Condition, Condition, Condition.

Hair masks once a week, and use leave-in conditioner regularly. My bestie recommends this for leave-in conditioner, and my Mom is a big believer is good old fashioned hot oil masks. (literally $7 at the drugstore!)

THE DONT’S OF QUARANTINE HAIR CARE

1. Do not color your hair, and if you do, pick a demi/semi-permanent.

Box color is every hair stylist’s worst nightmare. For good reason. Not only does it cause more damage to your hair, but it’s difficult to correct. When you add any sort of color onto a box color, you run this risk of your hair becoming brassy (orange). A demi permanent dye is much easier to deal with later on, and causes less damage. Although, it’s best if you just embrace your natural color until you can get back in a salon.

2. Do not cut or trim your hair.

My mom only grants you permission if your bangs are irritating you. There is a reason a pair of stylist’s shears cost over $100. The cut they give leaves your ends fresh…not frayed. So, you may actually be doing more damage to your hair by cutting it. Not to mention, you could be bringing an uneven mess into your stylist when you return. I’m not trying to lecture anyone here, but stylists are already going to have a mountain of corrections to do when they return. They will lose out on income probably the longest of most occupations in the lockdown. So, when you return, try to not to have ruined your hair, tip well, and be extra kind. They will be so happy to see you!