These desperate hair times call for desperate hair measures. Okay, maybe “desperate” is a bit of hyperbole. But when it comes to my hair I reserve the right to over react. And Covid hair is no laughing matter, my friends.
I’ve always been somewhat obsessed with my hair. Which, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you will already know. Too curly, too frizzy, too fluffy. Too many whoop-dee-dos and hair bumps, not smooth enough, or cool enough. It was always something. Sigh. My teenage years were blighted by hair worries and drama. How I cheered when flattening irons and smoothing gels were invented.
But then I met some very fine hair stylists, like Carmen. And I finally learned to live with my willful locks. You can read about my hair journey through the ages here. So my hair has been good for years. Well, except for that stint of letting the natural curl have its way a couple of years ago. I still remember the humid night I had the girls from work over for a barbeque and my hair looked like a free-form sculpture by the end of the evening.
Then came the pandemic. My regular five week hair appointment was scheduled for the week after everything in Ontario closed down. And my hair has now been without professional attention since mid-February. Over eight weeks! I now have Covid hair.
My hair is so short that the difference between five weeks and eight weeks, is major. Resulting in shaggy, messy sideburns, bangs that hang in my eyes, and a flat top. And let’s not even get into those roots. Some serious intervention was needed, folks.
So, yeah. I did it… cut my own hair. I haven’t done that since the disastrous incident in high school. For me to cut my own hair, I have to be desperate.
This time, however, I avoided disaster. In fact, I’m pretty pleased with the results. First I trimmed my sideburns and over my ears. The world didn’t stop spinning. So two days later, I cut my bangs, trying to maintain the asymmetrical slant that Carmen gives me each month. Then I angled my little scissors up into the bangs to thin them out, and make them a bit jaggedy. I do not want a bowl cut. And as I said in my video, I’m happy. And feeling good about this particular desperate measure.
I called my mum yesterday to announce that I had given myself a Covid haircut. She had a good laugh. She knows all about my hair obsession. I told her it looked pretty good… from the front. So she suggested that I get Hubby to trim the back. Ha. Then I had a good laugh.
In other news, this is what I wore for my trip to the bank yesterday afternoon. Well, not to the bank proper, just to the automated teller. My new Roots sweatpants, Stan Smith Adidas, Vince short-sleeve tee, Uniqlo hoodie, and my Veronica Beard jacket. Every year I pull that VB jacket out of my closet, and every year I still love it. It was expensive, but the fabric and the cut are just right. And it has held its crisp, structured shape year after year. I think I probably looked pretty good on the CCTV at the bank. Except for the back of my hair. Ha.
Hubby and I moved our squash tepee into the garden yesterday morning. Afterward he spent a while hilling up the soil around the poles. He is so ready to start planting. He’s impatient for mother nature to catch up. But the snow that’s been falling off and on these past few days has not been encouraging for gardeners.
But, back to hair. Since I have summoned up the courage for that initial trim, I think I can keep the sideburns and bangs neat for the duration of our isolation. But well, Covid hair cutting is one thing. Covid hair colouring is a whole other matter.
I’ve decided that I won’t be buying any at-home colouring kits or root touch-up kits. I’m going to let the natural colour have its way, and document the process.
Carmen and I decided a couple of cuts ago to lighten the base colour and add some very light highlights on the top. That was fortuitous, as it happens. Because the roots on top won’t be as noticeable as my hair grows out. Everything on top just keeps getting lighter and lighter. But for the rest… well… it will be interesting to see how the colour devolves. And whether I will like my hair grey, or white, or whatever it will be when it’s all natural.
I’m like a science experiment. I will observe the process as my colour and style devolve. And record my observations. Maybe make a data table. But, I hypothesize that when the lock-down finally ends, I will run screaming to Carmen to make me look like myself again. I guess we’ll see, won’t we?
I know there are so many more important things to worry about these days. I’m trying to not worry about my hair. Ha. Like that will happen. My friend Katie who used to work the Laura Mercier counter at Nordstrom told me once that I have hair dysmorphia.
I know she was only joking. But… still… she may have a point.
How about you my friends? How’s your Covid hair-do doing these days? Have you resorted to desperate hair measures?
P.S. All the clothing links in this post, except for the Uniqlo link, are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking my link, I will earn a commission.
36 thoughts on “Desperate Hair Measures”
I, too, am obsessive about my hair. It is thick, coarse, and wavy. I’m sure my hairdresser rolls her eyes every couple of months when I show her yet another picture of a new style that I want to try! I have dark hair and have been getting the roots touched up every 3.5 weeks. I’m now out about 5.5 weeks from my last appointment. I told my husband that the current white hair at my part looks like I’m bald in that area from a distance. Great look! I’m toying with the idea of letting my silver grow out. We shall see how it goes!
I’m always pulling out a new photo too. Then I just tell Carmen to do what she thinks is best. It will be interesting when everyone emerges from their houses as different people. Ha.
I’m at 6 weeks post- trim and color. Hairdresser cut my bangs a tad bit short last time around, so they’re just at the point where I’m starting to watch You Tube videos on how to trim them. Roots are there, but being a blonde means a little more leeway than if I had dark hair, which is great. What’s going to be really fun is seeing what color my hair is – I’ve been highlighting it since my early 20s, and took my base lighter in my early 40s. My husband has never seen my natural hair color! I did order some ColorWow powder so I look good for Zoom calls, because I’m vain. 🙂
We don’t do Zoom… which I’m beginning to think is a good thing. 🙂
You might find that you like your grown-out hair! I grew mine out about 5 years ago, getting highlights on the dyed brown part only twice over the course of a year. It was much less dreadful than I had feared, as the highlights softened the line between white and brown. The second month, before I got the highlights, while it grew out enough so that the hairdresser could see what the real color was, was the hardest – and you’re already well into that. I really like my mostly-white hair , which I still get highlighted a few times a year to brighten it up around my face. It’s very freeing! My view is that we reach a point where our dyed hair no longer matches our faces, so it’s better at that point to embrace the new you.
On the other hand, I have been looking at myself on screen in my Zoom calls with friends, silently bemoaning my way too long and scraggly hair that is well past the due date for a cut and highlights. (And noticing my friends who suddenly have grey streaks.) At least it will give me a definitive answer as to whether I should revert to my formerly chin-length bob when this is all over.
We’ll see. I may like the colour when I finally get a cut. It’s an adventure, anyway.
i had a bit of a cold before our lock down started so cancelled my six week hair cut and then just as i got well the hairdresser closed and we are locked down. i have the kind of hair which grows overnight (a blessing and a curse) so while i normally have a similar cut to you its now long enough to tuck behind my ears and curl at the back… on the upside I’m not going anywhere! your hair still looks lovely by the way
Thanks, Noreen. But the back is a mop that I can’t do anything with.
i read this just after posting my comment – it might be a first world problem but its a whole first world problem!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-18/coronavirus-lockdown-has-its-share-of-first-world-problems/12159474
I think you have done a good job with you hair. I cut my hair going from shoulder length to short because I just couldn’t wait any longer. My extremely curly hair was driving crazy. I even managed the back by myself using a small pair of needlework scissors. I am reasonably happy with it although I am sure a hairdresser would be horrified. I just looked at the curl pattern and went from there. I had planned on getting a shorter cut and had a picture so I used it for reference. I felt much better about myself once I had done it. I no longer colour my hair so that is one less thing for me to be concerned about. I intend to keep trimming it myself until I can go to the hairdressers again.
Thanks, Maryann. If I decide that I have to do the back, I will let my curls reign. Then the bad scissor technique won’t matter quite so much.
Perhaps more by luck than judgement, I had mine cut just days before we all shut down and made sure it was very short. So far, so good. I will get Mr Green to trim it should the need arise. However, I did cut his last week and made a good job of it, much to our matched surprises. With clippers. It could be the start of something new. Not sure I have the ability to cut my own though.
Oh… you have clippers. Lucky you. 🙂 My parents had a home barber set that I wish I owned now.
Same here . Normally I have a cut & colour every 6-7 weeks & it’s coming up 12 weeks now . I often trim my fringe ( bangs) & around my ears so I’ll be doing that soon . I might chop some off the top too , to stop it lying flat – I’ve already apologized to my hairdresser in advance . The roots I have showing now are not a lovely white all over . There’s plenty of white round the front but mixed with my old dark hair elsewhere . My mum was the same . I’m not going back to colouring it myself as it’s too harsh to do an all over colour now , so we’ll just see how it goes – Like everything else that’s happening at the moment . I was moaning to hubby about the state of my hair & he suggested I wear full PPE for the duration . No sympathy there then .
You made a good job of yours .
Good idea about the apology. I must send Carmen a card. Ha. Full PPE, eh? That does not sound like a vote of sympathy!
I used to be a natural blond. My colored hair looks much like Sue’s. I am 8 weeks out from my normal appointment. I wasn’t sure to expect color wise. My father didn’t gray except along his hairline. My mom was salt and pepper and not a beautiful silver like her sister. It appears to look like Wendy’s in York. It’s coming in darker peppered with gray and gray along the hairline. So now I have four colors. So far I am just watching.
My grandmother, from whom I inherited my colouring, had red hair and went kind of yellow-y white in her old age. Not a good look for me. I’m vainly hoping for a lovely silver.
I think I have hair dysmorphia too! I have medium-dark hair with white roots. I normally touch them up in between my salon appts every 5 weeks. Fortunately the cut is holding up, but my hair goes flat, and my part looks like a bald spot when I go too long between root touch ups. I do have some color at home (same product my stylist uses) but am trying to hold out since we don’t yet know how long it will be before salons reopen. I’ve tried going lighter to minimize the contrast, but I just don’t feel like me with lighter hair so I have no plans to go natural. Especially with my 87 year MIL still coloring her hair!
I know what you mean about that part looking like a bald spot. Ha. I may be wearing baseball caps in all my blog shots from now on.
My hair is a similar style to yours and I also cut and color every 5 weeks. My last appointment was in February, so I’m just past 8 weeks. You may have inspired me to give the bangs and sideburns a trim. They’re looking pretty shaggy. But the back is what’s REALLY driving me nuts. I also went to highlights and letting my natural color grow in around them to see what happened, so that’s a bit easier than the hard line I would normally have had. But it’s still looking less than wonderful. I do have an appointment on the books for May 4 (at which point I’ll be at 12 weeks!), but I’m not hopeful. Our governor is talking about some reopening, but if I had to guess, I’m not sure salons will be top of list.
P.S. Your hair looks GOOD! 🙂
Thanks, Laurel. I try not to look at the back of my hair. My next hair appt is in early May as well. I doubt if I will be able to make it.
I’ve been cutting my own hair for a few years, for economic reasons. I do the front and sides and then my kid or husband does the back. A classic bob, and my hair is straight, so it isn’t rocket science.
My mother used to get perms and put her hair up in curlers every night to get that 1950s halo of curls. So much work. I tried to get her to switch styles to something that was less work. Not possible.
My sister slept in huge rollers in her long hair when she was a teenager in the sixties. I don’t know how she did it.
Ah, the days of using empty orange juice cans as rollers. Who needed sleep then?
Ha. Haven’t thought of that in years. My sister who had a long flip used to use orange juice cans.
You are very brave to cut your hair! I am very much in need of a haircut (especially my fringe) and a colour touch up. My hairdresser was so very kind to bring my specific hair dye to my house. Now I must pluck up courage to actually do it! And cut my fringe! It’s driving me mad, all that hair in my face!
It is amongst a lot of anxiety and sorrow (absolutely far more important) a hair thing this Corona crisis! Stay safe and healthy dear!
Ellen
You too, Ellen. It feels good to focus on something small for a change, doesn’t it?
Well my hair is overgrown and my gray roots are 3/4 of an inch wide. I’ve always had medium brown hair and have been dying myself it for 30 years with occasional salon highlights. I have a couple boxes of dye but decided to let it grow out to see what it looks like. I’m not going out anywhere and don’t plan to until there is a treatment or vaccine for the virus. My husband finds silver hair on women to be very attractive, so I thought what the heck. I can always dye it brown again. The problem is that I’ve always thought of myself as a brunette so it will be a big mental adjustment. We’ll see how it goes.
That’s what I’m saying. Staying home for a couple of months is a good trial run for growing out the grey. But I may dye it all back in the end.
Can you imagine what it’ll be like trying to get an appointment the first few weeks after things open up? I want to get on the waiting list NOW for hairdresser, pedicure, chiropractor, etc.
Good point! I’d better make sure I have an appointment in May and June… to hedge my bets.
My hair is much like yours. After decades of fighting with it, I’ve been embracing the natural curl for the past couple of years. I had let it grow out to shoulder length, but I finally got tired of that and had it cut in mid February. Bad timing! Very bad timing! When it was long, I could put it up when I got tired of it, but I can’t do anything like that with the present mop! Not sure if I’ll be growing it out again or following your lead and picking up a pair of scissors!
I’ll have a mullet if I keep trimming my bangs. Ha.
Hi Sue, you did a great job cutting your hair! But are those sides even? Just kidding. Also when cutting your own hair, it is much safer to do it dry. We could always have a video chat and I can guide you through the haircut. I have nothing else to do. Yes and people should not color their hair at home. As it will cause problems trying to fix bad hair colors.
I really can not wait to see you Sue! I miss our great conversations! Cheers Carmen
I thought of you when I was trying to make them even. My colour is looking verrry interesting. Ha. Take care, Carmen!
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