How to Care for Hair at Home When the Salon is Closed

In the hierarchy of pressing issues and concerns during this mandatory stay-at-home COVID-19 crisis, we get it. Hair care is not anywhere near the top of the list. However, at some point some of us find ourselves with a non-trivial delimma: is it possible to maintain a chic hair style without your favorite stylist? If you’re similarly afflicted with this Champagne Problem, our correspondent Jillian Tangen has help from an expert: tips from a salon owner about how to care for hair at home when the salon is closed. 

what to do about our hair when the salon is closed?

Missing your favorite hairstylist? Take comfort, dear reader. You are not alone. Around the world, hair salons have temporarily closed their doors due to the coronavirus, leaving many of us lacking the regular maintenance and upkeep we’ve grown to rely upon.

For some, this may be no big deal. But for those of us who are not quite ready to show our true colors, it can be tempting to consider slightly drastic measures. Yep, we’re looking at you, #crisisbangs.

If you’re a salon regular like most of us here at Dandelion Chandelier, then this post is for you.

We turned to salon owner and master stylist Christopher Feml of Christopher Brian Salon to talk us through some of the do’s and don’ts of hair care in the time of social distancing.

And thankfully, there are a lot more fun do’s than don’ts.

Put down that box of drug store hair color, grab some fabulous hair accessories and read on. Here are Christopher and his team’s top tips on how to take good care of your hair at home when the salon is closed.

How to care for hair at home when the salon is closed

1. Put down the DIY hair color.

No box of color is worth the expense or emotional toll of a corrective service later. Instead, stretch out your salon color as long as possible.

Christopher recommends Style Edit’s Root Touch Up Powder ($34). You can also play with new ways of parting your hair. Or adopt a style with more texture – think soft beach waves – to blur the roots.

2. Embrace hair accessories.

Whether it’s hair jewelry, scrunchies, scarves or barrettes, hair accessories are an easy and fun way to keep you feeling good about your hair.

One of our favorites? Eugenia Kim’s Turban Headbands ($38) that work for both hair up and down days.

3. Step away from the scissors.

If your bangs are bugging you, REPEAT AFTER US: do not take matters into your own hands and attempt to trim your fringe.

Instead, try a little twist or braid secured with a beautiful barrette or hair clip. Like this Lele Sadoughi Stacked Stone Barrette ($95), an ideal way to pull overgrown bangs neatly away.

4. Go ahead and skip a wash.

Over-washing can strip hair of its natural oils, leaving it drier and more prone to breakage. On top of that, overwashing can cause your scalp to become dryer, which in turn makes it produce even more oil to compensate. 

Take this opportunity to break the vicious cycle and extend the time between your washes. If you have a difficult time adjusting, try out a dry shampoo like Redken’s Deep Clean Dry Shampoo ($24) to help you feel “cleaner”.

5. Practice hair self care.

If ever there was a time to let over-processed hair recharge, it’s now. The best way to practice some hair self care? Use a nourishing hair mask. Just as a face mask works to soothe and hydrate your skin, a hair mask works in a similar way to boost the condition and health of your hair. Christopher’s pick is the Miracle Mask by Truss ($30). Use it once a week and by the time you return to the salon to brighten up your look for summer, your hair will be in tip-top shape.

6. Experiment with DIY styles.

YouTube has thousands of styling videos that can help you learn how to create the looks you’ve always wanted to try. Take a class on how to blow out your hair, style a wavy bob or create the perfect messy bun to compliment those work from home looks you’ve been rocking. Not only is it fun to learn something new, but your new skills may come in handy down the road – like when we’re free to roam the world again and you decide to take a three-month trip around the world or something.

You can also revert back to the days of childhood, high school and college, and enlist one of your household members to help you pin up or otherwise style your hair. Then you can return the favor! No time like now to teach your roommates how to braid hair.

As Ayesha Curry amply demonstrates, Momma’s Hair Salon is still the best one of all.

7. Reach out to your hairdresser.

Christopher gave us another important reminder: we need to check in with our beloved stylists and say hello! Because as much as we’re missing them, they miss us, too. 

There is no better time than now to give them your support. Leave their salon a positive review, or place an order for some new products to try. And don’t forget to ask your salon to pop you on a waiting list for bookings when they reopen.

How to maintain your hair without your beloved stylist

That’s it, 7 simple tips for keeping your hair healthy and your look pulled-together until you can be reunited with your stylist again. And for anyone out there who needs to hear it one more time – put down the scissors!

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Jillian Tangen is the Head of Research at Dandelion Chandelier and a former Senior Research Analyst at McKinsey & Co and Analyst at Shearman & Sterling. She is an avid fan of Nordic design, having owned an independent lifestyle store and sales agency focused on emerging Scandinavian design. Jillian lives in New York and is married with three young children. She loves cross-country skiing, the New York Rangers, reading, travel and discovering new brands.

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