Best Tips for Cutting Your Hair During the Lockdown

By Marie Shaurette, Mom.me

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Best home haircut tools
• What to do before you cut your hair
• Maintaining curly or textured hair at home

By the end of March, 32 of all 50 states went into lockdown as a result of the new novel coronavirus, COVID-19. As the weeks wore on, the entire country found itself locked down with little to no access to non-essential businesses. With fitness facilities and restaurant dining room access limited, home workouts and a resurgence of at-home cooking and baking ensued. Similarly, hair salons were temporarily shuttered, leaving millions of Americans wondering how to tame their locks during lockdown.

You may have already attempted to cut your toddlers hair or maybe your son is part of the long hair, don't care club and you're just letting it grow out for the summer. We've all had to make significant adjustments while on lockdown. Cutting your hair shouldn't be another stress point.

"Doing your own haircut is never going to be that, that great," stylist Brad Mondo said in a YouTube video. "What a stylist is going to do is mold that hairstyle to your face shape and your lifestyle." He went on share with his viewers the basics of haircutting.

Here we've compiled some of Brad's best tips for cutting your hair during the lockdown and share other ways we discovered to maintain your hair when you're social distancing and can't get to the salon.

Best home haircut tools

Generally, for a decent at-home haircut the proper tools are imperative. Kitchen shears aren't going to work. Mondo suggests using an inexpensive pair of cutting shears purchased on Amazon. You'll also need hair clips to keep hair sectioned and separated. Hair ties in varying sizes will help you determine where you're going to make the cuts. You'll also need a comb and brush, of course.

Before you cut your hair

YouTube has become a significant resource for many looking for tips on cutting hair during the lockdown. As a homeschooling mom of two, Cait Blakely, is no stranger to DIY projects. "I cut my hair and dyed and highlighted it. I followed a step by step YouTube video and ordered a color kit online [sic]. My only tip is to be cautious and choose something simple the first time."

Mondo echoed that sentiment in his instructional video. His tips work best for those with straight hair. Women with curly hair who wear it blowdried and straight all the time can also follow the same method.

Starting with clean hair and using a heat protectant is important. You'll need to blowdry and straighten your hair as much as possible for the best results so keeping the hair shaft protected is vital.

Mondo admits that normally stylists cut on wet hair but for those at home the best tip he can offer when cutting your hair during the lockdown is to cut on dry hair. "Once you cut a piece you know exactly what it's going to look like when it's dry," he said in his video. This allows you to "see the actual outcome of what you're doing sooner rather than later."

Here are Mondo's tips for cutting your straight hair yourself

• Separate hair into four sections and part down the middle. Separate those two sections in half down the middle and then part those two sections in half by finding the apex of your hair center and parting down the side behind the ear.
• Separate each section with hair clips.
• Collect hair in each section individually, brush through, and make a ponytail with the hair ties at the length you wish to cut.
• For the back sections of hair, be sure to add hair tie in directly behind you, arms behind you and then drag the hair tie down to the length you want.
• Once sections all have ponytails make sure each section looks to be the same length and start your cuts.

A few additional tips: "Point cutting is when you go up instead of across or down instead of across," Mondo states in his video tutorial. Horizontal cutting gives a very sharp line vs. a blended effect. When making the ponytails Mondo warns, "be sure you're not directing the hair forward, let it fall naturally."

Once done, clean up the front by directing the front part of your hair towards the front of your face and point cut across the areas where the sides of your hair hang down longer than the rest of the length.

Cutting curly hair at home

Those with curly hair may shy away from cutting their hair at home, but experimenting during lockdown may be just the time to try something new. Whether hair is worn in its natural state or blown out straight, there are some ways to successfully cut curls at home.

The Controlled Chaos Haircut method for cutting curly hair is one that can easily be done from home. It may not be one that you can cut on your own hair, but a trusted friend or family member could probably help you out.

According to the Controlled Chaos Hair website, the cutting technique is " a precision cutting technique that turns “cute” curls into smooth, sexy spirals."

Katie Reed admitted to Mom.com that because her hair is naturally curly, it can be easily scrunched up and hidden if need be. "I cut my hair, dyed it, and it looked great! I was so happy. Then a few days went by, and the after-styling laziness set in where I stopped putting the effort into blowing it out and using product, and I suddenly saw how terrible the cut actually is."

For those of us with textured hair, maintaining and cutting your hair during the lockdown is not without its own set of issues. For me, a head-wrap or baseball cap have been my go-to. I've been unable to get to the salon for an amino acid smoothing treatment. Using protective styles are also a great way to maintain your hair during lockdown.

Tomiko Harvey expressed to Mom.com that in the Black community, hair care is a necessity rather than a luxury. "With the spread of COVID-19, our normal Saturday hair appointments are out the door. Given this ever-changing new normal, my daughter Madison began to hone in on the craft of box braids, faux locs, and Bantu knots."

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