8 Hair Experts On Dealing with Overgrown Hair During Self-Quarantine
Putting the "lock" in lockdown.
This is the season of unprecedented adventures in D.I.Y. haircare. Due to the fact that we’re all homebound, we’ve seen a surge of at-home hair color experiments, simple trims-turned-viral TikTok content, and many, many split ends. If you’ve yet to brave the D.I.Y. trim, worry not. We spoke to 8 hair experts to get their advice on what to do about overgrown hair. From hair product hacks to some easy-to-follow haircut advice, we have you covered. Read on:
Overgrown Hair: Experts Weigh In
Justine Marjan, TRESemmé Global Stylist
“Embrace new ways of styling your hair with a longer mane. Try new styling products, hair accessories, or braids, for example. Avoid getting too scissor-happy as the chances of things going wrong are high! Take this time for hair TLC. Do hair masks regularly, practice proper brushing techniques, sleep on silk pillowcases and make sure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need to support healthy hair growth.”
Editor’s note: Try TRESemmé Repair & Protect 7 Mask to give your hair some of that TLC.
Philip Downing, TIGI Academy Creative & Education Director
“I’m encouraging my clients to use this time to really experiment with their hair at home. Switching up products and product combinations to unearth different textures and silhouettes with the end result. If your hair has natural movement, using texture and salt sprays can really encourage that natural feeling and give that nostalgic, ‘vacation’ beach-carefree hair—which looks great if the hair is straight—and adding waves with heated tools or experimenting with styling hair up can freshen things up. Ultimately, I see this as a time to break the routine, get creative and experiment.”
Editor’s note: Grab some Bed Head by TIGI Queen Beach Salt Infused Texture Spray to give your hair some of that carefree texture!
Joyce Tse, Co-founder & CEO of Velvette
“You’ve been sitting at home all day and watching videos on Tiktok of people cutting their own hair. I’m sure cutting your own hair has crossed your mind at some point! Most of us just don’t have the right tools at home to properly cut their hair. Proper barber scissors are sharp and are meant to cut the hair cleanly, so if you’re using regular scissors, the dull edge may actually give you split ends! Trying to deal with a pile of split ends is a lot more work than dealing with overgrown hair, so unless you have the right tools, I would hold off for as long as you can!”
Pedro Rosario, Barber
“The best approach is a conservative one. For those who typically wear their hair on the shorter side, I recommend purchasing a basic set of hair clippers with guards or guide combs. Also, take a look at a few tutorial videos to build up your confidence before giving yourself a trim. Rather than a full-blown haircut, start with a longer clipper and gradually cut shorter until you achieve a cleaner appearance. For example, cleaning up around your sideburns, ears, and neckline will give the illusion of a haircut while still keeping length in the other areas.”
Malvika Sheth, Digital Content Creator & Commercial Talent
“Be open to having those you’re quarantining with do a simple haircut on you! If you are alone, that’s alright too—keep it easy. Personally, I let my mom (despite her having not cut my dad’s hair that well) do a very simple straight cut on my hair, and it’s much healthier now. Even though I had layers previously, I think the most important thing is keeping hair healthy at the moment.”
Renée Valerie, TIGI Academy Technical Education Director
“Now is a good time to focus on the health of your hair! Since most salons are closed almost think about it as a time to let your hair breathe and focus on nourishment. I recommend using at-home professional treatments, like the TIGI Copyright Custom Care Repair Booster added into your TIGI Copyright conditioner to give your hair some much-needed love and TLC. With ingredients such as keratin, rose of Jericho and cassia leaf oil, you’re able to build up the strength and shine in your hair while waiting to get back to the salon.”
Joel Torres, TIGI Creative Director
“To wait until they can get a professional service because if they make mistakes with a DIY, it’s going to be worse. There are certain styles that can be good for overgrown hair with specific products.”
Marco Peña, TRESemmé Latin Ambassador
