With hair salons closed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are taking scissors, clippers and hair dye into their own hands.
One local hairdresser urges caution against making drastic changes right now.
Nicole Russell said she certainly doesn't recommend cutting your own bangs, especially if you haven't done it before.
"Maybe don't cut bangs yourself for the first time," Russell laughed. "Bangs are fun but they're actually more high maintenance than you think because they need to be styled every day. So just think about that for a minute."
Hair colour firsts are another no-no.
"Don't go to the store and get a box colour right off the bat as soon as you feel like you need a change," Russell said. "Sit on it, think about it - and then really think about it - because we're trained professionals and there's actually a lot that goes on in the chemistry of your hair, your hair history and whether you've had colour on it before because most likely what you see on the box is not what you are going to get. So really think about it before you do that."
Although the salons are closed, Russell recommends reaching out to your stylist.
"I'm sure that your stylist is more than happy to talk to you about an option during this time," Russell said. "Most stylists - a lot of them here - are on Instagram or Facebook - and you do have access to them because a lot of them do their marketing that way - at least I do and I follow a lot of stylists online, too. So definitely consult your stylist."
Russell has been offering her clients curbside colour after one of her clients suggested it to her after seeing it done elsewhere.
"I thought there is no reason why I can't do that for my clients," Russell said. "I know their hair history, I know what's gone on with their hair and if they just need a root coverage or a full dark colour or a toner on the blonde they already have that is something I am able to do to help them with - and deep conditioners - there have been many deep conditioners given to clients."
Russell will do a Facetime consultation with her clients and ask them to send her a current photo of their hair and maybe a photo of what they are looking to achieve.
"A client can say one thing but a stylist can take it a completely different way so visual representation is key," Russell said. "So we'll do that, I can talk them through it and I will tell them what I think they should do and if that's going OK then that's when I provide them with what they need."
Russell mixes up the formula for her particular clients and offers basic instructions and tools that go into the package that's put in her mailbox for pickup. There's no contact and the client gets what they need.
"Some of them will phone me if they need guidance and I talk them through it," Russell said.
Others want to chat through Facetime as they apply their colour.
"The results lately have been fantastic," Russell said. "I haven't had any bad results so that's really good."
Russell said she's sure there are other hair stylists in town that do the same for their clients.
For some of Russell's clients who are looking for something completely different she said that's the time to be honest with them.
"I will tell my clients if it's not a good idea to do that," Russell said. "And they've been really good about it and they say 'OK, I'm just gonna wait'."
As for men, she urges using the guard on the clippers and starting with the biggest one because that one will take off the least amount of hair.
"Because you can slowly take off hair, but there's no putting it back on," Russell laughed.
One client botched the job so badly on her hubby's hair that the result was a completely shaved head.
"So make sure there's a guard," Russell, who recommended watching some online tutorials first.
"If, if, if you're going to do it, do a little research first, watch a whole bunch of videos because you can tell where things have gone right and where things have gone wrong, so please educate yourself a little bit first."
As for the do-it-yourselfers, one couple decided after much deliberation that cutting the other's hair was the way to go but it took some convincing for Tess Healy to convince Wendy Young to do the job.
"Wendy flatly refused to trim my hair for me," Healy said, who sports a short style that she gets trimmed every two months. "Literally, when I am thinking my hands are in my hair and afterwards I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards. I like my hair short because then it looks cool and funky. If it gets too long that's when it moves from cool and funky to something else. It looks like she put her finger in a light socket.”
Healy was already due for a trim before social isolation took over the world so it was getting really frustrating for her to deal with her hair pretty early on.
Finally, reluctantly, Young agreed to trim Healy's hair.
"I just kept saying 'it'll grow back, it'll grow back, it'll grow back," Young said.
From the photos, Healy is pleased and looks the same as she always does but perfectionist Young isn't satisfied with the results.
Young told Healy one side was much shorter than the other and Healy didn't really believe her at first.
"When I put on my glasses and had a look one side is shorter than the other but if need be I can always wear a hat, and besides I'm not going anywhere," Healy said. "So I did overlook the fact that I am on Zoom meetings but I put the camera on my laptop so it was only showing me in profile."
Will there be touchups?
"Not a chance, she's done," Young laughed.
It is the shortest haircut Healy said she's ever had.
"But I'm pleased," she added. "I feel so much better. The length of my hair was making me crazy. So even though it's the shortest haircut I've ever had I'm happy with it."
