How to take care of your hair during quarantine, according to stylists

It doesn’t matter if you have curly, straight, oily, dry, short or long hair—we all have a mane to maintain, even during a pandemic. With all hair salons and spas currently closed for the unforeseeable future, mamas are digging through their hair arsenal and finding ways to maintain their hair at home. Having stylists make house calls or even virtual appointments with you would be the ultimate treat, but that’s not the case—so we’re here for you mama.

To avoid a bad hair day (or even a month) caused by a DIY cut or bad root touch up, you’ve come to the right place. We asked a few experts in the hair game to share their expert opinions on keeping your hair happy and healthy while quarantining.

Here are at-home hair care tips during coronavirus from stylists:

On at home color maintenance:

‘[Ask your stylist] for at home root touch up kits with personalized color formulas and detailed instructions on what to do. There are so many variables to coloring hair that this is the safest option. Plus, color corrections tend to be very expensive if something doesn’t go as planned!” — Sarah Lund, a Style master at Kevin Murphy

On fixing an at home hair dye job:

“The solution to any unwanted hair color tone is called neutralization, which is the concept that any color that sits directly opposite a color on the color wheel neutralizes or cancels out that color. Therefore, green neutralizes red, purple neutralizes yellow, and blue neutralizes gold.” — MATRIX Celebrity Colorist George Papanikolas

On getting the perfect blowout on textured hair:

“My clients often say to me, ‘I can’t get my hair this straight when i do it myself at home’. And I say to them, ‘it’s all in the wrist, you can have the right tools but somehow don’t have the right technique.’

When I blow dry hair, first I section the hair in four quadrants. Then, I attach my comb attachment to my blow dryer and take down one of the sections. Then I part that section into two. I then blow drying from the ends and work the blow dryer up to the root area. At the same time using my left hand to hold the hair firmly close to the root, this gives me control and prevents snapping of the hair. I continue these steps until 90% of the hair is dry.” — Nadia Vassell of Nadia Vassell Salon

On cutting your hair yourself:

“While it’s best to leave haircuts to the professionals, there are a few things you can do at home to hold you over until your next hair appointment. If you must trim your split ends, pull hair around so it is in front of your shoulders on either side. Then, using very sharp scissors (dull scissors will cause more damage), cut with the scissors at a diagonal as a jagged line is more forgiving than a straight blunt line.

If you need to trim your bangs, I recommend washing and blowing dry bangs in the same direction that you normally wear them (for example: straight down, parted in the middle or swooped to the side). Use a fine tooth comb to hold hair in place while you lightly grasp hair between pointer and middle fingers. Make sure to keep your fingers straight, a curve can create hollow or short spots. Most importantly, don’t pull hair down flat or tight, this will create a shorter finish than intended. Always err on the side of caution and cut longer than you think, you can always go back and make them shorter.” — Sarah Lund, Kevin Murphy style master

On fixing a haircutting mistake:

“First, have a good laugh and watch some styling videos on YouTube. Remember, your haircut is not a tattoo—it will grow out! In the meantime, try a few new looks like waves or curls. These styles are more forgiving and can hide mistakes in haircuts more easily than straight hair. Additionally, play with some up-do styles and add some fun hair accessories to cover your mistake.” — Sunnie Brook, celebrity hairstylist

On hair washing:

“You don’t need to wash your hair every day. Dry shampoo is amazing! You also do not need to clarify often, or deep condition often. You want to have a nice balanced routine for your hair. I also suggest braiding long hair before bed time, and sleeping on a silk pillowcase. These two things will help prevent ratting, tangles and breakage.” — Karin King, celebrity hairstylist

On maintaining moisture:

“Masques and treatments are crucial! Look for something moisturizing if you have coarse or curly hair, or protein if you have bleached or fragile hair. I recommend using a mask 1-2 times a week to give your hair a little extra love. The more often you refresh these ingredients in the hair, the greater opportunity you are giving them to work.” — Sarah Lund

On maintaining extensions:

“Shampoo extensions using a lightweight (nothing too heavy) moisturizing shampoo and conditioner such as OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo and conditioner then detangle. Then let hair air dry. You’ll also need to brush hair extensions daily so that the hair won’t tangle and get matted. Finally, it’s important to keep your extensions hydrated and moist with a serum or a light creme.” — Keka Heron, celebrity hairstylist

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