Growing your hair during the lockdown

As the UK's men get set for 12-weeks without a haircut, Kyle Ross, winner of Best Barber UK, offers an alternative to a DIY haircut...

A change is as good as a rest, or so the saying goes, but after a man ate a bat 5,337 miles away, somehow we’ve ended up with both.

With the UK in lockdown, most people are having an extended rest forced upon them as we all do our bit to save lives and protect our NHS.

And with that has come great change; new routines, new ways of working and (perhaps not through choice) new shaggy hairstyles.

But before you go reaching for the clippers (it’s harder than it looks btw), take a step back and consider another change… growing your hair.

For around a decade now, the skin fade has been one of the most popular hairstyles in the UK – its rise in popularity mirroring that of the modern barbering trade more generally.

It has endured because it is easy to style and, frankly, a bit of a nightmare to grow out.

Having long hair myself, I have experienced the pain involved in growing your hair out from bald, including those early stages where you can end up looking a little odd.

However, right now, you have a once in a lifetime (hopefully this only happens once) opportunity to grow through those horrible first few months without bumping into anyone.

Here’s my four tips to help you through these early days:

1) UP YOUR HAT GAME

It’s not that warm out at the moment, so if you need to do your essential shop and your mop is looking larger than life, hide it under a hat, and if we’re fortunate enough for the weather to be kinder to us, pop on a cap.

2) KEEP THE CONDITION

Unlike the skin, hair does not have any self-regeneration properties. So as your hair grows and we’re not trimming away any damaged ends, it’s important to increase each strand’s longevity. Using a sulphate-free shampoo such as Hanz De Fuko’s Natural Shampoo will provide the optimum environment for hair growth, as well as giving a well-balanced delivery of the natural nourishment your hair needs to stay healthy.

3) SWAP MATTE FOR SHINE

If your hair is starting to become a mass on the top of your head, try switching out your hair product. A lot of us like a matte finish to our styling products, and while this is great when we’re freshly cut, as our hair grows, something with a bit more shine tends to have a bit more weight and will reduce fluffiness. If you don’t like too much shine, American Crew’s Cream Pomade gives us a subtle shine finish. Hanz De Fuko’s Scheme Cream will reduces body while still allowing the hair to look quite natural.

With shops currently closed, we’re here to help as our online store is currently still open for orders - and for the duration of the lockdown, we're offering free delivery. Just enter the code FREEPOST at checkout.

And if your'e looking for ideas, Pintrest is a great place to start. Although that might just be the boredom talking.

In the meantime, stay safe, wash your hands, and give some consideration to how symbolic it would be if we all emerged from this bat-from-hell-induced lockdown looking like Meatloaf.