How to keep your hair healthy when you can’t visit a salon

With hair salons shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, now is the perfect time to give your hair a break from damage.

However, that doesn’t mean you should stop treating your hair completely.

There are several easy DIY tricks you can use to keep your hair shiny and strong.

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“Quarantine hair is not without its challenges, (but) there’s never been a better time to give your hair some TLC,” lifestyle expert Jacqueline Kendall told Global News’ The Morning Show.

For starters, put the blow dryer down.

Kendall recommends you start with something she calls the “rice water treatment.”

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“This treatment dates back to ancient Japan, where ladies of the court used to douse their hair in the stuff, and it’s very easy to make,” said Kendall.

“It’s enriched with amino acids and vitamins A and B, and this is going to give your hair a silkiness (and) it’s going to strengthen your hair.”

To make a “rice water treatment” at home, combine two cups of water with two tablespoons of rice. Mix it together to get all of the starch — what Kendall calls the “magic ingredient” — out of the rice.

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“Put it away in the refrigerator and forget about it. It’s going to ferment, and afterwards, transfer it to a spray bottle and apply it to clean, shampooed and conditioned hair,” Kendall said.

“You’re going to see those beautiful effects I just mentioned … I find it made my hair really nice and fluffy.”

If your roots are starting to show and you can’t get a professional dye job, Kendall recommends an alternative: toner.

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Toner is both easier to use on yourself and less damaging than dye for your hair, Kendall said.

To use a toner, section off your hair while it’s dry and apply it from root to tip. Kendall recommends adding extra product to your ends because they’re likely “starved for moisture.”

“Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes,” Kendall said. “Once you rinse off that product, that’s it, you’re done — you’ll have brightly coloured (semi-permanent) hair.”

READ MORE: How to dye your hair at home

If you’re not in the mood to style your hair, Kendall also offers a foolproof tip for making your hair look presentable for your next video call: an oversized T-shirt.

“First, take a scrunchie and pull it into a low bun at the nape of your neck. Take the neck of your t-shirt and put it tag-side down on your neck so you hide the tag,” Kendall said.

“Now you’re going to fold in each of the sleeves and twist, twist, twist until you start to see an interesting doughnut formation that happens.”

Take the end of the T-shirt and tuck it underneath the doughnut for a chic and easy hair wrap that doesn’t require any hair ties or pins.

To learn more about ways to keep your hair healthy, watch the video above. 

Meghan.Collie@globalnews.ca