We can see the light at the end of the (lockdown) tunnel! Finally! We’re on the home stretch now! If, like the Gritty Pretty team, you’ve been navigating a lockdown for the second half of 2021, then it’s likely your hair is looking a little lacklustre. And while a few split ends or a grown out fringe are relatively easy to cover up for your weekend picnics, the roots seem to be where we’re let down. Especially for those of us who aren’t quite able to pull off the cool-girl baseball cap memo, our grown out roots are screaming for help. 

With New South Wales on track to reach the 70 percent vaccination threshold by October 11, salons are opening real soon. But if you can’t wait another two weeks to get your roots in check, there are ways to get them under control at home. And before you ask, no, we’re not about to instruct you on how to do a full head of foils from the comfort of your bathtub. We are, however, here to present you with some short(er) term solutions to cover up the lockdown roots of all lockdown roots.

So, without further adieu…

Before you can adequately solve the regrowth issue, it’s important to get fully stocked on the hair tool front. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, after all. So, we recommend following the advice of hairstylist and founder of EdwardsAndCo, Jaye Edwards, who believes you’ll be in safe hands so long as you have a fine toothed comb, hair dye brush, towel, gloves and foil on standby. The good news? Most of these will be lying around your house already!

Tackling your roots at home is most certainly not a quick lunch break activity. It’s worth blocking out a hefty chunk of time to make sure you have the means to go slow, take your time and fix any issues should they arise. We recommend checking in with your go-to hair salon to see if they are offering at-home colour kits (some of our favourite salons include Paloma, EdwardsAndCo and Fuchs) so that you don’t have to spend hours scanning the supermarket aisles for a touchup colour that will do the job but won’t get you in trouble from your hairstylist when salons do open up again. An off-the-shelf colour that does as much is almost impossible to find.

Once you’re adequately prepared and have committed to the process, it’s time to go for it! Edwards recommends having a boyfriend/girlfriend/mum/dad/sister/brother on standby for an extra pair of hands (and eyes) but other than that you’re ready to embark on your regrowth colouring journey.

Step 1: Apply a barrier cream to the hairline to ensure no colour leaks down your face. If you don’t have a specific barrier cream on hand, Vaseline works great!

Step 2: Mix your colour. If you’re using an at-home kit this is all about following the instructions provided.

Step 3: Start applying the colour from your part working in outward strokes. This is where you may want to call on the help of a significant other to make sure you cover all visible regrowth at the back of your head.

Step 4: Take the end of the brush or comb and section a half centimetre section parallel to your part and flip it over. Then, repeat step three on the new section of hair. Continue this process on each side of the part until all your roots have been covered.

Step 5: Don’t forget the ear area! Paint back away from the face when you reach this point as it will ensure you’ve covered all the hair you can see around the face.

Step 6: Once you’ve completed the colouring aspect, grab a detangling brush and brush the hair through gently. This will ensure the colour is properly blended and that no harsh lines appear.

Step 7: Let the colour process, wash it out, style as usual and voila! Perfectly polished lockdown colour.