Stylist says she's seeing a rise in DIY hair horror stories after quarantine

Barbershops and hair salons got the green light to reopen across most of the province on May 14, and some Alberta stylists discovered that during quarantine a few clients had taken matters into their own hands — along with the scissors.

Kirsten Spek owns Couture Hair in Medicine Hat, Alta., and she told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday that since reopening, the salon has been booked solid.

And the stylists aren't only busy tidying split ends. From do-it-yourself haircuts to at-home extension removal, some Albertans attempted to stay groomed in the age of COVID-19 with mixed results.

"I had a client who sent me a picture during the pandemic of a kid's pair of scissors, and a very large pile of hair on the counter," Spek said.

"I guess what happened is, she thought she could just give herself a little trim, and before she knew it, it was uneven — and then she was cutting, and cutting, and cutting. And now, it's much shorter than she anticipated it to be."

Don't panic, stylist says

If you're reading this with growing trepidation and a lopsided bob, don't panic. At the very least, Spek said her client has a couple of options.

"The best we can do is even out the haircut, and maybe recommend extensions if she's really set on having that length," Spek said.

But when it comes to removing any extensions, be careful. Another of Spek's clients had a mishap with a pair of pliers.

"It was actually a cutter," Spek said. "So instead of clamping the beads, she was cutting the tufts of hair out."

Calgary and Brooks had higher cases of COVID-19 and were put on slower relaunch plans.

The two municipalities are awaiting a Friday announcement from the government to see if they can follow the rest of Alberta and reopen hair salons on May 25.

Spek said her own salon has taken precautions, such as having staff wear masks, spacing the salon chairs far apart, and making sure more vulnerable clients have designated times to visit the salon alone.

Important for us to remember when facing our stylist after quarantine, Spek said, is that even if you had a styling mishap, there isn't a need to feel embarrassed.

When it comes to hair during COVID-19, to each our own.

How to cut your hair at home amid COVID-19

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Duration 8:45

Many Canadians are struggling to keep their hair under control during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are even resorting to home haircuts. Ottawa hair stylist Tanya Clark takes us through the dos and don'ts of cutting your hair at home.

Some have found liberation in growing out grays, retiring straightening irons, and, yes, even attempting to work the same magic as our very skilled stylists.

And if it went awry, that's okay.

"You know, whatever people have decided, it's not our place to judge them or make them feel bad for what took place during a pandemic, or what they decided to do to their hair during this time," Spek said.

"It's just our job to be there, and help them figure it out at the end of all of this."