Hair In the Time of COVID
I am not ashamed to admit that one of the very first things I will do once we can finally feel confident about the relaxed restrictions is to schedule a hair appointment!
I was lucky that I got a haircut a week before we all went into confinement.
My hair is kept pretty short and I usually get it cut every five weeks.
My last week in a group environment with visiting international in late February. Had a hair cut the week before.
I don’t know about you but the relationship I have with my hairdresser is a deeply personal one and I have been going to the same one for the last 17 years.*
If I look good, I feel good, and my hair is a key factor in that equation.
Week Three and my hair is exactly how I like it!
So, early on in this crisis, I called Laya, of LA Hair Design, the woman who holds a big part of my emotional well being in her hands, and asked her what should I do?
Should I take a stab at cutting my own hair if this goes on too long? I have been so tempted to hack off a little here and there.
Not surprisingly Laya said no. “A good cut will grow out well even through the bad times,” she said.
I took her advice but admit I did cheat a little and cut my bangs.
(Sorry Laya!)
Week Nine with bangs cut!
I also have not seen my real hair colour for 30 years, and have been super impressed with the women my age who say they will now take that giant leap into the grey zone.
So brave. I will not be one of them. Unless of course I have no choice. Time will tell.
Once again Laya had some advice for the long term. She highlights my hair and so dyes will not do the trick. Instead she recommended a blonde spray to cover the roots**.
I had to go back to the drug store several time to get some, they sell out as quickly as supplies come in. Guess some of you are doing the same thing that I am.
I am learning a few things too. My hair does not grow as fast as I thought, and as a result, I can probably lengthen the time between haircuts.
Still, I am looking forward to that euphoric feeling of coming out of the hairdresser feeling like a million bucks!
Week 10! Not my best look even with the French scarf.
Remember your hairdresser in this crisis.
Most are small business owners or solo-entrepreneurs and they’ve had no business in the last few months.
Give them a call. I know they would love to hear from you.
And if things go well, they will be opening up again sometime soon so you might want to book that appointment!
*I have to drive two and half hours into the city to see Laya, so for those in-between haircuts I go to Stephanie at the Parlour!
She gives a great haircut too!
**I use l’Oreal’s Magic Root Coverup
Check out my VIDEO about my hair on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/womanofacertainageinparis/?modal=admin_todo_tour
and also on Instagram at dianainparis18
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If you are feeling brave,
send me your pictures of how confinement is impacting YOUR Hair!
at diana@womanofacertainageinparis.com
France Opens UP
Spring in Paris — Photo by RebeccaPlotnick.com
For those of you keeping up with the news from Europe, you will know that France whose official death toll is the world’s fifth highest, had enforced an eight-week lock\down, since March 17, to slow the spread of the coronavirus, with residents only allowed out for essential shopping, work and a bit of exercise.
Shops and hair salons can now reopen, while people can venture out without a government-mandated form, except for trips of more than 100 km (62 miles), which are only allowed for professional reasons, funerals or caring for the sick.
President Emmanuel Macron’s government decided to lift the lockdown after the number of patients in intensive care — a key measure of hospitals’ ability to cope with the epidemic — fell to less than half the peak of over 7,000 seen in early April.
Bisous à mes amis français
Vous me manquez tellement!
Diana Bishop the founder of The Success Story Program and A Woman of a Certain Age in Paris as well as a well-known correspondent with over 25 years working for CTV, CBC News, and NBC News. She loves travel, writing, and all things Parisienne.
My hair isn’t quite as long as Mona’s, but it has certainly reached the “ageing hippie” stage, so I’m just putting it in a braid or doing it up. Yes, very much looking forward to a rendez-vous with Claudio. I have very thick, very curly hair. Once almost black, now salt and pepper. And it grows very fast… In normal times I keep it between chin and shoulders, just long enough to tie back (which helps me concentrate on work). So I’m combing a lot, between my mop and my cat’s fur. She is a shorthair, solid black, but her fur is very thick and lush and along with the joys of hayfever and resulting COVID terror, I have to comb her and brush her at least once a day or I’d have a very large pile of black cat fur.
A
Interesting to hear that even the cat is struggling with the trials of COVID.
I too am in constant contact with my European friends and things are easing a little for them thank goodness.
It must be wonderful to get back to some of their favourite shops to buy bread, cheese and patisseries. And just to take a walk.
I lived in Montreal for 8 years and loved both the Jean Talon and Atwater Markets. I have quite a few favourites in Paris too!
Thanks Maria for the comments. Always a pleasure! Diana
Okay.
Do I wear one or two clips today or a skrunchie and a hair band? Or do I braide it or wash it again?
God knows how much I miss my hair dresser.
Mona looks great with her Tim Horton’s coffee.
Xxoo twink
I couldn’t quite finish my comment as I got a pop-up I couldn’t close, but I also miss my friends in Italy as well as those in France. Was relieved that a good friend who is also a translator – over 80 and living in Turin – is alive and well. He says the sitution in his region wasn’t nearly as bad as around Milan.
Few of my friends own cars – a privilege of hardcore urbanites; we also have a carshare scheme here – but it is easy to meet at this public square adjacent to the Jean-Talon Market when it isn’t crowded, and we can “physically distance” at the very long wavy table: https://ville.montreal.qc.ca/ruespietonnes/rue/place-shamrock The street is named for a rugby club long ago, of Irish railway workers who built the CP line and along with Italians and francophones, the neighbourhood where I live.
It is always good to read your blog Diana. Thankyou for bringing some interest into my life. I too have a very short hair style and have my hair cut every five to six weeks…although it is not as unruly as it could be, I do believe it is feeling the isolation…
My only child lives in Paris and I have a special file where I keep your informative blogs of places to see, restaurants to eat at etc…for when I can travel safely again to see my little family.
Have a wonderful day and keep safe…Monicaa ☘️
Yes, you and I are dreaming of that return to Paris. It must be doubly hard though to have a child there and not
be able to visit. They have been through so much in France. But we have to dream — and I am thrilled that my blog
is a distraction. It means so much to me that you read it. Best, Diana
Sorry I should have looked at the spelling a little closer before I sent this…my name is Monica…only one A at the end…☘️
Thankfully, I went to my natural grey about 3 years ago, so I just have to worry about length. I too gave up and cut my bangs which were at least 3 inches too long! I have found my hair grows very quickly…..My relationship with my hairdresser goes back to 1975 and he did my mother’s hair before mine! A wonderful man, who gives a great cut so I am not worried about style yet. I will definitely be giving him a call as soon as we are able to go to hairdressers. In the meantime, I did call him and he is enjoying his time of relaxation….I am just hoping he does not decide to retire at the end of this….fingers crossed.
Good for you Lamar — taking that step towards grey is a big one but OMG the money I would save…and am saving now. I know now that I will probably only get my hair cut every 8 weeks from now on once I can of course. Thank you for the comment. Love hearing from you. Diana
I started growing my hair longer last Fall since a PSW comes i n weekly to give me a shower and wash and dry my hair .. and she’s not a hairdresser 🙂 It’s REALLY long now.
I had a call from hairdresser a couple of weeks ago and we keep in touch. She doesn’t own the salon and applied for and got the CERB money.
As far as France goes, I talk via zoom every week to Christine Camm there. She’s well, lives in the southwest of France near Lourdes and focuses on her online French conversation business and doesn’t watch the news much!
BTW – where did you get the Mona Lisa picture with a coffee cup and dishevelled hair Diana? It made me laugh!
You have beautiful hair anyway don’t you Trudy? I think long hair is a little easier to manage — my hair is all sorts of different lengths and I am not sure what is going to happen to it as it grows. I am dreaming of a haircut in June sometime — thanks for the comment!
Hi Diana,
Have kept my hair as short as yours the past few years, since retiring. No problem not having hair dye these days – I went grey in my twenties and stopped colouring years ago. But, my hair grows so fast that I can almost make a pony tail already, and I have been hunting all over the house to see if I might still have any old hair clips left to pin the hair out of my eyes. No luck. I finally decided to trim my bangs yesterday, by myself, with my sewing scissors. My “trimmed” knuckle should heal just fine in a few days. Keep smiling Diana – you look great!
You have the most beautiful Catherine — so thick and luxurious and grey looks fab on you! I can’t wait to see you with a ponytail!
I have never had easy hair Diana, not really curly, not really straight and then a few waves here and there and of course fine! I lost the hair lottery so I have really missed my guy! Brent is a one man shop so I am hopeful. I have kept colouring because my Mom stopped when she turned 70 and all of a sudden she looked really old to me, for the first time. I was due for a colour and cut just as this started so the amount of grey has been a bit of a shock to me! Hey, I’m healthy, the family is all good, so I’ll remain grateful! You keep well!
I think we all have hair challenges. And I know what you mean. I have seen some people go gray and it ages them a lot. I think it would have that affect on me so…best to you, Diana
My last haircut for my short curly hair was mid January so needless to say I have been desperate for a haircut. So….I took the plunge and decided to cut just the sides. After the second chunk of hair that I cut I thought “oh no, I’m not qualified for this task!” However, I continued. I think that it looks somewhat better. The problem is that every time I go into my bathroom I inspect my hair and discover a problem with the cut. I keep a pair of scissors on the vanity to just ‘fix this little area.’ And the problem with cutting curly hair is that it has a mind of its own bending here and there all over my head. My advice – Don’t do it! The only good thing is that fortunately Zoom get togethers don’t really pick up a bad haircut.
Hey Kathleen, that would have been me. I was so tempted to cut my hair in places but decided to just let it rock and roll on its own. This morning I got our of bed and I did not recognize the person I say in the mirror — her hair was standing on end all over!
I have done that before and my hair looked great for a few days more and then it did not! I am going to let it grow now and see what happens. But it was very funny — when I woke up today and looked in the mirror I saw a woman I did not recognize. HER hair was standing on end in places and swished abound as if I don’t head stand during the night ….
Hello, Diana
Still reading your blog..
I’ll sent you soon my personal impressions of Paris in lock-down, especially my first visit to my hairdresser neat Champs Elysées .. but all in french!
Your Paris Greeter
Marita
Our activities open on 1st of june, less greeters, no visitors…
Wait and see
Marita! Tellement genial d’avoir de vos nouvelles! Cela fait trop longtemps que nous ne nous sommes pas vus. Je n’oublierai jamais cette merveilleuse journée que nous avons rencontrée et sommes allés déjeuner chez Federique AU Coup de Torchon! Je me demande comment elle va pendant cette crise.
Et vous aussi. J’ai hâte d’entendre parler de vos impressions! A bientôt!
Marita, je peux traduire s’il y a des unilingues anglophones parminous. Ou par minou, comme lagatta dit en tant que minette.
A product I really like to prevent (ugly) yellowing of grey hair is ice cream KROMASK professional
ARGENTO – SILVER/ARGENT/PLATA and for Canadians, it is available at Shoppers/Pharmaprix. I have NO commercial interest in this or any product and am definitely not a spammer.
My hair is/was very dark and dark hair dye has been connected to certain cancers. The alternative would be bleaching it to a lighter colour, but that is very harsh and kinky/curly hair is fragile.
I have no “feminist” principles against hair colouring. Everyone, men, women or otherwise identified people, likes to look good!
Hi Diana
I started growing my hair last year for ease of travel in Italy which, of course , had to be cancelled in late February….sigh…..
A pony tail is a magical thing! However, I do now have a substantial horsetail….absolutely no style other than OVID style which is a bun….I’m not complaining . It’s still easy, but I am getting REALLY lazy about the whole exercise of washing, blowing,washing, blowing.
I did succumb to l’Oreal colour……to cover my “blonde” roots. Damn those blonde roots!
I do believe I am snowy white. Not about to find out how much snow is there in May/June!
I, too, make the drive to Toronto for my artiste…..but I must find someone in Collingwood…..However. that does feel like cheating on one’s long term lover.
Stay well. You really are quite beautiful in your almost natural state :):)
Patricia
Hi Patricia, How wonderful to hear from you! I hope you and your family are well.
I have found someone in Thornbury who I mentioned in my blog for those in between cuts but I am loyal to my Toronto hair artiste!
Long hair at least you can tie up–my short hair cut is now travelling off in all directions!!!