Getting my hair done is a regular part of my life and before 2020 it was a very routine and normal thing to do. Sometimes I changed up my hair a lot and that was exciting or I had something else crazy happened at my appointment, but for the most part, it was something normal and it didn’t mean much more than me just getting my hair done and feeling more like myself when I left my appointment.
But since the pandemic, my hair appointments meant a lot more to me. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was doing my hair at home and that was a very odd thing for me. It was really a sign of the times and how we had to all be isolated from each other. I remember the first time my friend Erin brought some hair dye over for me and she put it at the end of my driveway while I stood away and then she backed away so I could pick it up. That’s how worried we were about being near each other.
Then it transitioned to me going to Erin’s apartment for my hair to be done. Salons were not open at that time, but she had everything needed at her apartment to make it a normal appointment for me. I was able to have her dye my hair properly (instead of me doing it at home) and she could also cut and style it. I know the first time she cut my hair, I really needed it because it had been so long since my last haircut. And those appointments at her place also changed throughout the pandemic. We started both being masked up and staying away from each other when we could (which was mainly when we were letting the hair dye set). Then after we were vaccinated, we weren’t being masked while in her place, but we both knew that the other was being careful so it was a risk we were willing to take.
And then finally, salons reopened and I was able to go to get my hair done in a salon again. It wasn’t that different from the appointments at Erin’s place, but it was still another step toward what felt like normal life again. And I’ve been lucky that whenever I have booked an appointment, it hasn’t been that crowded at the salon. Even while wearing a mask, I do feel better not being around a ton of people that I don’t know especially if they aren’t requiring proof of vaccination.
I went to get my hair done again this past week and it’s another transition toward what the old normal was like. Masks aren’t required, but both Erin and I were wearing them. The salon only had 2 other people in it, but I still wear a mask most places I go in public. It’s a very simple thing I can do to keep myself safe, especially when there are debates happening now about how long the booster vaccine keeps everyone safe.
But just like every time I’ve done my hair, whether at my home or in a salon, getting my hair done really boosts my confidence and how I feel. I don’t like seeing the gray hair I have as it grows in and I do have things I can use at home to help cover it up. But getting my hair dyed always makes me feel more like myself and I am always so happy when it’s done.
I had waited a bit longer than normal between appointments this time, so it was even nicer to feel like my hair was refreshed and the way I want it. And I also really needed a haircut so getting that done felt great too. I didn’t do anything drastic, but it needed a trim and shaping. I clip my hair back most days so I don’t notice how scraggly it can be sometimes, but now it feels polished and much better.
When I go for my next hair appointment, who knows what it will be like. Every time it is different with how normal or not normal it feels. And I never can predict what will happen since things are constantly changing and also can change so quickly. But I guess I will see what it’s like and see how close or far to normal it is like then.
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