DIY Haircuts and the #NewNormal

Millions of people have entered self-isolation, quarantine or lockdown around the world over the past few weeks.

One of the first collective worries? What to do with our relentlessly growing hair. Especially now that we spend 50% of our working life on video!

https://twitter.com/DrMarkKubert/status/1239963701928591361

We've seen the conversation around haircuts more than double in size, as people come to terms with the fact that they might not get a chance to see their barbers, hairdressers and stylists anytime soon. 

What's interesting about this trend is that, over the past few years, DIY and YouTube tutorials have taken over many beauty and personal care categories, from makeup to nail care.

But haircare in general, and haircuts in particular, had mostly resisted this amateurization: the consensus seemed to hold that a proper haircut only happens when another human, possibly a professional, was executing it. 

But might this wave of self-isolation change that?

Since mid-March, we observed a very sharp rise in people talking about just throwing in the towel and shaving their head or going for a buzzcut. This conversation has grown by 5x just over the past 10 days. 

While many of those mentions may be simply comments or jokes, there are quite a few people who seem to be getting ready to strike the hair problem at the root..

https://twitter.com/baumwoll/status/1240994098598772736

More trusting ones are relying on their partners' skills and getting home haircuts. It's going just as well as one would expect it to go...

https://twitter.com/catholicourtney/status/1239155262184964098

While others are enlisting their kids...

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-AMuJdDNKg/

Several others with a lot of time on their hands are talking about cutting their long hair into bangs, even with haircare professionals advising against...   

https://twitter.com/CadaverFormosus/status/1238922116482789376

.. but is the #newnormal DIY revolution is pushing the boundaries of what haircuts people are considering. We've seen a growing interest in (or worry about) Mullets, while Mohawk/Fauxhawks seem to be out

That said, there are mobile barbers out there doing business even in hotspots like NYC, with masks and gloves for both barber and customer, lysol sprays and "no talking" rules.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FqHZrHZcj/?igshid=p4e7bh23g61h