NEW YORK — Due to salon closures during quarantine, Americans have taken hair care into their own hands in ways they never have before. A new survey reveals 65 percent of American women underwent a “hair transformation” during their isolation.
Whether it’s the need for a change (28%), the opportunity to experiment without judgment (21%), or just an attempt to tame some “out of control” locks (16%), women are using their time indoors to experiment and perfect their post-quarantine look.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of SugarBear Hair, the survey also uncovered the healthy hair transformations occurring as respondents attempt to give their mane a break from the usual styling and coloring routine. To give their hair some much needed TLC, nearly three in 10 (29%) have turned to a hair supplement. Another 35 percent are using a hair mask and more than half (52%) have switched to deep conditioning treatments.
“Taking a break from heat, chemicals and other products during quarantine, and as we continue to spend more time at home, can definitely have a positive impact on the health of our hair,” says Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City, in a statement.
“A hair care regimen that allows the protective layer, or cuticle, to remain intact for as long as possible will decrease breakage and drying out of the hair strands. Keeping the hair moisturized with hair conditioners, creams and oils help to avoid dryness and therefore decrease the risk of damage and breakage. Heat and chemical styling can also dry out the cuticle, increasing the risk of damage and breakage.”
Changing hairstyles is a big deal
The average American gets the urge to change their hair three times each year. They actually get the nerve to do something about it twice each year. The hesitance about a major makeover is understandable, as many women say memories of a bad haircut still scar them. Forty-five percent of respondents say that their confidence has been significantly impacted by a haircut that hasn’t gone their way.
The survey also finds those who have spent quarantine focusing on revitalizing the health of their hair may be doing so to gear up for their next big style switch. The study of 2,000 American women reveals that top transformations during a woman’s lifetime include changing hair color (33%), cutting hair significantly shorter (26%), and growing hair longer than ever before (25%).
Fifty-four percent say that not wanting to wait for their hair to grow back, or grow out, after a hairstyle change holds them back from changing their hair up more frequently. Properly “feeding” your hair is one way that dermatologists recommend bolstering hair growth.
Incorporating vitamins into your daily routine — like vitamin A, which helps keep your scalp moisturized and vitamin C, which promotes collagen development, and Biotin — can help strengthen and grow your hair so you have the best canvas to work with when the next urge to change up your hairstyle hits.
“Biotin is an ingredient that’s often recommended for hair growth,” King adds. “Hair loss is a symptom of biotin deficiency, so biotin supplementation is thought to benefit people with hair loss or thinning hair who have a biotin deficiency.”
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