Grey coverage, and other treatments you can do at home

EVEN though salons are still open, albeit for reduced hours, COVID-19 fears mean that many women have been staying away from these usual places of therapy. If you figure that there’s no point in getting that Brazilian wax, grey roots treatment, or that mani-pedi because you’re not going anywhere anyway, you may be one of those women who have been embracing herself in her natural state for the past couple months.

But did you know that the absence of a visit to the salon doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to let those years of paying attention to yourself go to waste? And better yet, sometimes something as simple as a mani-pedi, with freshly painted nails, is all it takes to give you that boost to get you off the couch, and around the laptop for that Zoom meeting.

Here are some treatments you can do at home that will boost your confidence without having to don that uncomfortable mask to go to the salon.

Grey roots treatment

This salon special is a must for the woman who refuses to admit that she’s ageing, and would rather dye than confess to that fact. Many women get this done at four-to-six-week intervals with their shampoos, but it’s something you can easily do at home with a bottle of semi-permanent moisturising hair colour. Just stop at the pharmacy while you’re out for your ‘essentials run’ and grab a bottle of dye in your hair colour. Or if you have some extra cash, go for the branded root cover up, follow the directions at home, and voilà! The greys will disappear.

Pedicure

For some women, the pedicure at the salon is less about the actual need for one, and more about the therapy. But if your feet have reached the stage where they’re threatening to tear your sheets, it’s time for that home pedicure. All you’ll need is a bucket of warm water, soap, a foot exfoliator, towel and lotion. Soak your feet for a few minutes in the soapy water then get to work with that exfoliator. If your guy is up for it you can even add that therapeutic angle and have him do the scrubbing and foot massaging. Follow up with red polish and watch your mood improve.

Eyebrows

If you usually wax your brows you don’t want to ruin all your efforts and shave them, but if there’s overgrowth something will have to be done. Use your tweezer and set a few minutes aside to tweeze your brows back into refinement.

Facial

Many salons and spas are selling pamper boxes which they will retrofit to your skin specifications. Call up your spa and have them make one for you, and follow the instructions for your at-home facial. Even if you don’t have the tools at home for facial steaming, for example, you can improvise with hot water in a pan and a towel.

Gel manicure

They’re more nail-friendly than acrylic, and if you want to keep your nails looking good but don’t want to go to the salon, you can do your own gel manicure at home after purchasing a kit online. An entire kit, with the UV light, can run you as low as US$43 on Amazon, and it’s an investment that will be worth your while. Just watch a couple videos on YouTube to perfect the application technique.

… BUT DO GO TO THE SALON FOR THESE

While it’s OK to try doing some beauty treatments yourself, there are others that you should never do at home, as the risk is just too great. If you need the following services and are unwilling to brave the streets to visit your salon, it’s best to wait it out instead of trying to do these yourself at home.

Relaxer

There’s a reason why the box says “for professional use only”. From the risk of chemical burns and incorrect processing times, to not washing out the relaxer properly and not treating your hair afterwards, using a relaxer at home could mean that you’re setting yourself up for, at the very least, hair breakage. Visit the salon instead.

Permanent colour and bleaching

If you want a new look now, it’s better to try a rinse than to go all out and apply permanent colour, which will bleach your hair. Again, with doing this at home you risk not following the instructions as a professional would, and having your hair break off and fall out.

Waxing

The commercials will have you believing that at-home wax kits are all the rage, and are a painless and easy way to get rid of excess hair growth. But trying to wax at home can be a painful experience, as you can irritate and even tear the skin if you don’t do it properly. Your salon waxing lady has spent time learning the craft for a reason — and it’s not something you can perfect in your bathroom.

Chemical peels

You can buy anything online these days, but that doesn’t mean that you should add chemical peel treatments for your skin to your cart. Not only do you risk irritating your skin, but you risk getting burns that will be difficult to treat.