Around this time last year, the whole world went into an abrupt lockdown. The pandemic forced temporary shutdowns on malls, schools, salons, restaurants, pubs- basically any place where groups of people gathered. At that time, we had limited information about coronavirus, and the only way to protect ourselves was to wear a mask, sanitize, and maintain social distance. Speaking of the latter, people had to stay indoors to protect themselves. With a constraint on social life and companies switching to long-term remote work, fashion and beauty standards became more relaxed.
We took a break from the razor, worked comfortably in our PJs, said no to gel manicures, stopped doing our brows, and had our bras tucked away in the dingiest corner of our closet. Another remarkable change that took place was finally letting our skin and hair breathe. No wearing heavy makeup, no putting chemicals on hair, or using hot styling tools. Just letting our bodies be as they are. Here’s how team POPxo learned how to embrace their natural hair during the pandemic.
Team POPxo Shares Their Experiences On How They Learned To Embrace Their Natural Hair
In a way, the pandemic taught us to accept ourselves and love the person we saw in the mirror.
Curls Are Beautiful
Team POPxo
Before the pandemic, I would straighten my hair every single day. I was ashamed of the way my curls looked. They look messy and frizzy all the time. The truth was, I didn’t know how to style them properly. With nowhere to go and no one to meet, I spent lots of my free time on Youtube watching curly hair tutorials. To get the prettiest curls, all it takes is the right products, method, and hell lot of patience. This is how my curls look every day now. No using heat, heavy products, or excessive combing to style the- just keeping it natural.
– Sharon, Senior Beauty Writer
Grey Hair, Don’t Care!
Team POPxo
I got my hair coloured and long story short, it was a disaster. Ultimately, I had to chop off my hair during the lockdown, and that was an eye-opener. Turns out, I fell in love with my hair all over again. It is getting the nourishment it deserves and coconut oil and aloe vera champi all the time. Moreover, now I have grey hair too- right in the front! And guess who doesn’t care about it? ME! No plucking and no colouring. My hair has already been through a lot and I’m just glad that I won’t treat it badly ever again.
– Kanupriya, Content Writer
Love It As Is
Team POPxo
My hair is naturally wavy and more often than not, it’s a struggle to get it in order. That, along with the fact that I have people giving me all kinds of unsolicited advice/comments in the area. There used to be a time when I yearned for easier, perhaps even straighter locks just to get people off my back but the past year made me realise how much I like it as is and I wouldn’t change it the world! During the lockdown, I was able to pay a little more attention to my hair than usual and look for solutions to issues (hello stress and hair fall). It’s still a long ride but I am no longer attached to any beauty standards that advertisements and “well-meaning” people layout.
-Abhilasha Tyagi, Senior Fashion Writer
I Said No To Hot Tools
Team POPxo
My hair has always been extremely thin and is very prone to getting tangled. In college, I usually used to comb it out and straighten it with my flat iron every time I washed it, but ever since the pandemic started, I’ve stopped subjecting my locks to that kind of torture. It’s messy, it’s wavy and it’s fun. No blowout or perfectly straightened hair will ever replace that!
– Anandita Malhotra, Junior Editor
Time To Break-Up With Chemical Treatments
Team POPxo
I used to have this unhealthy obsession with poker-straight hair, the kind that you can get only with chemical straightening. Consequently, I have had chemically treated hair for almost half a decade now. However, it was during the pandemic that I decided to take a break from all the chemicals and pamper them silly. I tried DIY home spa mixes, oil concoctions, and deep conditioning masks. Verdict? I am hooked. Never going for chemical treatments ever again!
-Khushboo Sharma, Senior Writer
At the end of the day, it’s all about loving what you have and celebrating YOU!
Featured Image: Team POPxo
