Hair And Now

Another lockdown looms, but there’s hope for the dis-tressed

- Bijoy Venugopal

BY THIS time last year, our hair-dos had become hair-don’ts. As the second wave swells to tsunami proportions, last year’s memes that created a buzz (nope, not that soothing sound made by a trimmer) are back for round two. With more pandemic lockdowns imminent, the luxury of getting an online-ordered haircut at home is going off the menu.

The phrase Bang(s) For A Buck acquired clandestine undertones during the peak of the pandemic. Lockdown restrictions drove the hair grooming industry underground and elevated barbers and hairdressers (the term variably applicable to the size of the bill) to the most-wanted list. Cramped for personal space as we stayed home and stayed safe, we tried to keep out of each other’s hair.

At first, the prospect of letting our hair down looked simple. We confronted the challenge with enthusiasm, flaunting Lockdown Locks on camera during Zoom meetings to the appreciative gasps office colleagues. With everyone and her uncle sporting copious facial hair and overgrown eyebrows, it was like early-onset Movember. Months down, the novelty wore off. Online sales of trimmers, now classified as essentials, skyrocketed as the dis-tressed in a do or DIY situation chose the latter.