It’s been two weeks since schools reopened and have I missed homeschooling?

Well look, I love spending time with my 7-year-old son but… if I had to spend another two months trying to ignite his passion for using adverbial phrases, number bonds and vectors I would genuinely run the risk of revealing I had no idea what those things are.

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However, undercutting the almost palpable sense of relief at the Queens Drive Primary School gates, one thing I did notice was hair, a lot of it. There seems a very real demarcation between those parents who have managed to cut and groom their hair along with their children’s hair, and those who have not.

I have not.

I have possibly the thickest hair in the county – probably top three nationwide – and yes, it is a curse as much as a blessing. On the one side, you literally cannot check for my receding hairline, you’d need an electron microscope to spot any loss, it’s just simply not there. However, currently it’s a mop of unparalleled mass that’s like attempting to control five toddlers fighting over four chocolate bars.

Bearing this in mind, I thought it’d be worth talking to a professional hairdresser before taking matters into my own hands with my son’s hair, let alone my own mane.

Read more: The places across Preston and South Ribble you can dine at outside from 12 April

Olivia Thompson a stylist at Harpers Hair Salon in Fulwood offered the following advice: “Cutting hair at home is generally a no-go.”

O.K.

She conceded that, for kids with long hair going back to school, it’s not quite as difficult – it can be tied, plaited, pony tailed, clipped – but, apparently things have moved on since the bowl cut fringes of my youth.

Thompson advised: “Always cut up into the hair when doing a fringe, not across as this can blunt the hair. This can be done dry and styled so you don’t accidentally take too much off.

“Short haircuts can be trickier and in the first lockdown this meant a lot of people had to shave it entirely and start again.”

A full head shave isn’t really an option at most primary schools so if you’re going to touch up short hair, a low risk strategy Thompson recommended was simply ordering a cheap pair of hairdressing scissors.

She said: “Thinning scissors are ideal for tidying up around ears and taking weight out, this can also be done dry to judge length and style easier. A beard trimmer can be used to tidy up neck hairs.”

For those of us who were in primary school when Noel’s House Party first aired, Thompson offered the following advice: “Always say no to box dyeing; it’s never true to shade and a lengthy process to correct.

“I’d always recommend root spray to touch up, it’s like make up for the hair and will refresh the colour. You can get some lovely shades that last a couple of washes.”

Plenty of people have been forced to stare at themselves in Zoom conference videos and Skype calls, looking increasing dishevelled as the weeks drag on.

No one would blame you for trying this at home, but before attempting it, don’t cut corners with the clippers; unless you’re in a ’00s art-rock outfit, no-one wants irregularly shaved heads and undercuts because their clippers gave up the ghost mid-cut. Good luck.

Restrictions for hair salons are expected to be lifted on Monday 12 April.

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines

How have you managed with your hair these past months? Any tips? Let us know in the comments below.

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