TORONTO -- The coronavirus pandemic has drastically impacted daily routines. From work meetings to grocery shopping and social outings,people across North America are adjusting to a new way of doing things.

The sudden closure of non-essential businesses in some parts of the world has also caused a disruption to beauty routines. Some of the luxuries people have grown so accustomed to such as haircuts, facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing services, and so much more, aren’t readily available.

So where does that leave the people who are worried about how their hair or nails may look in a month?

It seems as though many Americans are turning to Google to ask: how to make face masks at home, or how to take off acrylic nails at home. According to Google Trends, those two questions were among the top five trending questions in the U.S. this week.

Some are even asking their hairstylists to make at-home visits during the pandemic.

“People are asking me to come to their houses, but I don’t want to risk it,” Romulo Bor, a Toronto barber, told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. “I’ll still give them advice on their hair if they want.”

The hashtag #pandemicbangs started trending on social media – with teenagers on TikTok documenting their decision to trim their own hair.

In Canada, the terms ‘pandemic bangs’ and ‘how to cut your own hair’ saw an uptick in searches this week too, according to Google Trends. 

TikTok user Shrimpy Cocktails joked that “now is the perfect time” to get bangs because everyone you know is in quarantine anyway. 

Even celebrities are experimenting with their hair while being stuck at home. On Wednesday, singer and songwriter Pink posted an Instagram video telling fans how she got drunk and decided to cut her own hair. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Quarantine diaries

A post shared by P!NK (@pink) on

  Cutting your own hair in a time of crisis is exactly the thing Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist and beauty influencer Justine Marjan is urging people not to do. 

“I don’t know who needs to hear this, but this is not the time to cut your bangs at home,” she posted on her Instagram.

TV host Kelly Ripa is also discouraging the new pandemic trend of DIY haircuts.

On Tuesday’s at-home taping of “Live with Kelly and Ryan,”Ripa warned people not to cut their own bangs because of an experience she had 22 years ago. The host admits she never got over the time she cut her own bangs before the Emmy awards in 1999.

Ripa also shared a picture on her Instagram stories captioned “root watch week one,” showing off her grey roots. So maybe this pandemic will force people to embrace their natural appearance? Or maybe the boredom will get to you and you’ll find yourself cutting your own hair?

There is an option that some workers in the beauty industry suggested: buy a gift card to your favourite salon and save that haircut for post-quarantine.