Dramatic hair changes are having a moment with people in many states still under stay-at-home orders: We're seeing pink hair, mullet cuts, even buzz cuts. Those with professionally-dyed hair, however, are dealing with the inevitable phase of growing out their roots. Luckily, grown-out roots are trending, require minimal effort, and have an inherent cool factor — just ask Dua Lipa, who has no problem hiding hers. But if contrasting hair colors aren't exactly your thing, there are a few easy steps you can take at home to hide your roots while many salons across the country are still temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you try dyeing or lightening your hair yourself, it can be hard to get the color just right, not to mention damaging to your hair if done wrong, and pricey to fix if you make a mistake. We’ve asked a few hairstylists for their tips on how you can minimize the appearance of grown-out roots using what you might already have at home.
Putting your hair up in a textured bun can also disguise the look of roots. "Prep the hair with tons of texture spray before creating the style," says Fitzsimons. We like the two-time Best of Beauty-winning Garnier Fructis De-Constructed Texture Tease. (Check out some more of our favorites here.) "Once you have your bun set, use a rat-tail comb to loosen sections in the bun to give it added texture where you want."
A high ponytail is another less-than-five-minute hairstyle that can do the trick. To achieve, "smooth your hair out as much as possible with a blowout and flatiron [with a heat protection spray such as this one from Beauty Works] and pull your hair back into a tight ponytail," says Fitzsimons. "I would recommend not adding any part for this look — just use a paddle brush to direct the hair straight back. Finish with NatureLab. Tokyo Shine Oil Mist to give your hair a glass-like, high-fashion shine." Can't get your hands on his favorite? Try any one of these hairstylist- and editor-approved hair oils.