Simone Reddington

One of the most exciting things I’ve done recently was my haircut at the end of last month. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very adventurous when it comes to my hair. I’ve never dyed it any dramatic colours and I’ve always stuck to the same basic style that I’ve worn at various lengths over the years. I therefore decided to be a little bit more brave when I went for my first post-lockdown haircut, and ask for a fringe for the first time in over a decade.

I’d been toying with the idea for some time, especially after seeing Marianne’s gorgeous thick full fringe in the recent BBC adaption of Normal People. However I was unsure whether I could pull it off as when I last had a fringe (back in primary school days in the noughties), I remember it took a lot of maintenance to keep it in place all day without getting annoying gaps in it. I was also doubtful whether it would suit my round-shaped face and that I would immediately regret getting it cut. After scouring Pinterest, Instagram and the rest of the internet looking at countless photos of girls with full fringes of varying thickness, I eventually decided to ask for a more wispy style fringe at first. That way, I could easily grow it out if I didn’t like it or ask for a thicker style next time if I did.

I booked an appointment for my hair cut at Fuze Unisex Salon in Peterlee town centre. I’ve been going there for the last four years as the hairdresser who normally cuts my hair is very friendly, professional and always does a fantastic job at a very affordable price. I was very impressed by the new hygiene precautions, but despite the necessary masks and not being able to have a coffee, it didn’t feel too different to my experiences at the salon before the pandemic. It was so lovely to be pampered and have a nice chat. Hairdressers have that certain skill where they can chat with their customers throughout the haircut and it doesn’t feel like a forced small talk. It always feel that I could tell a lovely friendly hairdresser my full life story and they would never appear disinterested. I think it’s especially lovely to have human conversations and to be friendly with the people who you’re not very familiar with while there’s still so many restrictions when socialising with our friends and family. That doesn’t mean expecting people to stop for a long chat in the street when they might have places to be, or demanding the highest level of attention from servers in restaurants etc. Just try your best to appear interested in what people have to say, as I think we’ve all experienced our fair share of loneliness this year.

Anyway, my hairdresser did an excellent job with my fringe and I’m so pleased that I decided to go for it in the end. I got all my dead ends from lockdown trimmed to a healthy length, just above my shoulders. The softer, wispier style is perfect for me as its much easier maintenance. It did take me a some time to get used to styling it after washing my hair, as I certainly couldn’t style it as good as the hairdresser did at first, but the beauty of a wispy fringe is that its very easy to brush away from your face when you’re having a bad hair day. It’s been over a month since I got it cut, and I’ve received a lot of compliments for it and I haven’t regretted it yet. I like to wear with a middle parting so that it frames my forehead in a subtle, slightly Brigette Bardot way that gives me 70s vibes, which I am absolutely here for.

Its perfect for the colder seasons, as having a full fringe on your forehead when it’s hot outside is never fun and its not great for your skin. It’s really shown me that it’s always good to experiment with your style from time to time and if you’ve been debating whether to do something for a while, it’s probably best just to go ahead and do it.