There is not a single person in the world today who has not suffered the momentous impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in some way. With nearly two billion people in lockdown around the world, everyone has developed their own way of dealing with the stress and anxiety of daily life. A plethora of well-intentioned, and unsolicited, advice about how best to cope is flying around the internet, yet the vast majority promotes an unrealistic image of toxic productivity; if you, alongside almost every other person at the moment, are struggling to find motivation, then DIY home renovations, learning a new language, or running 5km are probably not the most appealing approaches to take. One alternative coping mechanism which seems to have particularly impacted the men in our lives is the at-home buzzcut.

Hair salons have been closed for nearly a month now, and many people are finding that their long lockdown locks are getting a little out of hand.

Many people are finding that their long lockdown locks are getting a little out of hand

Thus, for better or for worse, thousands of men have bitten the bullet and taken this opportunity in solitude to brave the shave. Many celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon, including actors Riz Ahmed and Stephen Graham, and footballers Eden Hazard and Paul Rogba, who have shared their “#stayathome haircuts” on Instagram. However, while the razor may be looking rather tempting, anyone who has attempted an at-home haircut of any kind has probably developed a newfound appreciation for the skill of their local hairdresser. Other men have taken a vastly alternative approach, using this time at home to experiment with facial hair. For the good of humanity, we can hope this lasts only for the duration of social distancing measures.

So why is the shaved-head coping mechanism so popular? Amidst a stressful and emotionally demanding time like the present, the desire to make some form of radical change to your appearance is completely rational; the appeal of transformations like shaving your head or growing a beard is that they provide tangible results which cause a rush of adrenaline and help us to feel a little more in control of our own small bubble. And besides, it can simply be a lot of fun. For those of you who are not quite ready to face a total hair shave, we have here compiled a list of five other fun, and wonderfully unproductive, ways to fill your days in solitude:

1. Create a TikTok video – I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. The app provides a world of makeup trends, hairstyles, or dances which you can easily try at home. It can be a fun and silly way to get creative while in solitude.
2. Experiment with semi-permanent hair dye – maybe TikTok is not for you. Dyeing your hair, however, is exciting for anyone, and a great alternative to shaving your hair completely. Most semi-permanent dyes wash out within a few weeks anyway, so what do you have to lose? Your pride? Please…
3. Start a paint-by-numbers –have you not touched a colouring pencil since year 9 art lessons? Well, the beauty of a paint-by-numbers is that you get the results of beautiful artistry without the need for any semblance of skill. It is calming, fun, and cheap to buy on Amazon.
4. Build a blanket fort – nobody is too old for this. A blanket fort can provide a great new place to watch Netflix, eat dinner, have a drink. You do you, nobody is around to judge you.
5. Tie-dye an old t-shirt – while we unfortunately remain unable to travel in time back to better days, you can kid yourself that the 90’s have returned by tie-dying some old t-shirts. If you can’t get hold of fabric dye, this can even be done with household bleach (with obvious necessary precautions).

At the end of the day, there is no “right” way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of the current situation; despite what inspirational influencers might be telling you on social media, nobody needs to use this time to start a blog or write a best-selling novel. If there is one thing that you have always wanted to do to your appearance but never had the courage to carry out, like shaving or dyeing your hair, then now is the perfect time to have fun and experiment with your style. And if it all goes horribly wrong, well who is going to see it?