First things first. There is no denying COVID-19 has taken a toll on our hair. The virus itself and the stressors that come with it have had an impact on hair shedding (telogen effluvium). The normal ratio of natural hair loss on a healthy head of hair is 90 per cent growing hairs (anagen phase) and 10 per cent resting hairs (telogen phase), but during periods of high stress, the ratio can kick up to 50:50.

Lisa Caddy, a London-based trichologist with Philip Kingsley clinics, says she has seen a big increase in patients seeking advice for hair loss since the start of the pandemic. While there are many causes and triggers for hair loss – including long COVID – Caddy says that as a general rule, “the sooner the treatment commences, the higher the chances of retaining as much hair as possible”.

“The body is flooded with inflammatory chemicals during a virus, along with a high temperature, loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss for many people,” she says. “This culmination of symptoms can send a large amount of actively growing hair follicles into a sudden resting phase, where they stay for a few months and then shed. This can result in a dramatic amount of hair fall quite suddenly.”

So now is the time to fall in love with your hair again and embrace the hottest trends.

The bixie

Back in the 1990s, two iconic short haircuts – the pixie and the bob –morphed together and had a “baby”, which we now know as the bixie. The 2022 take is a shaggy bob with a mix of layers to add texture and dimension. Slick it back with a flip at the nape of the neck or wear it all shaggy with texture. Or try the poker-straight version with a smooth blow-dry and then use a curling iron to give it polish. Finish with a shot of hairspray for staying power; try L’Oréal Paris Elnett hairspray (from Priceline, $11). Flipping the ends is also a great way to hide split ends. Spray Davines Oi All in One Milk (from Oz Hair and Beauty, $29) on the ends and style the flip with a curling iron.

Bang bang, you’re alive

Fringes rule: from the bottle neck (the reworked curtain fringe, short between the brows graduating to a curtain sweep) to bowl cut and curly bouncy fringes. We are loving Dua Lipa’s blunt version. If…