Since watching Disney’s Brave, I’ve wanted Princess Merida’s red hair. Long, flowing, wild, you know? And after dipping my toe in the Curly Girl Method and moving over to sulfate-free hair products, I’m proud to say that my ginger curls are now fully established and much more defined than the wavy, frizzy mess I had before.

So when lockdown kicked in back in March 2020, I saw my opportunity: make the most of no haircuts and finally coax my ginger mane into long red curls fitting of a Disney princess.

But, the reality? Months of lockdown passed, and overall it’s been six months since my last haircut. I’ve now come to the realisation that having extra long red hair isn’t all riding-on-a-horse-with-my-red-hair-flowing-in-the-wind. I’m constantly finding little ginger tumbleweeds around the house, it gets trapped in my armpits when I sleep, and I get through an unholy amount of conditioner.

It’s not just about the length of my red hair though. My curls just aren’t being styled properly right now; my layers are all over the shop, and I’m not even sure where my parting is anymore. It’s a mess.

Maybe having long red hair isn’t the dream I’d imagined. Maybe I’ll get a huge chop now that salons have reopened. Or maybe I just need someone to guide my ginger curls in the right direction.

The lesson here? Never under-appreciate your stylists, dear redheads. They are our hair saviours.

By Emma