It seems that the closure of hair salons has caused a lot of people to attempt to cut their own hair or at least experiment in lockdown.

A hairdresser has discussed some of the do's and dont's for when you're trying to style your own hair at home.

Laura Cowen, 50, has given some of her tips to keep your hair tamed and healthy and to avoid making mistakes.

Bored of your style?

If you already have short hair it may be tempting to commit to chopping it, especially if you're bored of the style and want to try something new.

But it might be best to hold off for now, and instead, experiment with hair accessories, like clips and Alice hair bands.

She said: "You can use styling products or a hairdryer to shape it differently. If you have naturally curly hair you could try hair straighteners and again blow dry it straight, then use serum to take out any frizz."

It's important to know if you have a fringe which is growing out, you can watch videos on how to trim the length.

She added: "But if you got natural curl to your hair, cut it when it's dry , otherwise you might find you've cut it too short.

"Try and experiment this is the best time to get your hair in the best condition."

If you do need to cut the length of your hair you can tie your hair in a ponytail, pull the band down to the amount you want to cut. Then cut across at the bottom under the elastic.

For a fringe hold it together between your fore finger and thumb and cut across a tiny amount.

Thinking of using hair clippers?

If you're set on not letting your hair grow out in lockdown, you could give your clippers a try but make sure to take it slow especially if this is your first time.

She added: "Start to work your way down gradually through the cut numbers to see what length you want. You can try gel and styling creams to put it into shape.

"But do be careful with using clippers and scissors near ears. The last thing you want it to be down in A&E. Go slow and steady and don't get carried away.

Think before you commit to colour

If you don't have any experience colouring your hair before lockdown, avoid using permanent colour. For safety make sure to do a 48 hour patch colour test to make sure you're not allergic to the chemicals.

She added: "If you are blonde you could try using a toner to help growing roots, the toner will cover over the whole of the colour.

"But try not to colour your hair at home, especially a permanent colour because when hairdressers reopen, they probably will not be doing hair colour correction straight away."

Conditioning your hair

To help keep your hair in a good condition at home give your hair two good washes with shampoo and conditioner and then rinse with warm water.

You can leave the condition on for half an hours or longer. The conditioner will be absorbed into your hair and nourish it.

Once you rinse, do not towel dry it too vigorously as this can weaken the roots.

She added: "Give your hair a cold rinse at the end will give your hair a shine. Blow dry your hair with section clips, blow drying one section at a time."