I’m Not Cutting My Hair Until Quarantine Is Done [Week 3]

With barbershops closed, we’re all in the same situation — and I’m gonna chronicle mine

Photo illustration. Source photos courtesy of the author

Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.

While barbershops around the country are closed for business as a government-mandated means to slow the spread of Covid-19, I’ve decided to stand in solidarity with my fellow temporarily barberless Black men. There’s sure to be lots of dudes taking matters into their own hands — and mutilating their hairlines in the process. That won’t be me, though.

For the foreseeable future, I’ll be wearing my natural hairline like a badge of honor. And every week, I’ll be updating you on the progress in this hair diary — observations about my scruff, barbershop withdrawal, feelings of insecurity, feelings of pride. All the while, I’m gonna sport this grizzle like a playoff beard, refusing to trim it until it’s in the right hands: my barber’s.

[Week 3]

Wednesday, April 15

This is not completely uncharted territory for me. I’ve allowed my hair to grow longer than this (albeit under less restrictive conditions), but there’s something beautifully primal about…