DW editor Rachel visits Patrick Gildea Hairdressing in Letterkenny for a fresh new cut and colour after lockdown.

It’s so good to get back to the hair salon, and it feels amazing to have my hair done again!

After a long five months I was so excited to get back to Patrick Gildea Hairdressing today for a real colour change-up.

While many women are looking forward to restoring their usual colour after lockdown, I was dreaming of a revamp. I had always wanted to try trending rose gold tones and I really love the transformation that stylist Claudia McLaughlin has achieved.

This salon visit brought me from blonde balayage to a warm and subtle metallic pink. The colour picks up so many different shades in the light – thanks to Claudia’s amazing technique of using three different toners.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

There are some big changes at Patrick Gildea Hairdressing for guests’ care and safety during Covid-19. The salon has always been spacious and clean, but the extra social distancing and sanitising steps made me feel safe.

Guests are asked to attend their appointments wearing a mask, and I did worry that this would get uncomfortable but I soon got used to wearing it over the three hour visit.

Your belongings are placed in a bag as you enter the salon

On entry, I had my temperature taken at the door and I was invited to put my handbag in a disposable bag. I was also given a sanitising wipe for my phone and I could keep this on my knee throughout the appointment. There is a personal hand sanitiser bottle at each station for you to use anytime. The wash room is also well spaced out and each area is cleaned after a guest has used it.

For your safety: Social distancing markers and sanitiser is provided for every guest
Peace of mind: Pre-cleaned seat and sink in the washroom

All the safety steps give you peace of mind but they don’t affect the quality of treatment. It’s the usual five-star service at Patrick Gildea Hairdressing and the visit still feels like a treat.

During lockdown, I had been maintaining my own hair colour with the Wella Colour Refresh treatments from PGH, so I was delighted that my ends were light enough to adopt the new pink tones today. I had also attempted a DIY haircut in June, so it was brilliant to have those home-cut blunt ends tidied up with a professional cut.

Fresh cut and light pink tones for summer

Claudia finished my hair with a straight style, for a change, and feels so good to have that salon-smooth texture again with the restoring and hydrating Wella products. After such a strange time, it’s the little things that make us feel like we’re back to normal again, isn’t it? 

Patrick Gildea Hairdressing Letterkenny

Summer 2020 hair trends are a lot different this year due to the crisis. Claudia tells me that a lot of women are choosing more natural hair colours, while blondes are going warmer and asking for beige and sandy tones instead of icy hair. Peekaboo fringes and colour detailing around the face have also been popular since the salon reopened. The lockdown has shown us how home hair maintenance is so important for colour, and the expert stylists at PGH have great advice for everyone’s individual hair. 

It’s also great to see the Allure Beauty section back open at Patrick Gildea, offering all the usual skincare, massage and nail treatments (excluding makeup for now). So if you’re looking to really treat yourself at your next salon visit, why not check out the menu.

If you’d like to find out more about hair colouring, styling and prices visit www.patrickgildea.ie

For bookings call 0749125476 and check out www.patrickgildea.ie for everything on hair styling, pricing and news from the salon team.

DW reviews are in collaboration with Patrick Gildea Hairdressing, but all opinions are my own.