The psychology behind that tempting quarantine makeover

Social distancing is causing people to change up their looks. With hair salons closed, people have resorted to cutting their long locks or shaving their heads, dying their hair blue or pink with box dye. Others are piercing their own ears and noses at home. The most adventurous is contemplating giving themselves quarantine stick-and-poke tattoos with kits they bought.

Most people do it out of necessity. But the urge to make yourself over is not just reacting to boredom. It is a more complicated coping mechanism.

• Beards are associated with warriors in ancient and medieval times and manliness. Growing a beard can be a show of resilience. Piercings and tattoos that require suffering actual physical pain may be serving a similar function.
• Changing your appearance may also be a desire to change the one thing about your situation that's actually changeable.
• For others, the motivation could be a way to mark the passage of a significant time.