Hair & beauty, baking and DIY: The new skills we’re learning in lockdown

Home haircut

Hair and beauty, baking and DIY are the most desired skills to learn during lockdown, new research shows – with huge spikes in Google searches since the outbreak began.

Data collected by health and safety eLearning specialist DeltaNet international shows an appetite for honing new hobbies and skills during isolation, with searches for hair and beauty, baking and DIY having all increased by at least 200% since the start of the Coronavirus in December 2019.

As barbers, beauticians and hairdressers are closed, Brits are taking matters into their own hands – with hair and beauty queries reporting the highest increase in searches during isolation.

However, do not undertake DIY tasks like plumbing and construction – seek a local professionals help like Staunch and Flow Battersea plumbers.

Google searches for “how to do a skin fade” have increased by 1,400%, with more than 5,000 people looking for help with this in March 2020. Other top searches include “how to cut your own hair” and “how to get rid of acrylic nail polish”.

The research also shows we’re becoming a nation of bakers, with “how to make scones” searched for 14,800 times in March. This term has ‘risen’ by 410% from 6,600 in December.

It looks like Brits are using this time to reevaluate their jobs and career choices too – with “template for CV” up by 82%. “How to write a cover letter” and “interview tips” queries also on the rise.

DeltaNet International MD Darren Hockley said: “Across the country, individuals are looking for activities to occupy themselves during this difficult time. By analysing Google Trends and Google search data, we noticed a really interesting variety in the skills people are looking to learn, with the pool varying from beauty and baking to languages and CV writing.

“Immersing yourself in a new skill like yoga or drawing can be helpful, but individuals should not feel a pressure to find a new hobby they find themselves unable to do so during this time. The most important thing during this time is for people to stay safe and look after their mental health.”