5 Things I've Used As A Last-Minute Hijab In Quarantine

What's a girl to do?!

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As a hijabi, going into isolation for three months with little physical interaction means the freedom for my hair to breathe. Need to join a virtual meeting? No problem, but my camera will be off. No exceptions!

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I’ve gotten a little too lazy with my hijab habits during quarantine, resulting in a lot of “oh no's" and quickly grabbing the closest object to cover my hair. I mean, I could always have a hijab on me at all times, but walking to the closet is too much work. So my laziness has definitely created a lot of funny moments!

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1. Blanket

Anna Syed

This is a common one. Every hijabi knows the trick: When an unplanned video call comes in, just grab a blanket to cover your hair. It does the job and is a super easy hack for when you don’t want to lose your comfortable position in bed.

2. Pillow

Anna Syed

This is for when you don’t have time to wrap the blanket around your head. AKA you dialed into a meeting thinking your camera would be off, but alas, it's on, and you PANIC. Once I grabbed the nearest pillow I saw and just held it above my head until I could turn the camera off. I mean hey, it got the job done.

3. Towel

Anna Syed

Is your hair soaked and you refuse to put on a hijab with wet hair? No problem, just use a towel. I’ve done this when I’ve come out of the shower, running late for a virtual meeting. Of course, everyone sees my head in a towel for a few seconds before I praise the “Video Off” option for existing.

4. Book

Anna Syed

This one was also a result of an unexpected “Video On” occurrence. You’re probably thinking, "Why doesn’t she just put a sticky note on her camera?" Well, I tend to be overconfident when I enter meetings, assuming my camera will be off. I used a book to cover my hair when I embarrassingly joined my lab late, and everyone else’s camera was off. I was sitting there for a solid second before realizing I joined with my camera on. My hands grabbed the nearest object (a book), and I awkwardly rushed to turn the camera off. Not ideal.

5. My hands

Anna Syed

Last but not least, the weirdest of them all. I once accidentally picked up a video call too soon, and I thank the heavens for having my phone positioned flat on the desk, just a portion of my face showing, so that I could use my hands to cover the front of my hair. It was quite embarrassing and led to a lot of laughter!

As you could tell, I probably need a hijab on me at ALL times...lesson learned!

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