Sweaty, limp,wet and lifeless- that's pretty much how I would describe my hair after a really good workout. As a relaxed hair gal, this pretty much leads to trashy wavy hair the next day if I leave it be, which since we are striving to be put together, is not what we want. Right? Yes, I'm giving you more work to do at the end of your day. Ten minutes though-I promise that's all it takes.
Blame my friend Leah who asked me to write a post on what I do so my hair looks decent the day after a good workout *shout out to Leah!!* since I am not the 'I wash my hair after a workout girl'. So here are my tips for hair with body sans that funky sweaty smell after a workout.
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There are a couple things I do pre-workout to help my locks retain their natural oils, and keep the ends away from salty sweat. (Salt in any kind is not good for your hair because it dehydrates it. This is why they tell you going to the beach is bad for your hair but excellent for your skin).
- Always always always tie your hair up and get it out of your face and off your neck. Before I chopped off my hair (pics coming soon when I learn to stop hating the short cut), my favourite way to do this was to coil my hair into a ballerina bun and use a small headband or bobby pins to keep my layers at bay. A pony tail works just fine but if you when you put it up the ends brush against your neck you will need to loop your ends up as well so they don't become trashy. Make sure that the bun or ponytail is on the looser side so you allow air to pass throw at the scalp; otherwise you're gonna be stuck with the scent of sweat on your scalp until you wash it.
- If you know your hair is going to get soaked no matter what you do, then spray the ends (not the scalp!) with a leave in conditioner and loop under. I don't use sweat bands because I like my hair with body and bounce and I don't normally go for flat styles but if you prefer a flat iron to a curling iron then a sweat band might be your friend. There is a lot of buzz about a product called saveyourdo that may be useful for those who shun volume. The Conditioner on the ends of your hair will keep trashiness at bay while the heat your body produces from the workout will act like a steam and provide the extra moisture your hair needs while you sweat.
Remember that you also sweat inside your hair and whatever products you've put into your hair needs to be safe for your skin as well or you will find yourself breaking out more. Sweaty hair is not a reason to avoid a work out and being healthy; just know that getting dirty means making time to clean up.
Post Workout Dos & Don'ts
DO:
If it's a weekday and I know I am not washing my hair the next morning or that night, as soon as my workout is over I lay a thin cotton towel over my shoulders and loosen my hair so that my scalp can dry and my locks can get a chance to air out.
DONT:
The absolute very last thing you want to do is to wrap your when it is wet with sweat. This will stink for days to come and you will regret
DO:
When you've showered and cleaned up and your hair is fairly dry, take some oil and gently apply to the very ends of the hair.
DONT:
Do not douse your head with a mositurizer, perfume or any other product as this may clog the pores on your scalp, making it retain smell, the sweat that may still be trapped there and later on produce excess oil
DO:
Turn on your blow dryer to the cool setting and finger dry your hair for about 20 mins or until it feels completely dry. This helps eliminate any smell, dries the scalp further and re-straightens the shaft as well as smooths it. (My hair immediately gets wavy if I allow it to completely dry after it gets wet, doing this keeps frizz at bay as well as helps to distribute the oils you applied to the end in a manageable way). This is the perfect time to set or wrap your hair. Just to make sure I have gotten all the wetness out I will leave my rollers uncovered or if I wrap my hair, I will tie it up with a cotton tiehead until I'm ready for bed.
DONT:
Do not use heat on your hair while you have sweat in it. This is too much for your hair, especially if you work out 3-5 times a week. Do not go to bed with your hair still wet, it will get trashy.
If the next morning my scalp feels like it needs a little moisture I will part my hair in four and apply a moisturizing lotion and massage it in. I have found that oils get too heavy on my hair especially if I work out that day.
And that's it! If you have any questions feel free to ask it in the comment form below, or if you have your own tips share it with me and I will publish it for everyone else to see. If you want to see how I style my hair when I have an event/meeting right after the gym and I only have time for a shower, leave a comment and I will post a video.
Till later,
Jane
