by NaturallyChelsea via NaturallyCurly
Summer is coming and that means minimal clothing and sexy bikinis. With this in mind, I’m sure we are all making a mad dash to the gym to turn our flabs to abs and have buns of steel. But while all this sweating is going on, what will you do with your hair?
Straight
If your hair is straight, your number one concern will probably be preventing reversion. To help combat this problem, pull your hair into a high, taught ponytail and tuck your ends away. The “taughtness” of the ponytail will help to keep your hair stretched and tucking your ends away will prevent them from touching your shoulders and becoming drenched in sweat.
It’s important not to loosen your ponytail until your hair is completely dry to ensure it dries in a somewhat stretched state. Protect your hair line with a sports headband to soak up your sweat and prevent the hair at your hairline from doing so.
Should your edges become frizzy, DO NOT RETOUCH THEM as too much heat causes damage. Simply grab your favorite pomade (not gel as it is wet and will cause more reversion) and a scarf. Apply the pomade to your edges then use your hands or a brush to slick them back. Wrap the scarf around your hairline then leave it on until you’re ready to leave the house (the longer the better). Once you remove the scarf, you will be left with smooth edges.
It is important to note that reversion will probably happen if you go hard at the gym or sweat a lot on your head. Instead of fighting against it, why not work with it? You could start off with straight hair then roller set your hair to hide the extra volume at the roots. Then, when reversion becomes more noticeable or the hair at the roots becomes too thick for down and out styles, try rocking ponytails and buns for the remainder of the days until it is wash day.
Curly
If you wear your hair curly, then here are your gym tips:
- Pineapple your hair. Just like you would at night, pull your hair into a high “pineapple” ponytail with a scrunchy. It will get your hair out of the way and prevent body sweat from getting to it. Also the scrunchy will allow your hair to effortlessly fall back down when released without leaving an annoying dent.
- Do your hair at the gym. If you are in the habit of styling your hair at night before bed and working out in the evening, then why not style your hair at the gym? If you’re worried about your hair frizzing up at the gym while you work out, then twist/braid it up right before exercising then pull the twist and braids into a ponytail and go. You don’t have to worry about ruining your style as it is already being set for the next day. Once your home and showered, you can go straight to bed rather than fussing in front of a mirror with sore muscles.
- Get rid of the sweat. Sweat is sterile when it leaves our pores and only begins to smell when it has been exposed to the air for a while and bacteria grows. If you follow the tip above, then grab a wash towel and warm water. Dip the rag in the warm water and gently run it along your parts and in between the braid/ twist if possible. This will help to get rid of some of the sweat and the smell that comes with it.
Hairstyles to Weather the Sweat Storm
- Wash and Go: If you sweat a lot then wash and gos are the perfect go-to hairstyle for you. This style will allow you to wash and restyle your hair as often as needed to keep your hairstyle fresh and your hair clean.
- Wet buns: If you don’t really sweat a lot on your head, then try wet bunning. The wet bun is easy to do and is as simple as cleansing, applying product, then pulling hair into a ponytail and bunning. This style will keep your hair looking cute and stylish so you won’t really have to worry about ruining your style. Also, since your hair is already up, there is no need to fuss with it at the gym. Once you feel the need to wash, you can quickly and easily do so and restyle.
- Double duty: The gym provides a wonderful opportunity to do double duty by exercising and pampering your hair. While exercising, you can deep condition by applying the product to your hair then donning a shower cap and beanie. This works best for activities that do not involve a lot of movement, like weightlifting. Also utilize your gym’s sauna to steam your hair without investing in an expensive hair steamer.
How do you style your hair for the gym? What’s your routine following?
A wet bun does not work for my 4b/4c hair because my hair needs to be stretched out before it can be styled in any kind of way! So maybe a dry bun.
this post couldn't have been more useful to me! I've just made the decision to go natural, and the thought of working out and dealing with my hair terrified me. I have to confess that I'm one of those girls who would use her hair as an excuse not to work out. I can't wait to use these tips and get my work out on!!
Thanks for this thread. I work out every day at least once so I sweat a lot and am also transitioning. I like curly twists but how do you get them to last? How often do you have to them over again? I'm also a busy med student so don't have hours to do my hair all the time but worry about frizz and curls falling out. Any ideas??
I workout 3-4 days a week and sweat a lot. Some days it is dripping off of my face. I am usually wearing a twist out so i just pin some of the hair away from my face and keep it moving. My hair sweats and shrinks up some. I either twist it after I get home or if it still looks good, I just throw a satin scarf on. In the morning I untwist or just fluff. If I am wearing my curly fro, I don't do anything with it before I go to the gym! It looks great before, during and after my workout. At night I put my scarf on and in the morning I fluff and go. I went to the gym last night and sweat mass amounts, but did not have to retwist my hair! It looks great today too!
I just wear a head band to keep the hair out of my face while running. If it's straight (which is rare), then I just put it in a pony tail bun to keep my hair from touching the sweat tha accumulates on the back of my neck.
(celebrateyournaturalbeauty.blogspot.com)
Good tips 🙂
I keep my hair in twists but I usually go to the gym on Sat, Sun and Wed. So I don't wash till Sunday after. I experiment on Saturday, styles I may want to try for the upcoming week. On Wednesdays, if its a twist I do nothing and finally twist out Thursday for work. I sweat alot but I don't find my hair smells too bad, I think, lol.
thanks so much!! i am transitioning and sometimes like to wear my hair straight and i am one of those girls that actually likes to get my sweat on at the gym, so i can't wait to try these suggestions 🙂
I'm going to try pineapling my hair at the gym. I've only ever done my hair at the gym after swimming.
I work out 4-5 days a week. I'm also transitioning (going on 14 months), so I no matter if I'm wearting my hair straight, I wear my hair in a high bun and wear a bandana around my edges like a sweatband. After I'm done working out I take off the bandana but leave the bun until my edges are dry. If I'm wearing a curly style (braid/twist out), I usually braid/twist my hair prior to working out, then follow the same bandana steps mentioned above.
Since my hair is usually twisted, I just keep it in a mid-head bun, protecting the ends, of course. I secure it with my Goody Comfort-Flex Updo Barrette. Love it! I also wear an headband to secure my twisted bang area. – discoveringnatural.blogspot.com
This is a great post! I'll have to try that warm wash cloth tip. I usually wear twists or buns Monday-Friday so I just pull them up and wear a "dri-sweat" band…so far so good
I usually wear my hair in twists for a twist out to the gym. I don a thin beanie and work out. After I shower, I just undo my twists, fluff and BOOM, I have a wonderfully voluminous twistout.
Hey Lovlies, I work out about 3 to 5 days a week. I really struggled to find a hairstyle that work well with sweating like a pig, and looking good afterwards. My hair is not long enough to tie back, and i didn't want to do a wash and go everyday….so i bought a sweat band from Lorna Jane, twisted my hair in 2 strand twists, and found my miracle. The sweatband soaks up any sweat that forms on my edges and my scalp is 'breathing' so it seems to remain dry. I always aim for the machines closest to the air conditioning vents – sometimes i'm right under the vents, and i make sure my water is as close to freezing as possible. So far so good, I've managed to continue working out, and still look good afterwards.
I just allow my hair to be because I already keep my hair twisted most of the time . And if not it is going to be twisted upon arrivng to the gym. Depending on how lazy I am or on how perfusivley I sweated id even do a quick light cowash in the shower with my hair still in twists
I really needed this article! Now I can do that insanity without worryin' about my kinks!
I just wear a sweat band. If my hair is flat ironed, I pull it back into a ponytail. If its curly, then I just let it hand, with a sweat band on. It works for me!