The Truth About Protecting Hair During a Workout
Protecting your hair while you work out is one of the best things you can do if you have textured hair, and it will save you a ton of time and effort spent on your hair. When you have natural hair, basic things like exercising, showering, and how you deal with the weather become major issues.
Everyone knows the body needs excersize to be healthy. Blood cell circulation will stimulate hair growth by sending nutrition to the scalp. You have a better chance of growing long, natural and healthy hair when you’re active.
The problem is, intense sweating and activity can bring trouble when you’re natural. Why? Because curls get wet, frizzy, and wild when you’re active.
When you were a child, your mom probably insisted on putting you in protective styles at least part of the time. Kids are so much more active than adults, and their curls would get tangled and matted if they went without protective styling.
Taking care of your natural hair during a workout is vital for the health of your tresses. In this article, we’ll discuss what to do to make sure your natural hair thrives while you exercise. If you want to know how to take care of your natural hair during workouts, keep reading.
Scalp Care During Your Workout
Taking care of your scalp while you work out should be a top priority. Dandruff and scalp fungus grow and thrive under wet, warm, and dark conditions. This makes your scalp the perfect target. However, a good sweat is amazing for the body. It’s the perfect way to cleanse and renew skin cells. So, what’s a natural to do?
The answer lies in how well you deal with the sweat afterward. A gorgeous mane comes from healthy follicles, and taking care of your scalp will help you grow the hair you want.
Here are some tips to help you care for your scalp after a workout:
Shampoo and Co-Wash More Frequently. If you’ve ever heard someone say they only wash their hair every couple of weeks, they probably don’t sweat. Sweating changes everything, and it can make your hair much dirtier in much less time. If you notice that you’re itchy and you’re scratching your head a lot, it’s time for a wash. Scratching can damage hair follicles and hinder hair growth.
The best shampoo to use is a sulfate-free cleanser that will moisturize and protect. If you find that frequent shampooing is too drying, alternate one or two shampoo sessions for a co-wash instead. Nutress Natural Hair Conditioner has enough cleansing properties that will help you refresh the scalp while conditioning the hair.
Also, consider adding coconut oil to your workout routine. Used on hair to help infuse moisture and prevent breakage this is seriously better than most moisturizers on the market, plus you know it’s all natural. You can even use a workout to give yourself an impromptu oil treatment! Apply it to damp hair, braid then off to the gym or whatever activity you had in mind. It saves time and you also get a chance for a quick hair treatment. The heat generated by your body while exercising helps the oil work better as well. Rinse out afterwards or whatever hair treatment you had planned.
Apply the oil in minimal amounts though otherwise you might end up with an oily slick streaming down your neck while exercising.
Use a Scalp Massager While Washing. Fingernails can be very harsh to hair follicles, and they don’t do a very good job of cleaning the scalp. Using a scalp massager will help to spread shampoo evenly on the scalp and so you can get the most use out of your products.
Remember, each tiny follicle bulb needs to be clean and clear for hair to grow. A good tool will help get all the sweat, dirt, and grime off your scalp, so that fungus and dandruff doesn’t have a chance to build.
Keep Your Scalp Dry. Keeping the scalp dry is a hard one for many naturals because of the nature of protective styling. It sometimes takes more than 24 hours to dry and hold a style, and it can be hard to allow the scalp breathing room when the hair is styled protectively.
It’s ideal to wear your hair in twists, braids, and scarves, but they must be lifted afterward to discourage fungus from growing.
Try standing in front of a cool gym fan after your sweaty workout while lifting the hair to dry the scalp. If you’ve worn a hat or scarf, remove it promptly after your workout to dry the scalp faster. Even fanning the back of your head while you lift the strands will help the scalp to dry.
How do Protective Styles Help You During a Workout?
Keeping your hair stretched, out of the way, and detangled will help your hair survive your workouts. As you probably know, kinky hair tangles very quickly. It’s these tangles that cause breakage as they cling onto other strands and knot.
Even a single strand can travel upward to knot onto itself if you don’t take proactive measures against tangling. Aim to stretch your mane through protective styles to reduce tangles during and after the exercise session.
Making twists or braids before the workout is convenient because your hair can dry into the manipulated shape and you’ll have a nice twist-out shortly after you’re done.
You can easily make the style acceptable to the public eye by pairing it with a cute cap or a silk scarf before the gym. Remove the headgear immediately after the workout and be sure your hair is completely dry of sweat before you unravel the twists or braids.
The pineapple hairstyle is another popular workout option. It’s the same one many naturals use to protect strands while they sleep. Making a pineapple is easy. Bring your strands forward to the top of your head, and then wrap a silk scarf around the back of your head to cover most of the hair. Then tie it in the front.
Lastly, headbands can be very useful for naturals. Headbands don’t just keep sweat out of your eyes. It can be an effective way of sopping up the sweat before it ever reaches your hair. Sweat contains bacteria, waste, and salt—none of which you want in your hair.
While the skin of the scalp does sweat, you’ll find sweat on your forehead too. Wearing a headband and washing it when you’re done is a good way to prevent the sweat from ever getting into your hair.
Protecting your hair during your workouts is key to having gorgeous, natural hair. If you exercise regularly and become proactive about how you care for your tresses before, during, and after the workout, you can be sure your hair will thrive for many years to come.
Now it’s your turn to discuss. What do you find most challenging about protecting your hair during workouts?