There are few things better than that post-workout buzz you get after conquering your third spin class of the week. Your glutes are on fire and your shirt is sticking to your back, but man, don’t you feel glorious! The sweat has your skin glistening, but wait! Your hair is dripping with sweat!
We’ve all been there. You finish up an intense workout and feel good until you walk past the wall of mirrors in the gym and see your hair! It’s out of place, drenched in sweat, and completely disheveled. Your first instinct might be to grab your cute dad hat out of your bag to cover up the mess, or even quickly run your emergency dry shampoo spray through it, but those are the worst things you could do!
Instead of going about it all wrong, try these few tricks to help you have the most epic, post-workout hair to match your post-workout buzz.
Pre-Workout, Prep Your Hair with Dry Shampoo
That’s right. Apply your dry shampoo BEFORE your workout. Dry shampoo is meant to be used on dry hair, not the sopping wet hair you have after your morning pilates class. By putting dry shampoo into your hair pre-workout, you’re preparing your strands to absorb the sweat during your workout, rather than letting it all sit on your scalp. A great dry shampoo to use pre-workout is Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo to absorb excess oil from the hair and protect against additional residue, if you still need a little help post-workout, opt for the Redken Invisible Dry Shampoo to instantly and invisibly refresh your strands.
Motion Proof Your Hair with Protective Styles
No matter what type of exercise you’ll be doing, it’s highly likely that your hair will be flopping up and down, and whipping side to side. It’s super easy to either whip your hair right out of its elastic or even tangle your hair into a knotted mess. This is why you need to style your hair properly before you begin your workout.
If you’re doing a lightweight workout, like meditative yoga, then you don’t need any style over the top. A simple three-strand braid or two will do the trick. For medium intensity workouts like Zumba, you’ll want something a little more secure. Try a sturdy medium or top bun that will keep your hair out of your face while you dance! Then, for the highest intensity training session, put your hair into tight, french braids. Or, if you have curly or highly textured hair, opt for a topknot with a sweat-catching headband.
Avoid Over-Shampooing
It’s basic human instinct to want to immediately shower and wash your hair after sweating so much, but that’s not actually the most necessary thing to do. Yes, you should shower and wash your body after every workout, however, you don’t need to wash your hair each time. Your sweat actually provides rich oils to your hair that people often mistake as just gross, dirty sweat. Instead of washing your hair after every workout, use shampoo only two to three times a week. For your wash days, try a rejuvenating shampoo like Wella Professionals Invigo Nutri-Enrich Deep Nourishing Shampoo. Use this as a frame of reference, but if the sweat starts to build and cake onto your scalp, then it is definitely time for a good wash, and maybe treat yourself with a luxurious mask, like Keune’s CARE KERATIN SMOOTH MASK while you’re at it!
Written by: Sahara
