Health & Fitness
Braiding your fringe into a headband and spritzing your roots with dry shampoo are just some of the ways you can look after your hair at the gym. The hair and beauty experts from Hairtrade.com have compiled ten top tips to help you workout without worrying about your hair.
Some of the suggestions include conditioning your hair before swimming and wearing a headband for intense cardio. Others tips such as blow-drying your hair on the coldest setting and avoiding using too many products whilst styling your gym look also feature. Hairstyles to wear at the gym such as the double looped topknot or French braids are also recommended as both will look after your hair whilst keeping it out of your face.
Joanne Dodds from Hairtrade.com said: “Worrying about greasy hair or causing damage to your locks shouldn’t be the reason people avoid exercise.
“Making time to go to the gym can be really difficult and adding in the extra pressure of having to sort out your hair afterwards can make it worse. That’s why our tips give a variety of ideas to look after your hair before, during and after your workout so you can exercise without the stress. Simple things such as not touching your hair and learning how to pin it up without using elastics and tight grips can make a big difference to your post-workout hair.”
Here are the tips:
Condition hair before swimming
If you’re having a swimming session make sure you use leave-in conditioner before you take a dip to prevent hair from soaking up the chlorine. Preferably use a swimming cap as well to protect your locks.
The double looped topknot
Topknots keep your hair at bay whilst working out but they can damage your hair due to the amount of bobbles and grips required. Try splitting your hair in two and then looping them together as a way of keeping it in place with only one bobble.
Don’t use many products
If you’re styling your hair for the gym try not to weigh it down with too many products. The products will mix with any sweat on your scalp and weigh it down making it look greasier.
Wear a headband
If you really want to avoid sweaty hair then wearing a headband is the best method of prevention as it soaks it all up before it reaches your hairline. Wear one of these if you have a high cardio work out ahead.
Cold blow-dry
If you want to remove sweat from your hair quickly but don’t have time to wash it try blow-drying it on the cold setting to dry out the sweat quickly. Plus the cold air is great for preventing static and frizz.
Headband braid
If you have a fringe or bangs around your face then braiding your hair to create a headband effect is a great way of keeping your hair in place without damaging it with numerous grips.
Dry shampoo on roots
Spray some dry shampoo on to your roots before your work out as a way of soaking up any sweat that may arise. Plus it will give your hair a volume boost to prevent it looking too flat.
Stop touching your hair
During your workout it’s no surprise that you may want to touch your hair either to sweep sweat away or to reposition your hairstyle. But by doing so you’re simply spreading the sweat through your hair and making the greasy effect worse.
French braids
A perfect style, which keeps your hair in place whilst working out and creates a great curly style when you leave the gym.
Hair needs hydration post-workout
If you’ve worked up a sweat whilst at they gym and don’t have time to wash it afterwards then you must spritz with a hydrating formula. The salt in your sweat can seriously dry out hair so some dry conditioner is a must-have.
