Excercise vs. My Hair (Is It Possible to Keep Hair Straight?)

[wyldcurlz]

I workout a lot and I need to know how I can maintain my flat-iron/press style? Its like a fight: Excercise vs. My Hair (and my hair is losing.)

I really, really, really hope someone here has some ideas on how I can maintain the nice look of my straightened hair and hairline even though I'm working out daily and sweating at the scalp??

Please come through for me LHCF ladies...I desperatelyneed your help!

 

[blue_flower]

Some years ago, I would go to the gym with a stocking cap and a regular scarf over my head when I went in the evenings. After I worked out, I would leave it on over night. In the morning, my hair would be flat and dry. I don't do that anymore because that stocking cap is pretty tight. Now when I go to the gym I just put my hair up and put on a headband. I jog a lot and light sweating exercises such as walking or cycling just doesn't cut it for me. I don't mind if my roots wave up. HTH.

 

[MissScarlett]

I feel your pain! I really do, I struggle with this and I have even posted this question myself before.

I have super curls, 3b or 3c (I'm not good with this hair type thing) and I flat iron/bd to get my hair straight once a week, my hair will revert in a minute if it gets an ounce of water, humdity and yes sweat...but I gotta work out! It's such a trade-off. AND I work out 4-5 days a week w/ intenese cardio so I sweat ALOT.

I pull my hair in a high ponytail, wrap the ponytail into a bun and put a scrunchie on, then I put on a headband, ok so this aint doing much cause the roots still get sweat-i-fied but when I'm done, I comb/smooth the roots/edges back down, keep my hair up like that (even after I shower) let it dry, sleep on it (sounds nasty I know) and in the am, bump the edges w/ a flat iron/or curling iron or if its really bad, blow my edges out. The back typically stays straight, its just about 3-4 inches of the roots that give me trouble. I hate having sweaty hair but what else to do? I would rather have sweaty hair than be outta shape.

Now that its getting warmer, I'll be bunning it, not my favorite hairstyle (cause I don't feel cute for some reason) but it will be too hot to do all of that and maintain my straight style for an entire week. Pretty soon, it will be straight co-washes or buns.

 

[adw425]

I am natural and work out daily now. Like Miss Scarlett, I also pull my hair up into a high ponytail. I then braid it, tuck it under with a bobby pin and put on a pretty headband with little teeth. The headband I have does not hurt my head although most headbands with teeth do hurt. Although my hair is thoroughly soaked when I am done, the tension from the elastic band keeps it from frizzing and fuzzing up. I rinse or CO wash every night. I was just putting in the camellia/monoi oil combo, but last night I added Aveda elixir to the mix before the oil. I put in a ponytail, put on a silk or satin scarf and my hair is fine in the morning. It is straight with just the slighted hint of a wave pattern. The moisture, the tension and tying it down with a scarf at night keep my hair straight to the root. The rest of my hair in the morning is nice and curly enough to wear down, but I actually like to wear buns. I do like straight hair, but I don't flat-iron that often and, when I do, it would only last for the day if I am going to work out that night. Later in the year when I may want to wear my hair down more often, I will probably do the banding method. I did do it a few weeks ago and it did turn out nicely. You may want to try banding.

 

[wyldcurlz]

argh! its so frustrating. i'm back to my 2-a-day training schedule and its cardio intense. i LOVE the way my hair looks flat-ironed straight (with some waves in it.) but my hairline gets poufy from the sweat - roots & kitchen. after a few days the rest of my hair doesn't fall nicely either.

blue_flower how'd the stocking cap trick work? it didn't make your all your hair frizzy from the steam? i'd think it'd be like sitting in a sauna? if not, hey, i'm willing to try it.

Miss Scarlett has your hair suffered a lot of damage from flat-ironing the roots once it poufs? (and PS: if that's you in the siggy...what'd you use to slick your hair back with? and how much of it did you use? your hair looks pretty...i can never get mine to stay smoothly slicked back and look sleek.) how often are you wearing your hair flat-ironed? and what type of conditioning do you do at the root? (I'm so scared of breakage/damage, but I know a good conditioner can help a lot!) Do you use heat-protectant?

i usually don't flat-iron or press that often. my hair is natural & i'm trying to grow it about 4-5 more inches to get to (what i think it my goal.) i know i look best with my hair down and straight...i just wish i could figure out a non-damaging way to do it.

more help is appreciated!

Miss Scarlett check your pm - i have a few questions for you!!

 

[bLackButtaFly]

I go through the same thing. I just straightened my hair earlier this week, but I'm training for a 5K, so not running is not an option. The first day tried wrapping it right after, but the roots still got crazy, adn I had to striaghten with a curling iron. The next time I did pin curls, and the sweat actually helped them set, so it was curly wavy, and the roots weren't bad. Unfortunately it also rained that day, so that didn't last long. I gave up and put have just been doing my braidouts, just braiding before or after I go to the gym, and they've come out really cute, if I do say so myself. BUt if i'm rocking my normal fro or puff, I put on a goodie ouchless headband first close to the front, and move it further back everyday, until I get close to a puff pony, and then redo on sat or sun. It's not perfect, but I gotta get my workout in.

 

[Ms Red]

I'm working out 4-5 times a week and haven't figured this out either. Sad to say I just don't use heat.

 

[Divine_Order]

I workout darn near 7 days a week. I've been rockin' braid outs...I figure I can wear it straight when I get my body right!

 

[Divine Inspiration]

Keeping mine wrapped in a scarf during my workouts reduces the frizziness and reversion.

 

[kimbaparis]

have you tried putting a little water then gel or beeswax or both on the hairline and putting a scarf or some sort of soft headband on it for about 15 minutes? i do that and it straightens it right out. i too have the gym trouble. my hair is texlaxed and i like to set in in curls. one gym trip frizzes that up, but someone else said that hairnetting in and then letting it dry in the hairnet would keep the curls. that with the beeswax gel trick might work. i only work out 3-4 times a week though so with careful scheduling i get away with only 2 frizzy days a week (i set it twice a week)

 

[glamazon386]

Can you wrap it until you're done? Even if it puffs it should stay straight bc of the scarf.

 

[MissScarlett]

argh! its so frustrating. i'm back to my 2-a-day training schedule and its cardio intense. i LOVE the way my hair looks flat-ironed straight (with some waves in it.) but my hairline gets poufy from the sweat - roots & kitchen. after a few days the rest of my hair doesn't fall nicely either.


Miss Scarlett has your hair suffered a lot of damage from flat-ironing the roots once it poufs? (and PS: if that's you in the siggy...what'd you use to slick your hair back with? and how much of it did you use? your hair looks pretty...i can never get mine to stay smoothly slicked back and look sleek.) how often are you wearing your hair flat-ironed? and what type of conditioning do you do at the root? (I'm so scared of breakage/damage, but I know a good conditioner can help a lot!) Do you use heat-protectant?


Miss Scarlett check your pm - i have a few questions for you!!

I have a CHI flat iron and ionic curling iron, and a revlon 1875 ionic tourmaline dryer (someone posted this and I LOVE it) I know its not PC around LHCF to use heat but I like my hair straight and I do. I suffered with frizzy chesely clinton hair for too many years I straighten once a week or once every two weeks, and on that off week I'm wearing a bun or I'm curly.

When I'm straight and I work out about 4-5 days a week and its 30mins elliptical and 20mins treadmill so i am sweating! the roots are the only thing that get wet cause I put it in the high ponytail and bun, this has been a big issue for me b/c I like to workout. I posted this question myself before, but the things that other ladies did, didn't work for me so I've developed my own way but it works for me. I wear my hair straight in a ponytail most days and the back stays straight, I haven't suffered any damage from bumping my edges with the curling iron or my roots with the flat iron, I do it very lightly and only after about the 3rd day of working out when the roots are just WILD and curly. Keeping it in a tight bun gives it that tension to keep the back straight and keeps the curling of the roots to a minimum. when I bd/flat iron I use ION heat protectant. I put this on my roots if I flat iron them as well. I deep condition with nexxus keraphix reconstructor

My pic in my avatar is my standard curly hairstyle from May to september or october, this GA humdity is no joke and I don't kill myself trying to straighten in that heat. I wash and co. with nexxus humectress and therape, infusium 23 leave in OR redken anti-snap leave in (LOVE both of these) usually the infusium, I comb through, while its wet, put on some hair serum (I have many that I use regularly) NTM, garnier fructris, tigi bedhead control freak frizz control, sometimes I also add garnier fructris curly pudding but I generally just use some serum. I do all this while my hair is soaking wet, not towel dried, I want the product to dry on my hair and I comb the ponytail out and DO NOT touch it. It dries like that into those cork screws. I sometimes also put it wet in a hair clip and it dries like that too. BUt I don't manipulate my hair or touch it again until I co-wash the next day w/ usually humectress or garnier sleek and shine. In the warm months I co everyday and wash every four days usually. I'm pretty low on hair products b/c although my hair is curly, it is sorta fine and gets weighed down easy with products

 

[kadej]

bumping for more ideas...

 

[jerjer29]

The best thing you can do is wrap your hair or something to where your hair laying down really flat. If you were to tie your hair down with a scarf and work out, DO NOT take off your scarf until your hair is done sweating and has dried, or else when you take it down you'll have nothing but frizz. When i did pilates at home with my DVD workouts, the best thing i could do is wrap my hair and tie it down really tight. Take a shower with my hair still wrapped and not take off the scarf or comb my hair out till all my hair was dry. That's what kept my hair under control the most.

 

[amber815]

I put my hair in a high ponytail with a bun using seyani hair butter and put a headband on. when i take the bobby pins out of the bun it looks like I curled the ends and I just wrap it up.

 

[loved]

I hope you get a good answer OP.

I have tried splitting my hair in half and pulling the ends of the 2 ponytails away from the back of my head -pinning them in a crossover fashion to the top and tying a scarf on this. I was doing this because I sweat the most of the back middle of my scalp.

The problem is that as soon as I get into my class or my run and feel a little sweat I snatch the scarf off for comfort.