Hair Gym & Sweat

[Energist]

Do any of you ladies worry about your hair sweating out at the gym? I've been going for a month and work up a heavy sweat at each session. I feel like there is no way around a sweaty head. I had been wearing turbans, but that was making the White folks feel uneasy, so I just now wear my hair in a bun and take a towel and dab around the edges... not like it helps much, but I don't know any other way

 

[The Girl]

I fight with this too. I was trying to wear my half wig but it was too hot an the front was looking a HAM. Even if I wear my hair then it sweats to hell and I am 4 months post so it gets really interesting. I guess the bun is the only way but what if you work out 4-5 days a week? Gymfreak....help us

 

[Energist]

Yeah, I've been trying to go atleast 5 days and then when I get home, I immediately wrap it up. I just hope that the sweat isn't damaging or wearing out my hair because it's relaxed

 

[need2accumulate]

I think the bun is the easiest for me but I sweat a lot. Like my hair will be soaking wet dripping!

 

[nicki6]

I workout 3-5 times a week and have totally given up on being "hair cute". I sweat heavily in my head and a bun is my everyday style.

Truth be told, I'd rather have a bangin' body more than cute (or long) hair

 

[csmoot]

I really need help on this as well. I am in the gym 6 days a week. And I sweat like a demon. That is one of the reasons why my hair is in the condition its in now. I was 185 at one time and dropped down to 143. During that time my hair suffered and I went from below shoulder length hair to little past chin hair. (Also did not help I had no idea how to take care of my hair and my stylist, at the time, was not much better).

No I am co-washing in the middle of the week and wearing a bun. I don't know what else to do. BUT I must say that the longer I stretch the less cute this bun is looking and these folks at work are looking at me cross eyed bc my hair is not all loose and blown out like it was when I first started. (And I am not about to give black girl hair lessons to anybody!)

 

[dorko]

yessss ugh.. that's why i'm not relaxing my hair this summer.. i'ma just mess it up.. i usually put my hair in pigtails when i go cuz the middle of my head just be all wet when i get home, but lately i just put it up in a bun

i dunno what to do with it !

 

[e$h]

I bun Monday thru Friday and those are also my workout days as well. I take my scarf to the gym and tie it down. My girlfriend told me that I would sweat more with it on my head but I really didn't see nor feel a difference. When I finished, I took the scarf off and my hair was fine. If my sweating is to the extreme, I'll just go home and co-wash and bun again.

HTH!

 

[preciousjewel76]

I workout at home. What I do is wear one of those cheapie "waffle weave" style headbands around my hairline to hold my hair in place. You can find these at a dollar store or BSS. They're made of a stretchy material. This headband doesn't do much to absorb the sweat, but I just dab that away with a towel. I wear it to hold my hair in place while I'm working out. As far as the sweat goes, I rinse my hairline & nape (where I sweat the most) in the shower for a few seconds, to get the sweat out. If necessary, I'll slap some gel on these areas and tie down. I co-wash mid-week and poo/DC on the weekends. This has been working out well for me.

 

[BrickbyBrick]

Hi Energist ,
I work out Monday through Thursdays and have been doing the scarf thing like e$h mentioned. I've noticed some ladies wrap their hair, scarf it and either take it down when the workout is over or leave the wrap, remove the wet scarf and replace it with another, or variations of this. I'm lazy so I wear a bun and scarf it. Currently nine weeks post. The wrapping isn't good to my edges which get really dry after eight weeks, so that's why I bun. It's okay for now, but I am sick of hearing "do you ever wear your hair down?" at work.

 

[adw425]

I work out every day now and I pull my hair back in a high ponytail and make a braid and tuck/pin it under. I put on a plastic headband with teeth in it. Most headbands with teeth may hurt my head, but this one doesn't. I got it from WalMart and it has rubber tips on each end. The tension from the elastic band and headband keep my hair tamed when I sweat. When I finish, although my hair is usually pretty wet, I just brush it back once and it lies back down. It did not do that when I first started working out about six weeks ago, but when I added a bit of emu oil to my oil blend that I put in wet hair at night, it helped stop my hair from frizzing when I sweat in my head. When I work out at lunchtime, after my shower, I lock my office door for about 15 minutes and put my satin scarf on -- tight (smile)... I do either rinse, CO wash or wash (applying a daily cleansing shampoo with an application bottle to my scalp) every day.

 

[Pussinboots]

I'm in braids right now, so I don't have that problem, but when my hair was out, what I did was tie it down tight with a pretty satin scarf. After my workout and shower I would take the scarf off and my hair would be lying flat. There are quite a few bw at my gym and alot of them do wear scarfs/bandanas so I guess the cream colored folk are used to it.

 

[Energist]

Thanks for all of the replies here, it's been very helpful! I think I'm going to go back to wearing a scarf around the edges. I know that they have some stylish satin scarves out now that I can just tie around the edge, so I'm going to look for those.

Yeah, I've hardly been wearing my hair down because of the sweat curling up my edges and new growth and me not wanting to use any heat or anything to press it down. Maybe the scarf will help.

 

[Determined22]

I workout 3-5 times a week and have totally given up on being "hair cute". I sweat heavily in my head and a bun is my everyday style.

Truth be told, I'd rather have a bangin' body more than cute (or long) hair

You and me both!

I sweat near the front of my head, and so far the only thing that has been helping me keep my hair under control has been buns and washing more frequently.

 

[deltagyrl]

I usually pull my hair back in a clip, wash more frequently and wear twistouts.

We can't wear scarves at my gym...

 

[Arcadian]

I work out 5 days a week and sweat like crazy. I always rinse my hair after working out, because I hate how nasty my hair feels after working out. Since I bun 95% of the time, its not a big deal. I already sweat enough to where any style I had would be totally blown anyway.


-A

 

[ChocalateDiva]

I have been wrapping my hair and leaving my silk scarf around my head. After my workout I unwrap my hair and comb it down and it looks aight. My hair is short that alot of your so that might make a difference.

PS. I dont care WTF the white folks think....................unless I'm dating em. (U heard me??)

 

[Preti Gyal]

Man, yall must have read my mind! I currently work out 5-6 days a week and I usually end each work out with 20 minutes in the Sauna! This basically means death to my hair. I wash and deep condition every Saturday but since my workout schedule has picked up I find the need for some type of hair cleansing by mid-week. I dont like co-washing so much because it leaves my hair feeling like it missed out on something. I think I'll keep my satin scarfs in rotation and do an acv rinse/DC/then tie down in a bun...this usually keeps my edges flat so I can still wear a half wig during the day. Just glad to know I'm not the only one looking busted and disgusted leaving the gym *hair dripping wet through the satin scarf*

 

[gymfreak336]

I fight with this too. I was trying to wear my half wig but it was too hot an the front was looking a HAM. Even if I wear my hair then it sweats to hell and I am 4 months post so it gets really interesting. I guess the bun is the only way but what if you work out 4-5 days a week? Gymfreak....help us

Hey girl. I have a couple of secrets for hair care at the gym.

For starters, if you have hair long enough for a pony tail then buy two cotton sweat bands, like the ones basketball players where. After you pull your hair back, side it over your edges. It will keep your hair laying flat and sweat off of your face. The reason I said buy two is because if you want to take it one step futher, line one with satin. Go a fabric store and you can get a little piece for just about nothing. Save the satin one for when you leave the gym. Spray your edges with a little water or braid spray and use the satin lined band until it dries. It will keep them smooth and mositurized.

When I work out and get really sweat and hot and nasty, dealing with my hair can be hard. What I like to do though when I get to the locker room is part my hair with a shower comb or my fingers (depending how many weeks post I am) into four or more little sections. I use HUGE roller on each section to help aid the drying process and keep my ends smooth. Now you can wait to you get home to do this is if you feel uncomfortable. By using a big roller, I don't get tight curls but it helps my hair dry smooth enough to finger comb and flat wrap at night which will give me a smooth style in the morning.

When I have alot of new growth going on I plan my workouts better. For example... If I normally wash on tuesdays and saturday then my most intense cardio sessions are going to be the day before or the day I wash. For the rest of my cardio sessions I do longer endurance training which gives me a good cardio workout and, for me atleast, gives me less sweating.

I have a very tempermental scalp and I get horrible itchy spells out of the blue. Sweat and an itchy scalp don't mix so I keep anti-itch braid spray, cortisone creams and anti itch zine creme (by creme of nature) in my gymbag. I also use shampoos once a week or once every two weeks designed for itchy scalps. Its much easier prevent a flareup instead of treating one.

When all else fails, have a back up plan. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you hair might not act right. Always have octopus clips on hand or other clips that allow you to make buns. I also will get my hair set very tightly curled so that I as I workout during the week, they gradually fall and I get the messy sexy look. The key in making what every style you decide look is best is anti-frizz products. Make sure your hair is mositurized so you will get less frizz and keep a little tube of anti-frizz cream and serum on hand.

 

[The Girl]

Hey girl. I have a couple of secrets for hair care at the gym.

For starters, if you have hair long enough for a pony tail then buy two cotton sweat bands, like the ones basketball players where. After you pull your hair back, side it over your edges. It will keep your hair laying flat and sweat off of your face. The reason I said buy two is because if you want to take it one step futher, line one with satin. Go a fabric store and you can get a little piece for just about nothing. Save the satin one for when you leave the gym. Spray your edges with a little water or braid spray and use the satin lined band until it dries. It will keep them smooth and mositurized.

When I work out and get really sweat and hot and nasty, dealing with my hair can be hard. What I like to do though when I get to the locker room is part my hair with a shower comb or my fingers (depending how many weeks post I am) into four or more little sections. I use HUGE roller on each section to help aid the drying process and keep my ends smooth. Now you can wait to you get home to do this is if you feel uncomfortable. By using a big roller, I don't get tight curls but it helps my hair dry smooth enough to finger comb and flat wrap at night which will give me a smooth style in the morning.

When I have alot of new growth going on I plan my workouts better. For example... If I normally wash on tuesdays and saturday then my most intense cardio sessions are going to be the day before or the day I wash. For the rest of my cardio sessions I do longer endurance training which gives me a good cardio workout and, for me atleast, gives me less sweating.

I have a very tempermental scalp and I get horrible itchy spells out of the blue. Sweat and an itchy scalp don't mix so I keep anti-itch braid spray, cortisone creams and anti itch zine creme (by creme of nature) in my gymbag. I also use shampoos once a week or once every two weeks designed for itchy scalps. Its much easier prevent a flareup instead of treating one.

When all else fails, have a back up plan. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you hair might not act right. Always have octopus clips on hand or other clips that allow you to make buns. I also will get my hair set very tightly curled so that I as I workout during the week, they gradually fall and I get the messy sexy look. The key in making what every style you decide look is best is anti-frizz products. Make sure your hair is mositurized so you will get less frizz and keep a little tube of anti-frizz cream and serum on hand.

This I will have to try

 

[gymfreak336]

This I will have to try

I works really well when you have alot of newgrowth. I get the curly fro looks so people think I did it on purpose.

 

[MissScarlett]

Sigh...I fight with this all the timeerplexed I just give up, I have to look cute so the hair takes a back seat. I just put my hair in a very very TIGHT, high ponytail, wrap my ponytail into a high bun, that preserves the ponytail and then it just leaves my edges all sweaty and curly, I can sleep on it a day or so but not much more than that then its back to a bun or curly style.

 

[Energist]

Always have octopus clips on hand or other clips that allow you to make buns. I also will get my hair set very tightly curled so that I as I workout during the week, they gradually fall and I get the messy sexy look. The key in making what every style you decide look is best is anti-frizz products. Make sure your hair is mositurized so you will get less frizz and keep a little tube of anti-frizz cream and serum on hand.

This is a very good tip, I'm going to try!

 

[winterinatl]

I used to work out all week, and I sweated heavily each and everytime.
I would C.O. wash, or shampoo at least every other day, airdrying in a bun, wavy ponytail, or single braid.

I would let it down in the evening driving home from work to air out my scalp. After a while, in the routine there came a day or two where I didn't need to wash, my head hadn't sweated that much. Rarely if ever pressed it out during this time though, which is how I got the habit not to flat iron now.

 

[bluwatersoul]

Im in braids, sweat like a horse, its not that easy b/c I am very fuzzy, this is actually more difficult than when I was relaxed. I wear a bandanna(which is pretty much soaked after a workout) and when I shower, I make sure at least my hairline gets rinsed. before I come out, I take xom eof that chepa conditioner they have in the shower and rub it over the top of my braids and my hairline, and then tie my satin scarf on tight. Then I dress and do my face, and go back to work, usually taking the scarf off just before I get in the building or on the walk back.

If I am going to sauna, I use a bid handful of conditioner on my head before I go in , and then rinse it out in the shower. I did this when relaxed, too, and then would just bun the rest of the day.

 

[blue_flower]

I workout 3-5 times a week and have totally given up on being "hair cute". I sweat heavily in my head and a bun is my everyday style.

Truth be told, I'd rather have a bangin' body more than cute (or long) hair

I KNOW that's right! I just wear braidouts and headbands. Gotta keep it simple. When I do wear my hair straight, I still workout and just my roots become wavy, which I don't mind. I've just learned to pratical about my hair when it comes to working out.

 

[CurleeDST]

Why would you change what works for you SIMPLY b/c some white folks are paranoid? Doesn't make sense and we give them too much power. I was working out at the gym on a daily basis and I always covered my head up to soak up the sweat with a cotton handkerchief scarf b/c it worked for me.

Heck - ALL the ladies in the gym wore covered heads to soak up the sweat. All that cardio is NO JOKE!

I would suggest you cover your head to soak up the sweat. If you are working out - you can't get over the fact that you are sweating (unless you really aren't working out) so do not be afraid of the sweat. By the time I took the scarf off and got home my head would be dry. Winter time is worse b/c who wants to go outside with wet head but summertime is coming so that is much easier.

HTH

Do any of you ladies worry about your hair sweating out at the gym? I've been going for a month and work up a heavy sweat at each session. I feel like there is no way around a sweaty head. I had been wearing turbans, but that was making the White folks feel uneasy, so I just now wear my hair in a bun and take a towel and dab around the edges... not like it helps much, but I don't know any other way

 

[Cleve_gryl]

When I work out and get really sweat and hot and nasty, dealing with my hair can be hard. What I like to do though when I get to the locker room is part my hair with a shower comb or my fingers (depending how many weeks post I am) into four or more little sections. I use HUGE roller on each section to help aid the drying process and keep my ends smooth. Now you can wait to you get home to do this is if you feel uncomfortable. By using a big roller, I don't get tight curls but it helps my hair dry smooth enough to finger comb and flat wrap at night which will give me a smooth style in the morning.

Gymfreak, I tried this today and it worked like a dream!!! I did wait until I got home and set hair on about 6 big magnetic rollers...I even found a use for that stupid Dove mist . I lightly sprayed each section and rolled it up. My roots flattened out and got a little curl to the ends. Great tip, Thanks!