I am new here and really hope you can help. I work out 6 days a week and don't consider it a good work out unless I'm dripping with sweat. I have relaxed hair about three inches past my collar bone. I have never had hair this long and have no idea what to do with it. My hair is cut in long layers and love wearing my hair straight with just a slight bend at the ends. I used to have shorter hair and I worked out at night and would wash it at night, wrap it, and in the morning it would be dry and looking great (no heat at all). Now I work out in the morning (I have to, not other time I can do it) and it is way to long to dry overnight now and it takes three or more hours to dry my wrap under the hooded dryer. Please, please someone give me tips on how I can style my hair every day after I finish working out. If I have to start using heat styling tools, what products do you suggest to protect my hair. It is very fine and if I put anything too heavy and oily in it it actually loses all shine and body and I hate the way it looks. It also frizzes very easily. I have been looking all over the web for months for an answer to this question. I also posted this questin elsewhere on this site but didn't get a response. I know someone out there can help.
stubbornly wanting to maintain straight hair
- Thread starter Tesha
- Start date
phynestone
Well-Known Member
My hair isn't relaxed, but I can try to offer you advice. You may want to just rinse your hair after you work out b/c washing it too much will dry it out, especially if your hair is relaxed. Have you tried to wear a headband while working out? Do you tie your hair back while working out? Try doing that and wearing a sweatband while you work out. Use a good leave-in conditioner after you rinse your hair. I wouldn't suggest wearing a lot of heat styles during the summer b/c that can damage your hair. What products do you currently use?
cutebajangirl
New Member
I find that if i pull my hair into a really high ponytail(I dream of genie style) I can maintain bounce in my hair. After i am done as I leave the gym I take it out and let the wind blow through it (in spring fall an winter of course) and when I get home (2min later) take a shower and wrap my hair about 1/2 hour later. I wait before wrapping so that it is totally dry. After being wrapped it comes back fine.
Ok, I wrote out this whole ong reply and lost it. Oops. Here I go again. I do wear a high pony tail but it still hits the back of my neck and the ends get curly. I also worry about the friction from the elastic causing breakage (I use goody's ouchless). It also takes a lot longer than 1/2 an hour for my hair to dry. Does a head band really help soak up the sweat, isn't the cotton bad for hair? Cause that might help with the long drying time, although is it ok not to rinse the sweat out. I mean, will the sweat dry out my hair.
I switch between Nexxus Therrappe and Humectress and Redkin all soft to wash. I wash twice a week and "wash" with conditioner as needed when I want to rinse out the sweat. I deep condition once a week with either Redikin Heavy Cream or Keraphix and I rub some African Pride or Botanoil in the ends. I use Headdress leave-in conditioner and Lottabody Wrap'n and Tap'n lotion. When my hair dries the only thing I put on it is either Motions or Aphogee Oil Sheen. Anything too heavy and my hair will not hold a curl, has no body, and actually looks less shiny. I can't get this through my hair dressers head because she keeps putting oils or pomades on my dry hair then complaining that it won't hold a curl. Have you guys tried anything that is really light but still gives good moisture or do you think what I already do is enough.
I switch between Nexxus Therrappe and Humectress and Redkin all soft to wash. I wash twice a week and "wash" with conditioner as needed when I want to rinse out the sweat. I deep condition once a week with either Redikin Heavy Cream or Keraphix and I rub some African Pride or Botanoil in the ends. I use Headdress leave-in conditioner and Lottabody Wrap'n and Tap'n lotion. When my hair dries the only thing I put on it is either Motions or Aphogee Oil Sheen. Anything too heavy and my hair will not hold a curl, has no body, and actually looks less shiny. I can't get this through my hair dressers head because she keeps putting oils or pomades on my dry hair then complaining that it won't hold a curl. Have you guys tried anything that is really light but still gives good moisture or do you think what I already do is enough.
I was in a similar situation to you when I finally had to make a decision. I chose to wear protective styles during the week, especially on the days that I worked out. I sweat a lot from my head and there was no way that I could maintain healthy hair and still wear it straight. So now, I rinse my hair or do a conditioner wash after each workout and pull my hair into a bun. I know I'm going to work out again within the next 48 hrs, so it didn't make sense to me to "re-do" my hair. I'll wear my hair straight if I'm going out but most of the time, its in a protective style.
I wanted to be healthy and have heatlhy hair. I couldn't do that if I was manipulating my hair afer each workout.
-monique
I wanted to be healthy and have heatlhy hair. I couldn't do that if I was manipulating my hair afer each workout.
-monique
I'm like monique. I can't keep manipulating my hair after a workout when I know I'm going to workout again the next day. The reason so many African-American women don't work out is because of this reason: hair care-- washing, rinsing, redoing hair. I've been doing the bun thing. But I also will braid my hair after and wash or rinse (at nite) and unbraid it in the morning (it usually isn't completely dry) and wear the wavy/curly look with a scarf or haed-band. You have to be creative. I know it's unfortunate that we have to go thru so much to maintain healthy hair and body, but try to have fun with it!
-Malaika
-Malaika
Tesha, jojoba oil is a light oil that won't weigh hair down. You also might want to check out distilled water (I paid about 89 cents for a gallon at the grocery store). You can try misting your hair post workout and sealing with jojoba.
But keep working out. As Andre Walker said in his book, you want more than just your hair to look good!
Unfortunately, I think u are going to have to sacrafice the super straight styles all of the time (provided u want to keep your hair healthy). When u get into daily heat styling u run the risk of heat damage, dry ends and breakage. You can perserve some of the bounce by putting your hair in a high ponytail as described by cutebajangirl. but eventually your hair will get weighed down with sweat and moisturizers that u may use in your hair. however if u wash your hair atleast 2x a week you can minimize the buildup. Hope this helps.
sweetcocoa
Active Member
I do loke all the other ladies...protective styles. I wear my hair straight for special occasions or 1 to 2 times a month. I figure it's a lot easier to style my hair for those special occasions..than it is to get into shape for that special dress when you have gained weight or are out of shape. I figure it's worth the sacrifice.
Angelicus
Well-Known Member
Broken record: I work out every other day and i really have to agree with the ladies. my hair has thrived from conditioner washes and protectives. I had to sacrifice wearing my hair straight everyday but it is worth it. It's definitely healthier, I have had only four split ends since May and I never get tired of the compliments i hear when i finally wear my hair down. Please consider the protective styles.
lunalight7
New Member
The record is still broken: I realized a few months ago that I had to sacrifice some "style" for "health" when it came to my hair. It was impossible for me to give my hair the moisture it craved and maintain a really straight style for more than a day. Then, aerobics entered my life, and this compounded things even more. The only bright light was that, as my hair grew, I was able to wear a decent ponytail and /or bun that looked like a decent style. These weren't options when my hair was shorter. Sorry...keep exercising!
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