Ever ditched your workout in favour of having a good hair day? You’re not the only one. Sweat, pool chlorine and severe ponytails (ouch!) can wreak havoc on your locks.
However, the hair and beauty experts at Hairtrade reckon you don’t have to make the tough choice between your hair and your physical wellbeing. They’ve given us fantastic insider tips to ensure your hair is looking beautiful before, during and after your exercise. Now, thanks to their workout hair 101, you have no excuse to get to that gym class!
Here’s how to look after your crowning glory when you work out:
Before your workout…
Condition your 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.
Avoid using too 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.
Dry shampoo on roots
Spray some dry shampoo on to your roots before your workout 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.
Get French braiding
A perfect style, which keeps your hair in place whilst working out and creates a great curly style for once you’ve left the gym.
During your workout…
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.
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.
After your workout…
Blast some cold air
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.
Hair needs hydration post-workout
If you’ve worked up a sweat while at the gym and don’t have time to wash your hair afterwards, then you must spritz with a hydrating formula. The salt in your sweat can seriously dry out hair, so a leave-in conditioning treatment is a must-have.
Tweet us your workout snaps @healthymag – we’d love to hear from you!