Hair Care: 6 Tips for Taking Care of Yours After Working Out

Do you love working out but get the feeling that your hair hates it? When hair is exposed to high temperatures, sweat, pollution, dust, and pollen from your outdoor jogs, it needs a careful care routine that will keep it looking vibrant and help prevent long-term damage.

We have listed a few perfect at-home hair-care routines that you can do after a workout or every few days in order to keep your hair looking as great as you feel after working up a sweat. Think of your hair in terms of an immediate, post-workout care routine and long-term care and aim to develop healthy habits that will have lasting benefits. Read on for Hair Care: 6 Tips for Taking Care of Yours After Working Out!

1. Hair Ties & Ponytails

When you’re working out, you’ll want to wear a hair tie or keep your hair in a ponytail to keep your hair off your face. But it’s also important that your hair not touch the back of your neck. Otherwise, this could cause it to stick to your skin, which could lead to pulling and unnecessary damage to your hair.

If you put your hair in a ponytail when you work out, consider tying your hair high so it doesn’t fall onto the back of your neck. Also, ribbon hair ties are less stressful to your hair than string ties. Whichever you choose, though, make sure you change up the placement of the tie regularly so you aren’t over-stressing one part of your hair in particular.

2. Hair Mist or Shampoo?

If you’ve worked up a good sweat, chances are that your hair might not be smelling as fresh and pleasant as you would like. You might be tempted to wash it with shampoo, water, and a thorough scrubbing. The trouble with that approach is that frequent washing will damage your hair in the long run – not to mention that it will cause the color to become dull over time.

Instead of washing your hair with shampoo, simply apply a few sprays of hair mist. This will also allow you to feel and smell fresh without causing undue stress to your hair.

3. Regular Trims

People who work out will need to get their hair trimmed a bit more frequently than people who don’t. This is because the wear and strain on the hair is greater which increases the likelihood of frays and split ends.

You could make more frequent trips to the hair salon or trim your hair yourself or get a friend to help, provided you own a professional hair cutting scissors, for example like those from Scissor Tech.

4. Avoid Cold Showers

Cold water closes up the hair cuticles and the pores in your scalp. It is good for sealing up moisture, but after a workout, it also seals up dirt and sweat. Additionally, cold water is not as effective as hot water in breaking down dirt, grime, and product build-up.

Cold water should really only be used at the end of a wash day to rinse out the conditioner you may have applied earlier. After a workout, cold showers may feel good to the body, but they’re not the best for maintaining good hair health.

5. To Brush or Not to Brush?

Avoid brushing your hair immediately after a workout just as you would avoid brushing it immediately after washing it. If you’re really in a hurry, at least use a wide-toothed comb instead of a narrow-toothed comb so that you don’t break out the tangles and pull and tear, causing undue stress to your hair.

On the other hand, if you have time, let your hair air dry naturally before you comb or brush it.

6. The Ultimate Tip

When you sweat – and hopefully your workout managed to give you a good sweat – your hair absorbs this moisture. If not properly cared for, it can cause your hair to become very brittle and dry, which ultimately leads to breakage or even damage.

It may seem counter-intuitive at first, but to help your hair stay moisturized after working out, the best thing you can do is to make sure that you fully dry it off after training, but avoid using a traditional towel. The friction that is created when rubbing your hair with a towel can also be a cause for damage and breakage.

Instead, use a clean, soft cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel to dry your hair. The microfiber towel is best because it is very soft and doesn’t cause any friction against the hair. It is also very absorbent, so it will dry your hair effectively, all while being kinder and gentler to your hair which has just endured a vigorous workout already. You will quickly get used to this kind of towel and love how soft and smooth your hair feels after you’ve dried it off with it.

A good workout is demanding on your muscles and heart, and it’s also demanding on your hair. That’s why, if you work out regularly, you’ll want to pay special attention to your hair care routine. These simple tips can help, and they all come down to being kind and gentle to your hair. Treat your hair right and you will be looking and feeling all the better for it! What’s your best tip for post-workout hair care? Let us know in the comments below or join in the conversation on FacebookTwitter Instagram!

Jennifer Dawson

Jennifer Dawson is an experienced freelance writer who specializes in food and nutrition. Working in fitness marketing previously gave her a good feel for the industry and since going freelance she has been able to explore her preferred topic areas such as diet types, nutrition and food. Outside of work, Jen enjoys traveling, swimming and spending time with her young family.

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