Want to know what to do with naturally curly hair while working out? We have the top 6 things you need to remember to keep your hair strong and healthy.
1. Leave your scalp as open as possible:
While working out, it’s very important to leave your scalp as open as possible. As you need all the space you can get, to sweat out and ensure that the sweat released is not trapped. You can try braids, pigtails or cornrows. It’s also very important as it helps protect your curls and post-workout hair style.
2. Try as much as possible to keep your scalp clean
This is very important as for healthy hair you need a healthy scalp. A dirty scalp will itch, flake and it is very prone to inflammation. Your scalp produces its own oils called sebum that helps keep your scalp clean and using excess oil can actually interfere with the production of this natural oil. Simply massaging your scalp will help utilize this oil but after a workout you will notice more of it. Use a lightly cleansing curl refresh which will combat any oily build up and not interfer with natural sebum production. If you apply other oils focus further down the hair shaft or use a lightweight serum to seal your ends and prevent your hair from drying out. This method will ensure you have a clean scalp at all times.
3. Shampoo wash your hair
It’s also particularly important to shampoo wash your hair, especially before making any new protective hair styles. This will ensure that residual dirt on your scalp or product build up is completely removed. The question is always how often should you wash your hair? If you co-wash between workouts you can shampoo your hair less frequently but if you don’t wash your hair at all but workout regularly you will need to wash your hair every two weeks. If that’s too much use a refresh with cleansing and antibacterial properties to keep your scalp clean and your hair smelling fresh.
4. Use the products that best fit your hair type
How to take care of 4c hair? Are you using the right shampoo? Are you sure the conditioners and oil/serum you use are the best for you? Well, answering this might be difficult but here’s one key tip: ensure you apply hair enriching essential nutrients to deep condition yor curls. All hair is made of protein. A lack of protein in your hair fiber will lead to weak and brittle hair. This breakage often happens the further your hair grows from the root so the longer your hair is the more likely you are to experience breakage and split ends. To build up the hair protein bonds simply means you should ensure that whatever hair product you use is rich enough to keep your hair protected and healthy at all times. Protein rich ingredients can come in the form of Coconut-rich products which work for some, and for others, they might not. Try products with wheat, rice or flaxseed proteins as an alternative to coconut. Recognizing the perfect hair product to use varies from person to person. It might take a while for you to come across products that work for you fully.
5. Keep you hair in a protective style
It’s important to protect and nourish your hair during and after a workout. We’ve created a check list of protective hair styles for men and women of all curl types. The best products and styles for you do not need to be expensive. Find one that works, then stick to it. It's very important to make sure you don’t stop taking care of your hair so apply the right hair products to get the right results.
6. Ensure to use proper hair ties
During workout sessions, it’s not advisable to use hard headbands/hair ties. This is major because of the adverse effect they can have on your hair. They an lead to hair breakage, damage the scalp or make your hair fall out of pattern. It’s advisable you use sweat-wicking headbands/hair ties that are snag-free and seamless and made from either satin or wool, as they are stretchy and will ensure your hair is kept dry, but not dried out, and cool, ensuring enough breathable space and comfort for you.
We want you to enjoy looking after your hair the way to do your body. You can read more about how to properly moisturize curly hair in our upcoming post. And if you worry that you have high vs low porosity hair and want to learn more about what that means for your workout and curls we’re going to tackle these issues and more in our next post for stronger, healthier hair.
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