Does your cardio or weightlifting session leave you with frizzy unruly curls? Trust us we feel you. Whether you’re a pro or a newbie working on your fitness resolutions, the wonderful health benefits of exercising can be dampened by the side effects it leaves on your curls. This can be even more frustrating when you've just installed a new hairstyle and expect it to last several days.
So, does this mean you should skip the gym because of your curly hair? Of course not! You can actually get a good sweat session while maintaining the flawless appearance of your curls. In this article, we'll be discussing some tips to help preserve your curly hairstyle while you work out.
Why Your Curly Hair Needs A Special Workout Plan
When you work out, you will likely end up with a little or a ton of sweat on your hair and scalp. Although this may be a good sign that you're burning calories, it is not great for your hair. See, sweat has a fairly high salt content which can dehydrate your curls, leaving them dry and brittle. This means that your hair will lose the moisture it needs to maintain its natural bounce and shine. It will also become very frizzy as a result of this.
But, since curly hair is not like other straight hair types that can easily be washed every day–you'll end up with super dry hair if you do that. You need to establish a routine to help preserve your curls whilst you workout throughout the week until you are ready for the next wash day. Because seriously, who has the time to restyle their hair after every gym session?
1. Mop Up The Sweat As You Go
A great way to limit the amount of sweat that gets into your hair and scalp is to have a towel on hand to dry off while you work out. Use a microfiber towel, to continuously mop up any sweat around the head as you work out. After working out, be sure to use the towel to dry off any excess moisture from the hair.
2. Refresh Your Curls With A Spray
Replenishing your curls with moisture after a workout is crucial if you want to preserve your style. Spraying the hair with a lightweight moisturiser like our Everyday Curl refresher will keep the hair from drying out and also reactivate your styling products. You can also spritz the hair with water and simply smooth down the curls with a dollop of our Manuka Honey Leave-in Conditioner.
This curl refresh will also preserve the smell of your hair since our moisturisers leave the hair with a lovely scent. Since your goal is to keep your curls until wash day, you don't want any funky smell building up on your strands. It is best to do this step almost immediately after your workout session as it will help to keep your curls smooth and hydrated before any form of dryness or frizz can even develop.
3. Put Your Curls With A Spray
To keep your curls intact and reduce frizz, a gym-friendly hairstyle is a serious game changer. Instead of putting your hair into a messy bun, opt for protective styles like pineapple, space bun or plaits. You can even wear a head wrap or satin scarf to further protect your edges and tame any flyaways.
As soon as you finish working out, take down the gym style you had on and shake the curls. This will take your hair back to its initial style and prevent your curls from taking the shape of your gym style.
4. Wear A Workout Headband
A headband is another great way to sop up sweat from your scalp before it sinks into your curls. With a headband secured around your edges, your curls can do their own thing without excess sweat absorption. Can't seem to keep your headband from sliding off every few minutes? Secure it with a Bobbie pin.
5. Refresh The Style With More Styling Products
If your curls still feel a little lacklustre and dull after drying, you can jazz them up with a little bit more product. Now, it is important not to go overboard with this step as you could easily make things worse and create a ton of flakiness if you use too much product. So keep it light and simple. All you gotta do is spray the hair down with water, then apply a tiny amount of Sofnfree's Flaxseed Oil &Rosewater Curling Mousse.
Depending on your hair and personal preference, the mousse may be all you need. But, if you want an extra definition, feel free to follow up with a very tiny bit of our Flaxseed Oil & Rosewater Curl Elongating Gel. At this point, you can either scrunch the hair or gently shingle your strands. To finish off your product refresh, dry the hair with a diffuser or blow dryer. Focus on your roots while drying the hair to remove excess moisture that could lead to puffy roots. Alternatively, you can also air dry your curls.
6. Seal In Moisture With An Oil
Locking moisture into your curls with an oil like Sofnfree's Scalp & Hair Oil will help the curls maintain their shape and shine. It will also create a film around the hair that will prevent sweat from getting into your strands, that way you can reduce the possibility of dryness while you work out. You do not need to apply a ton of oil, just a few drops smoothened down your strands after you refresh your curls is all you need.
7. Avoid Touching Your Hair
It can be tempting to constantly touch your hair while in the gym– after all, it helps to focus on anything other than the burn in your body. However, this can increase frizz as your hands are likely moist or slick with sweat. So, keep your hands out of your hair until your workout is done.
After working out, wash your hands before touching your hair. This may seem like a super extra thing to do but think about all those gym equipment and the surfaces they've touched– do you really want all that extra dirt in your hair? Yeah, we didn't think so
8. Plan Out Your Gym Sessions To Match Your Hair Regimen
There's nothing more annoying than finishing a bomb wash n’ go and then realizing you've got to hit the gym the same day. The thought alone is enough to make you skip the workout entirely. But you can avoid such clashes by planning ahead. Make sure your weekly workout and haircare routine are in perfect alignment. This will vary depending on your personal schedule but try to schedule your heaviest, most sweat-inducing workouts towards the end of the week when you're probably on day 4 or 5 hair.
Embracing curly hair brings comfort and confidence into every aspect of your life so it should not be getting in the way of your health or exercises. Whether you're hitting the treadmill, Pilates, yoga, or the weight rack, stick with the tips we discussed, and your curls will remain intact until your next wash day.