Working out + hair washing

[MadelineMomo]

I really need to start exercising more. One thing that's been holding me back/that I've been using as an excuse, is how working out (namely the "showering afterward" part) intersects with washing my hair.

Usually I wash my hair at night because then it can dry while I sleep. But I can't exercise in the evening because I'm exhausted by then. It's gotta be the morning. But then I would be starting my day with wet hair, which will take a few hours to dry, and that's not ideal.

And then there's the question of frequency of washing hair. Right now I wash my hair every 3 days. Working out every 3 days seems like a fair stating point, so I could just overlap the two, but that may not always be the case.

Does anyone else have any good ways of dealing with this?

[akurah]

My workout varies between daily to twice a week depending on school load, and for an incredibly long time, my workouts were daily.

I still washed, at most, once a week.

Why do you think you need to wash your hair after every workout?

[bleu]

I work out anywhere from two to five times a week and I wash my hair once, sometimes twice a week. The only time I wash my hair after a workout is if I do hot power yoga. But in general I don't feel the need to wash my hair just because I've worked out.

[Doreen]

3 days is still pretty frequent washing. I don't think you need to change your wash routine unless your scalp is sweating excessively when you work out.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

A bit of sweat in your hair won't hurt it. Just keep washing at night like you normally would.

[blackgothicdoll]

Why do you think you need to wash your hair after every workout?

Heavy sweater here - I almost absolutely must wash after a work out. If I do a light day I might try to stretch it, but at least I have to do a WO. It just feels...awful. All the sweat in there. Its probably not good for me to wet my hair that often when I try to work out 4 or 5 times a week (meaning I can typically get away with 3 days between washing) but workouts are one thing I will not sacrifice for my hair.

[spitfire511]

So my hair gets super greasy after more than a quick and relaxing yoga flow. I'm *not* a heavy sweater per se, but boy does my hair show it after a run!

I'm going to be trying 'scalp only' with a gentle non-sulfate shampoo for those really greasy days after working out - maybe worth giving a try?

[Begemot]

I usually never work out in the mornings because like you, I don't have time for (air-)drying. If you ask me, I believe it's far more worse for my hair to leave it wet for a long period of time than it is to blow-dry it on cool. But it's cool if you don't want to blow-dry. Maybe you could figure out some kind of style you can do on wet hair? Maybe braids.

I have noticed that mostly just my hairline sweats. I try to wipe my hairline if I don't have time to wash my hair entirely. Then I wear my hair up. I avoid using dry shampoo because my scalp gets upset if I use it too often.

[akurah]

Heavy sweater here - I almost absolutely must wash after a work out. If I do a light day I might try to stretch it, but at least I have to do a WO. It just feels...awful. All the sweat in there. Its probably not good for me to wet my hair that often when I try to work out 4 or 5 times a week (meaning I can typically get away with 3 days between washing) but workouts are one thing I will not sacrifice for my hair.

Sure, and that did cross my mind, but it sounds like OP might have been new to exercise, so her response to that question I think would make it easier to advise her.

[losgan]

Heavy sweater here - I almost absolutely must wash after a work out. If I do a light day I might try to stretch it, but at least I have to do a WO. It just feels...awful. All the sweat in there. Its probably not good for me to wet my hair that often when I try to work out 4 or 5 times a week (meaning I can typically get away with 3 days between washing) but workouts are one thing I will not sacrifice for my hair.

My hair is short right now, but I also have to wash after a workout. My hair drips with sweat, and my scalp gets itchy if I don’t wash it ... I don’t have a solution for you but I figure some extra shampoos is a good trade for my overall health (which is good for my hair too!)

[Deborah]

When I sweat from exercise, I just let it air dry and go about my day. Perspiration is not oil, just water.

[milosmomma]

I would see if you can get away with water only after a work out. It might be enough to help you feel fresh without using a shampoo that could be drying to use with daily-ish workouts. Maybe a sweat band around your hairline to wick away most of the sweat?

[akurah]

When I sweat from exercise, I just let it air dry and go about my day. Perspiration is not oil, just water.

That's not precisely accurate. Sweat had a lot of non-water components, and it can be a skin irritant. I don't sweat a whole awful lot from my head when I work out, but because of my skin condition I do have to shower after workouts if I get sweaty or I itch worse than usual.

[Pearly~91]

I always recommend trying scalp only washing if you feel the need to clean your scalp but not your length. Lots of people like the ponydry (https://www.ponydry.com) for post workout washing.

[losgan]

I always recommend trying scalp only washing if you feel the need to clean your scalp but not your length. Lots of people like the ponydry (https://www.ponydry.com) for post workout washing.

I had no idea such a thing existed!!! I’ll definitely want to try that (once my hair is long enough for a ponytail, heh).

[Pearly~91]

I had no idea such a thing existed!!! I’ll definitely want to try that (once my hair is long enough for a ponytail, heh).

Yep, it works well until your hair gets too long for it. I out grew mine somewhere in the lower back region, but that depends a little on thickness as well.

[Simsy]

Speaking from experience; this is one of those areas where it really depends on the scalp and hair. I sweat quite a bit at work and my hair doesn’t mind air drying from that; the sweat isn’t a issue. I can’t get my hair wet without washing it however, because my hair will not tolerate a water rinse of any temperature. I have found that a comb through and a good scratch feels really nice after a sweaty day at work; and works well to keep everything happy.

OG, how does your hair hold up if you just let it air dry after exercise? It might be fine to just dry off and call it good.

[Kat]

In the U.S., I can work out every day and still only need to wash once a week. It was a different case in Thailand, where it was hot to begin with and most of my workouts were outside; to say I was sweating from head to toe was no understatement (my hair would be damp). I had to wash after every workout there; I found out the hard way that my head would stink if I didn't (even if I did, I couldn't completely eliminate the smell; hooray for porous hair). It sucked, but so did smelling bad, trust me.

As others have said, if you don't need to wash right after, don't. Even if you put off washing until the evening as usual.

[gin]

I workout and exercise a lot, at least one workout everyday with a rest day maybe once every 2-3 weeks. I don't go all-out crazy every time (I vary the intensities based on how my body is feeling), but I do sweat every time. Sometimes just a little to make my scalp damp, sometimes where I'm just dripping head to toe, and everything in between. I also climb 3-4x a week which always involve being sweaty and chalk-covered.

I myself wash twice a week, and have for a long time, long before I started paying attention to my hair and reading LHC (which as earlier this year). My scalp is somewhat sensitive in that I cannot stretch my washes more than this and there are certain products and things that will irritate my scalp, but sweat is not one of them. Even after dripping in sweat, I don't have to wash my hair. I usually just let it air dry, though I've found it is better if I spread the sweat down my lengths and rub my scalp a little. Now, if I worked outside and sweat all day, this could be a different story.

I do think this is a YMMV thing, because everyone's scalps are so different it seems. I've read that a lot people will do a quick water rinse rather than washing. Some people use dry shampoo. Some people actually say that sweat makes their long hair softer and silkier. :)

[MamaLou]

When I need to fix my sweaty hair I just blow dry it on cool to dry it, put in a bit of dry shampoo and blow dry it again on cool for a short time and brush it out. This really helps the appearance of oily hair but to be sure I still put in some kind of braid to really cover up any oiliness. It also feels much nicer because I don't like the feeling of having a wet scalp for a long time.

edit: Combining hair wash day and workout day would not work for me. I might not have time to work out on a day when I want to wash my hair and I might have time the next day but I would skip it because it is not a wash day. I think it is more simple to have a method to fix sweaty hair without washing so that you can work out on the days when you feel like it or when you have time.

[spidermom]

You could try a top-of-head ponytail or bun for the workout, then rinse your scalp without getting all your hair wet.

Actually though, sweat doesn't have a detrimental effect on hair like frequent washing can.

[MaGee5]

I work out around 6 days a week, some are sweatier than others. I use shampoo 3 days on schedule and if I sweat a lot on the other days I'll do a co-wash. Not ideal, I wish I could get away with less washing, but I love my workouts and I'm just too nervous that I'll smell without a good rinse!!!