Keep Your Hair Looking Good After a Workout

March 2, 2012

You know what irritates the hell out of me?  When I exercise with a girlfriend and after, when we remove our ponytail holders, her hair bounces right back into shape. It looks perfect; she has shine, she has volume; there are no ridges from the elastic, no curling or frizzing around her roots. She often looks like she just stepped out of the salon.

When I take down my ponytail, on the other hand, my hair looks like I’ve been through World War III. It retains the ponytail shape, even when it’s down.  The texture is stiff. There is no shine and there is no sheen and frankly, I would appear socially unacceptable if I stepped foot outside.

I don’t have time to wet and blowdry my coarse, frizzy hair after each workout. But I do have some tips on how ladies with less manageable hair like me can keep our tresses looking as good as possible after a sweat session:

• Moisture-wicking headband: I always wear one! They soak up the sweat around the hairline and help tame the frizz. My favorites are BondiBands because they aren’t so tight that they make a crease, they don’t slide off and most importantly, they come in bright, fun colors and patterns.
• Claw clip: Ponytail elastics, even the fancy “no ridge” ones, reshape my hair into the shape of a ponytail after I take it out. A claw clip like this one from Scunci, while still not perfect, makes a huge difference in my hair after a workout. I twist my hair at the base of my neck and secure it above the bun with the clip. I’m often able to make my hair appear somewhat presentable with this method.
• Braid: If you don’t mind some waves in your hair, a braid can leave your hair easier to deal with than a ponytail. I only do this for low impact workouts (read: those where I won’t be a sweaty beast) because once my hair touches the back of my sweaty neck, there is no hope.

How do you keep your locks looking fresh post-workout?

About the author

Dori Manela

Dori Manela manages Fit-A-Licious. Welcome! After years of not understanding why exercise was important, Dori learned firsthand how much her life changed for the better once she embraced health and fitness – and now she hopes to show women all over just how attainable living a healthy lifestyle can be. Dori is the social media manager at Hydroxatone. In her free time, she writes Dori’s Shiny Blog, where she shares her experience in fitness and the randomness of life. Her writing has appeared on NBC New York: GO Healthy NY and Blisstree. Dori’s devotion to sharing her love of exercise was the subject of a Bing: Friends Matter webisode. Her greatest fitness accomplishment was finishing the Richmond Marathon in November, 2011.

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