Curly Hair and Working Out
fstrickl
Posts: 883 Member
Hiya fellow curlies - question for you all, what do you do with your hair when working out?
I'm anywhere between a 3a to 3c depending on the weather, my wash day, the product used, how I'm feeling, etc. Usually, I throw it in a pony (I sleep with it a pineapple but only recently has it been long enough to grab the back part into a full pony) and workout. I also have curly bangs which can be really annoying (but super cute). Because I try to only wash my hair every 4-5 days I usually just end up washing my bangs after particularly sweaty workouts.
Anyone with curly hair discovered anything amazing for day 3ish when your scalp is starting to get kinda gross but you can't bring yourself to do the wash routine? (I swear I'm not a gross person, I shower more than I wash my hair!)
I'm anywhere between a 3a to 3c depending on the weather, my wash day, the product used, how I'm feeling, etc. Usually, I throw it in a pony (I sleep with it a pineapple but only recently has it been long enough to grab the back part into a full pony) and workout. I also have curly bangs which can be really annoying (but super cute). Because I try to only wash my hair every 4-5 days I usually just end up washing my bangs after particularly sweaty workouts.
Anyone with curly hair discovered anything amazing for day 3ish when your scalp is starting to get kinda gross but you can't bring yourself to do the wash routine? (I swear I'm not a gross person, I shower more than I wash my hair!)
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I'm not big on product if I can avoid it. Mind you I also have a basket of hair products that I've tried #curlylife.
When I'm not locked up or protective styling, I do a water only "wash n go" type deal then spritz with The Honest Company's "Conditioning detangler with sweet orange vanilla scent" (I get mine on Amazon) as a refresher on Day 2 or Day 3 hair
So basically, the standard L-C-O layers (liquid, cream, oil). In summer, my hair likes it as follows...
Liquid: water
Cream: Shealoe (diy recipe)
Oil: EVOO or a bit more shea on the ends
That's likely too heavy on cream and oil for your curls but experimenting is the name of the game with curls.
Good luck!2 -
For me is trying in the morning to make it look normal-ish, getting fed up by 10 and clip/ponytail/bun for the rest of the day. Every time I see pretty coiffed ladies I get a little jealous, but I learned the hard way that medium length requires the most work. I guess I just don’t want it hard enough to commit to 20 minutes every morning.
I was the only one in the house growing up with wavy hair , then I married a guy with straight hair and bam 2 kids with his hair.
Freshly washed my hair it’s mostly civil, but if I fall asleep with it wet, I’ll wake up a lion. And it’s not even curly, just wavy.
Without products it looks ugly frizzy, but if the products reach my scalp then it gets super itchy. So for me the solution is leave in, spray on ends conditioner.
I had many years with very short haircuts and many with it so long , that it was always in a grandma bun.
I wash it when it looks or feels weird, usually every other in the summer and every third in the winter.
Sorry for not having the solution and I agree with MaltedTea just play around until you find what looks best, or is the easiest to follow routine.1 -
It depends on the day for me. I have a mixture of 2c, 3a and 3b (some 3c on a good hair day
Short cut with bangs (currently growing out) I do not pineapple or wear a protective covering at night as this just squashes my curls entirely. If I do Max 30 at home, my hair is super sweaty and I have to clip my bangs back or they will poke my eyeballs. during my shower I can sometimes just use water on my hands to re activate the LA looks blue gel that I use. (the sweat actually reactivates quite nicely on the bottom layers) If hair is not salvageable in that manner, then I will re wet entirely upside down, add a tiny bit of leave in ( NYM yellow cond.) and blue LA looks gel, plop and set like I would on a wash day. I also tend to wash only once or maximum twice a week, but I do re wet often. This morning I ran, hair was relatively dry (no sweat) and so I was able to just smooth frizz with a little water on the hands and go. As I grow out, not sure how anything would change, except I am fully CG and do not use rubberbands in my hair, clips or nothing. 3 -
Thanks for the comments everyone! I could seriously talk about curly hair for hours.
@dreaming13000 ive never heard of LA Looks gel. But ever since there was all that controversy with Deva Curl I’ve been looking for a new gel. Using gel on my hair was a game changer!
@MaltedTea I love that you have your own DIY cream recipe! Sounds like you you’ve got your routine down!
@GabiV125 I don’t have kids, but if I did and they had straight hair I feel like I’d have to learn from scratch!4 -
I do dry shampoo at night and pineapple it, and then that next day when it needs a wash but it's just not practical I do a deep side part and braid back one side and do a ponytail. Gets a bit of dimension so not just slapped back from the forehead and gets me through one more day. A tiny bit of hair spray and a fine comb, run over the style but not through, gets the flyaways.2
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I have long hair, so it lives in a bun most of the time. Before the gyms closed, I ended my workouts with a swim most days so I was forced to wash it. I can only get one good day out of my curls. After I’ve slept on them, they are trash and it goes up or in a braid.2
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Thanks for the comments everyone! I could seriously talk about curly hair for hours.
@dreaming13000 ive never heard of LA Looks gel. But ever since there was all that controversy with Deva Curl I’ve been looking for a new gel. Using gel on my hair was a game changer!
I either use LA looks blue gel or Herbel essence totally twisted gel (both are CG friendly). The LA looks is old school and you can find it just about anywhere, it is bottom shelf so really in expensive.
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I'm four months into working out what works for my 2b - 3a waves/curls but I've mostly been massaging my scalp post work out to spread the sweat out a bit (I figure it's actually cleaning my hair a bit?), and then spritzing with water and mousse to reform the curls when I'm less hot/ sweaty. If its really aweful I might run the shower over it to refresh. I use bobby pins to pin my fringe (bangs) off my face usually, into two loose twists but having cut my hair short for the summer I don't need bobbles/s crunchy for the length.2
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There should be a "share your post-workout frizz ball selfie" thread to commiserate with other curly haired people...3
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Mine is 3a.
My secret weapon is a tiny bit of macadamia oil if my hair gets wiry/dry/frizzy.2 -
Mine is 3a.
My secret weapon is a tiny bit of macadamia oil if my hair gets wiry/dry/frizzy.
Is your hair course or fine? I have baby fine 3a curls and I have tried just about every oil and they all weigh down my curls but I haven't tried this one, so I might give it a go.
@fstrickl A curly girl selfie thread sounds amazing!!!1 -
dreaming13000 wrote: »Mine is 3a.
My secret weapon is a tiny bit of macadamia oil if my hair gets wiry/dry/frizzy.
Is your hair course or fine? I have baby fine 3a curls and I have tried just about every oil and they all weigh down my curls but I haven't tried this one, so I might give it a go.
@fstrickl A curly girl selfie thread sounds amazing!!!
My curls are super fine too, any oil anywhere besides the ends and they fall flat.
Haha, okay maybe when I’m back from camping l I’ll start a curly thread. No one wants to see my non-washed non-styled camping curls now though. 😬
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My hair is more wavy and thick, it's prone to fizzing. I usually put my hair in a ponytail and take out when done. My head doesn't get very sweaty so I'll spray a refresher in it and add jojoba oil with essential oils added if it needs some extra moisture. You can make a spritz out of diluted conditioner as well. Now that I'm working out at home I'll do oil treatments and face masks, can't get away with that at the gym!2
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I also only get one good day out of my curls. When I work out, I have to put my hair up because it's long and thick and way too hot and annoying to keep down. Day 3, if I'm not gonna do a full treatment, I have to at a minimum give my scalp a good rinse and massage, and then moisturize again.3
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My hair is long, so it's a bun for workouts and then just a water rinse(scalp only) or water/conditioner if not wash day. I'll spray with water and scrunch, but it is fluffy when not fully soaked. I've tried a lot of products, but anything sticky just makes it tangle worse. A leave in, like not your mother's smoothing cream, is usually my go to.
I'll wear my hair in a ponytail or side braid for work if its crazy down.2 -
I'm a 3a/2c. My hair is chin-length and doesn't go into a full ponytail.
I wear it loose or in a headband at the gym, unless it is wash day then I'll do a half pony.
I shower after every workout but I wash my hair twice a week, I just use either a shower cap or just wing it and let it get damp.
I wash and condition almost every time I wash my hair, it's low porosity so it doesn't do CO wash very well. I use a leave in or a curl cream, then a mist of spray oil, then gel - I use either LA looks gel (oldie, but goodie), Deva curl gel (haven't had any issues) or Eco gel (the Argan oil one). Plop (for ease) then either diffuse or air dry. Diffuse looks better but frizzier. I sleep in a satin bonnet.
I got a Deva Cut in early June and I don't think I've had a bad hair day since.2 -
@ExistingFish I am envious of your deva cut. I have to drive like 4 hours one way to find a deva stylist......... There have been a couple ladies locally who have tried to work with me, like dry curl by curl cuts etc., but we just haven't found the holy grail. Plus now that I am growing out I will only get a trim every 8 weeks. My curls do LOVE trims!
@fstrickl I just went camping for a week with limited shower opportunities (except the lake washings we did in the evenings) and my hair was wild !!! Good motivation to grow it out so I can just braid it or pull it up!1 -
I feel the camping hair pain. I'm going camping and kayaking this weekend and I'd ordered a jessiecurl deep conditioner so I could prepare tonight.. It hasn't come thanks to slow mail and my husband is not sympathetic to the pain of having run out of deep conditioner and being outside for days.1
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Sorry I dont have any suggestions but to say that your comment is a good one and it's a struggle. I honestly time my workouts to my wash days. I'm a serious sweater so the tend to not work out right after a wash. Other than that its hat day or I pull off a "cool" scarf wrap.1
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ExistingFish wrote: »I'm a 3a/2c. My hair is chin-length and doesn't go into a full ponytail.
I wear it loose or in a headband at the gym, unless it is wash day then I'll do a half pony.
I shower after every workout but I wash my hair twice a week, I just use either a shower cap or just wing it and let it get damp.
I wash and condition almost every time I wash my hair, it's low porosity so it doesn't do CO wash very well. I use a leave in or a curl cream, then a mist of spray oil, then gel - I use either LA looks gel (oldie, but goodie), Deva curl gel (haven't had any issues) or Eco gel (the Argan oil one). Plop (for ease) then either diffuse or air dry. Diffuse looks better but frizzier. I sleep in a satin bonnet.
I got a Deva Cut in early June and I don't think I've had a bad hair day since.
I got a DevaCut a few years ago and won’t go back! I think the biggest thing is that it’s cut dry more so than anything. I go for my first COVID-19 appointment this Saturday which is a haircut!1 -
@melanin45 I’m a serious sweater too, I get your struggle there. I like the scarf idea!0
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I’m fascinated with all these replies—my hair was pretty straight but has gotten wavier with each pregnancy and now is probably 2b/c.
My two SILs (straight hair they blow out) talk about only washing their hair every few days and I do not understand this concept at all because a) sweaty workouts and b) product.
My hair was bra-strap length and I finally but it bc it would be a total rats nest of frizzy tangles by the end of the day, leading to me just pulling it into a tangled wet bun until I had time to laboriously work out the knots. It’s slightly below the shoulders now. Either way, if I want it to be curly it needs some product, or else we’re talking half wavy, part curly, mostly frizz. Between product and daily sweaty workouts, sometimes a split warmup/lift in am and long walk/jog in pm, how do I not wash my hair?? Seriously asking, I am curious how this works.2 -
gradchica27 wrote: »I’m fascinated with all these replies—my hair was pretty straight but has gotten wavier with each pregnancy and now is probably 2b/c.
My two SILs (straight hair they blow out) talk about only washing their hair every few days and I do not understand this concept at all because a) sweaty workouts and b) product.
My hair was bra-strap length and I finally but it bc it would be a total rats nest of frizzy tangles by the end of the day, leading to me just pulling it into a tangled wet bun until I had time to laboriously work out the knots. It’s slightly below the shoulders now. Either way, if I want it to be curly it needs some product, or else we’re talking half wavy, part curly, mostly frizz. Between product and daily sweaty workouts, sometimes a split warmup/lift in am and long walk/jog in pm, how do I not wash my hair?? Seriously asking, I am curious how this works.
Most wavies only skip 1 day between washes at most. At least that's what I've heard. When my hair was less curly (it has gotten curlier with each kid too), I washed every other day.
When your hair is straighter, it lies flat on your head. Sweat and oil gets trapped close to the scalp and need to be washed more. On the other hand, you can brush it out too to distribute it.
When it's curly, it stands away from the head much more. You do get some sweat, but it dries quickly. Sweat over most of the body does smell and just leaves a mild salty residue. Curly hair generally has less oil. I sweat buckets at the gym, but by the time I get home to shower my hair has already dried. I just leave it. You can't brush your hair to distribute oil or brush off dust/pollen/etc when it's curly, it's a trade-off I suppose. Brushing makes it frizzy and tangly.1 -
I have wavy hair and it's a struggle. I have to wash my hair every other day usually but the last week I have been washing it every day due a heatwave making me bathe in sweat all day long. Usually I do a light work out on days I'm not washing it and a more intense when I'm washing it afterwards. Sweat makes my hair look and feel greasy and all dry shampoo I tried made my scalp itch.0
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I section it into 3 braids overnight and working out. Afterwards I mist it with water, touch up my curls with cream styler or leave in conditioner and a mix of grapeseed and tea tree oil on my scalp and ends. If I have time I'll stretch it with a blow dryer on medium. Just pull my hair straight down then heat up my hair enough so the curl lengthens but I still have texture. No heat damage at all because it's not a constant thing. I also co wash every other week between thorough washing days.0
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Yes! Dry shampoo!
I get Keratin treatments to tame my crazy/curly hair and in order to extend the life of the expensive treatments, I only wash every 3-4 days or so. Dry shampoo, just at the top near the roots, keeps oil and sweat at bay and helps keep hair looking washed and clean between hair washes.0 -
gradchica27 wrote: »I’m fascinated with all these replies—my hair was pretty straight but has gotten wavier with each pregnancy and now is probably 2b/c.
My two SILs (straight hair they blow out) talk about only washing their hair every few days and I do not understand this concept at all because a) sweaty workouts and b) product.
My hair was bra-strap length and I finally but it bc it would be a total rats nest of frizzy tangles by the end of the day, leading to me just pulling it into a tangled wet bun until I had time to laboriously work out the knots. It’s slightly below the shoulders now. Either way, if I want it to be curly it needs some product, or else we’re talking half wavy, part curly, mostly frizz. Between product and daily sweaty workouts, sometimes a split warmup/lift in am and long walk/jog in pm, how do I not wash my hair?? Seriously asking, I am curious how this works.
Curly/Wavy hair translates into dry hair. This is what can cause frizz, breakage etc. I can go over a week without a real "wash" (conditioner only and normally with brown sugar and the tedious 5 min scalp scrub). The longer I go without a wash the healthier and curlier my waves get. If you have not yet, I recommend looking up the Curly Girl Method. There is a huge group on FB as well, Conditioner washing curly girl group. It is very inspiring to see before and after pics, see other's methods and products. I made the switch 4 years ago and I have never looked back!0
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