Exercising with ethnic hair

jecalloway91

Yes, you read that right! Friday I went to the salon and had my hair relaxed and styled. Last night I went to the gym and I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, of course it sweated out.. I came home, blow dryed my hair, and restyled It.. My point being, is there a solution to prevent having to reapply heat to my hair after every trip to the gym.

pinkiemarie252

Lol! I have no tips for you because I don't have "ethnic" hair. I just thought it was hilarious how you phrased that! I will say that my hair is somewhat curly and it gets frizzy after I work out hard, so it may just be one of those crappy things you have to deal with.

fitgirlandfoodie

I'd like to know any answer to that too..curly haired, freckled Irish girl here. I want to keep my hair straight when I want it that way.

randomtai

No way around for me. I wear mine natural and curly and just wash more often. :ohwell:

AshleighTB

I don't have a relaxer, but I just keep mine in twists while working out seeing as it very curly. Wash when needed and let air dry. Can you not let your hair air dry instead of heat?

dym123

I got tired of dealing with it, so I cut it all off. Freeing.

haroon_awan

I am studying political science. I suggest you read a book on managing ethnic conflict, such as Ethnic Groups in Conflict by Donald Horowitz.

Candi_land

LOL @ "ethnic hair". I'm Puerto Rican and my hair is naturally very curly, and I know that if I attempt to work out with my hair straightened I will leave that gym looking like an electrocuted Chia Pet.

Also, my friends with "non ethnic" naturally straight hair still have to rewash, blow dry and style after a workout so there's probably no way around it.

meshashesha2012

nope. the only way around it is to wear a weave or wig or not be a slave to always having straight hair. i dont relax my hair anymore and havent for about 20 years, but even when i did this wasnt a big deal to me, but then again i was competing in a few sports so my hair was like the last thing on my mind post workout or game. I just washed and conditioned it, let it dry in large twists or braids and then once it dried wore the resulting braid out/twist out.

then i realized that i didnt have to relax my hair to do that and could also avoid the inevitable chemical burns and my head smelling like a batch of rotten eggs for 2 days after a relaxer

by the way this is apparently the #1 excuse/reason black women use to not exercise.

Sreneesa

No way of dealing with it.

Had my kinky curls flat ironed for my bday a few days ago at the salon, put it up in a bun and ofcourse the roots were sweated out.

Just had to flat iron myself and keep it pushing. Nothing you can really do about that. Sweat, water, etc aren't our best friends. That is why I do not swim! lol

Sovictorrious

I am natural. I wear weaves, braids and weaves, or wash-n-go. At this point...My hair means nothing my health means everything.

BrainyBurro

this thread title amuses me. :laugh:

also, i have no clue what this thread is about, but i'm guessing "try wearing a baseball cap" is not a helpful answer. :huh:

MyChocolateDiet

LOL @ "ethnic hair". I'm Puerto Rican and my hair is naturally very curly, and I know that if I attempt to work out with my hair straightened I will leave that gym looking like an electrocuted Chia Pet.

Also, my friends with "non ethnic" naturally straight hair still have to rewash, blow dry and style after a workout so there's probably no way around it.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

That's how I looked yesterday when I got an unexpected call to have dinner with someone and rushed out the door to see them.

Except in my case I looked like a "secksy electrocuted chia pet". FTW!

MyChocolateDiet

NOw for my answer. THIS was actually on my mind the other day, and I was knocking around an idea whereby I do my 3 days a week workouts with two days back to back and just early one day (T) and late the next (W) and those two mid week days My hair just looks hairrible and do ponytails or hats or whatnot.

Then after that second day (W) late workout shower and blowout and have great hair for the following TWO days (Th), (F). (no workouts, just showercap if needed from a regular days worth of shvitzy].

Then 3rd day (S) workout in the AM shower and blowout and have good hair for that day and the next (Su). I think that's all the days. someone do my maths, this is where my thinks ran out.

ETA: No now that I went back to insert days I see I am missing monday. and my brain has run out of thinks. anyone feel free to take over from here. It's just basically a 3 days a week workout plan with slammin' blowouts in between and one pair of rough looking days mid week.

Achrya

I wanted to work out, so I stopped relaxing my hair. If I started relaxing again I'd stop working on.

I just can't get the two to mesh in my life, so I got rid of one.

Sreneesa

Honestly, I didn't wear my hair natural all the time it would be bothersome.

Even wearing my natural hair is a problem as it's too kinky and still when wet or dry it just kinks up and hard to manage. I have thick, dry, curly, kind of hair that when straighten reaches the middle of my back. When not just a half inch past my shoulders. Constant struggle! lol

Either way its a problem. lol... Just the difference in wearing it natural is I can at least condition it more often then the other one. As you know that washing it all the time isn't good.

MyChocolateDiet

NOw for my answer. THIS was actually on my mind the other day, and I was knocking around an idea whereby I do my 3 days a week workouts with two days back to back and just early one day (T) and late the next (W) and those two mid week days My hair just looks hairrible and do ponytails or hats or whatnot.

Then after that second day (W) late workout shower and blowout and have great hair for the following TWO days (Th), (F). (no workouts, just showercap if needed from a regular days worth of shvitzy].

Then 3rd day (S) workout in the AM shower and blowout and have good hair for that day and the next (Su). I think that's all the days. someone do my maths, this is where my thinks ran out.

ETA: No now that I went back to insert days I see I am missing monday. and my brain has run out of thinks. anyone feel free to take over from here. It's just basically a 3 days a week workout plan with slammin' blowouts in between and one pair of rough looking days mid week.

Quoting self to add... I think I need a spreadsheet. Is anyone around who is good at those? Even someone who might not have hair?

Achrya

Honestly, I didn't wear my hair natural all the time it would be bothersome.

Even wearing my natural hair is a problem as it's too kinky and still when wet it just kinks up and hard to manage. I have thick, dry, kind of hair that when straighten reaches the middle of my back. When not just a half inch past my shoulders. Constant struggle! lol

Either way its a problem. lol... Just the difference in wearing it natural is I can at least condition it more often then the other one. As you know that washing it all the time isn't good.

I do like being able to condition basically whenever I feel like I need it, and I'm much better with my natural hair than I ever was with it relaxed. I'm a twist out master, tbh. Oh and don't get me started on nice long hot steamy showers without worrying about my roots.

Never going back.

MyChocolateDiet

this thread title amuses me. :laugh:

also, i have no clue what this thread is about, but i'm guessing "try wearing a baseball cap" is not a helpful answer. :huh:

It's only good for damage control. I almost did that on friday. That will be my mid week solution but I really don't wanna have bad hair for two whole mid week days. Really don't. Really.

Sreneesa

Honestly, I didn't wear my hair natural all the time it would be bothersome.

Even wearing my natural hair is a problem as it's too kinky and still when wet it just kinks up and hard to manage. I have thick, dry, kind of hair that when straighten reaches the middle of my back. When not just a half inch past my shoulders. Constant struggle! lol

Either way its a problem. lol... Just the difference in wearing it natural is I can at least condition it more often then the other one. As you know that washing it all the time isn't good.

I do like being able to condition basically whenever I feel like I need it, and I'm much better with my natural hair than I ever was with it relaxed. I'm a twist out master, tbh. Oh and don't get me started on nice long hot steamy showers without worrying about my roots.

Never going back.

Yes, I haven't had a relaxer in years! But, I can flat iron it myself if I want a straight, sleek, more manageable look. Like right now its straight but I'm able to get up and go. My hair is just really unmanageable. The kind where I can comb it out or detangle and not even an hour later it will be back to "kinky." Yeah it looks cute but nobody knows what I go through until they have to deal with then they become a believer to my dilemma! lol

meshashesha2012

Honestly, I didn't wear my hair natural all the time it would be bothersome.

Even wearing my natural hair is a problem as it's too kinky and still when wet or dry it just kinks up and hard to manage. I have thick, dry, curly, kind of hair that when straighten reaches the middle of my back. When not just a half inch past my shoulders. Constant struggle! lol

Either way its a problem. lol... Just the difference in wearing it natural is I can at least condition it more often then the other one. As you know that washing it all the time isn't good.

i wash and condition in section of large braids or twists. i also dont let it air dry loose otherwise i get tangles.

i dont consider my hair a problem but then again i work WITH my hair's texture, not against it. i also have the typically villefied type hair (ie not the "good" kind of ethnic hair). when you work with your hair in terms of styling, products, techniques, etc it's actually pretty easy.