African American hair question-HELP

missmaya24 · November 2010

Has anyone found a cure to sweating your hair out? LOL. But seriously, is there anything that helps? I started working out before work and now it's ponytails for me. I wear a scarf when I workout but it doesn't really help.

nalia08 · November 2010

If you have a relaxer, nothing will really help. Your best option is to keep it wrapped during your workout and wait for it to dry completely before unwrapping to maintain the style. You may want to use rollers and sit under a hooded dryer for 15 mins to help set a bumped style if you are not into using heat. Otherwise, the only other option is protective styling like braids or weaves to maintain a style. I had the same problem when I was relaxed and went to weaves because I didn't like curling my real hair everyday. Now I am natural, so sweat/water is not a problem anymore!

iheartshae · November 2010

LOL I'm not sure there is one. :ohwell:

Hatchlady · November 2010

That was a real struggle for me. I work in a professional setting which means, I have to dress up all the time. I went to the gym in the morning before I went to work, so by the time I got home to shower my hair was soaking wet. I have been getting a sew in for the past 3 months, and it is very convenient.

Vonnie2006 · November 2010

Wigs and weaves! I wear my hair out on the weekends but I during the week I usually just braid it down, plop on a wig and call it a day or Get me a weave, wrap it, let it dry and keep it moving.

MPJS · November 2010

Hi
Have you tried to set your hair first. If you take it wet with some gel and then wrap your hair around your head and then pin on one side . It all depends on how long your hair is also. but real smooth it down on your head. place pin bobby pin on one side and put a breathable scraf over it to work out in. If the scraf is to heavy and does not allow for air that's not good you get more sweat. So somtimes and old bandana is the way to go This well leave hair straight without frizz but it has to be wet.

HazelDiva1913 · November 2010

Go natural...thats the only remedy Ive found. Then you can just wash and go and wear the natural look

precioustypeoflove · November 2010

i have relaxed hair but it is also very curly so it gets puffy after i work out so now i just do a sew in just because i cant keep putting heat to my real hair uhh !!

msstonediva · November 2010

I would suggest going natural. my hair was an issue for me before i decided to go natural over 5 years ago. now I wear braids and kinky twist with my natural hair and I don't have to worry about sweating it out...

maconk22 · November 2010

I decided to go natural because of the same problem. I do not have a relaxer but I do press my hair weekly. I wrap my hair up, tie it down and keep it tied down until it dries. It has been wonderful for me. Havent had any problems and it is just as straight as it was when I had a relaxer.

Shaqueta · November 2010

I had to switch to a sew in, I also tried the crochet. My hair was what was standing between me really working out cause I didn't' want to sweat my relaxer out ( Cause I can't do hair to save my life) I actually cut my hair really short so I could grow out my relaxer.

My hair's growing faster, healthier, and better now. It does take some adjustment and the right products for my edges.

a real satin scarf or pillowcase helps at night .

TooFine4MFP · November 2010

I have that same problem to the point that I have to get my hair done every week! I oil my hair at night and wrap it and keep it wrapped while I work out. Then since I sweat so much I have to blow dry my hair out then flat iron it. I sweat sometimes long after I'm done working out, so sometimes I have to spend 10-15 just blow drying my hair.............I feel your pain girlie!

spicy618 · November 2010

I have/had the same problem. I sweat alot and mostly from my head. :ohwell:
When I first started my Healthier Lifestyle, I just bit the bullet an wore my hair curly for months at a time.:sad: Unless I had an event to attend. The benefit - i was able to condition my hair a couple times a week by using Leave-in conditioners as my styling product. :happy: I was able to grow out my relaxer and go "more natural" by having the Keratin treatment done every 4 or 5 months. I've not had a relaxer in my hair for about 2 - 3 years now. My hair has never been longer, fuller or healthier in my LIFE.

Although I'm complimented on my Curly style, nothing makes me feel as sexy as Straight hair. Now that I've reached my goal "size" (not weight :laugh: ) I just work around it. If i know I'm going out the weekend. I will do my workouts Mon-Thurs, Friday to the salon and the following week I will start working out about Tues or Wed.

Yes, it's not fair we have to deal with Frizzy hair while trying to improve our bodies and health. :devil:

Oh I almost forgot... at the beginning when my hair was thin and damaged from all the years of Relaxers, I did have 2 "tracks" sewn in of Good Quality Curly Human Hair, Longer than my own. It looked Full and Long while curly... Now, My own hair is the length as healthy as the weave I loved so much. :bigsmile:

All this to say... if you suffer a little now, later when you are on Maintenance you will be sitting Pretty.

Just my .02 :flowerforyou:

cutmd · November 2010

I would suggest going natural. my hair was an issue for me before i decided to go natural over 5 years ago. now I wear braids and kinky twist with my natural hair and I don't have to worry about sweating it out...

Agreed. That was one of the things that really encouraged me to go natural - there is something wrong with a process that alters your hair, loads you with chemicals, and then prevents you from working out and being healthy. I think hair is at least partially to blame for the rising rates of lethargy and obesity in the black female population.

I know some women with relaxed hair will also twist or braid their hair up before working out and wear a relaxed version of the twist or braid out. When my hair is pressed I do braid it before working out. You can get more tips on longhaircareforum.com, if you haven't already checked it out.

Vonnie2006 · November 2010

I would love to go natural. Unfortunately, I have a lot of damage on my hair line from various medications I take so it's umm not a good look.

missmaya24 · November 2010

I want to go natural but honestly I don't know how to style my hair. I had a weave once and hated it. It was way too tight. Any natural hair care tips?

genevat · November 2010

going natural is the only way I have been natural for 15 months and I have been sisterlocked for 9 months I love my hair I feel so blessed to have natural hair check out my blog @ genevawblogspot.com

ntp0826 · November 2010

I've been dying to ask this question...thanks!!!

js775219 · November 2010

I agree with everybody else...natural was the best way for me to go. It's healthier and you don't have to keep using those harsh chemicals on your hair; and since you're going for a healthy body, might as well go for a healthy scalp, no? lol. There are sooo many tips I could impart to you on your natural journey, it would be a whole other thread, even board! But you need to take this decision a little seriously because you will either have to go two ways to go natural: Big Chop (which is cutting ALL the relaxed hair off, which is what I did it's not for the faint or meek, but it has it's advantages) or gradually growing out your relaxer which will only elevate your problem because then you will have the puffy, sweated out relaxed hair AND the natural curl patter at the top, not to mention the line of demarcation that is very vulnerable and can break off, leaving you with broken off hair. In short, going natural isn't just a on the whim decision, think about it. But in the meantime, when I was still relaxed, I had hair to probably my arm pit (then I cut it for a funky mohawk look) and what saved me was Jam (the holding pomade) and my satin scarf and two big rollers. I would put Jam around my entire hairline and smooth the edges down and pulled it into a ponytail at the top of my head (the only issue I had with this is that it is a lot of tension on your nape and edges, another reason i went natural) and with the left over hair, I put two of the big rollers and secured with pins to my head. I wouldn't take this down until the final 5 minutes before I left...heck, sometimes I even wore it in the car on the way to work. It wasn't bone straight and it didn't look "fresh from the salon" but it worked for me. If you have shorter hair, you really just need to tie is down with pretty much the same, minus the rollers. I found that the crucial part was to make sure your hair was DRY before taking it down. HTH.

edorice · November 2010

I workout at least six days a week. Most of the time I have my hair in braids, but currently in two strand twists. I can't process my hair. It just doesn't cut it for me. But the workouts are more important to me than my hair style.

LGIFitness2K11 · November 2010

Ladies!! I am so glad someone posted this topic! I think that a sew in may be my best option at this point bc I am natural but dry press my hair with a ceramic flat iron each Friday and by the end of the fiollowing work week I look crazy! Great tips ladies!

road2peachtree · November 2010

OMG! My husband and I had this VERY conversation like 30 min ago. I'm working out longer and harder with every workout and currently my hair is in a pony but that's getting old and matronly. Haven't had a relaxer since March so perhaps it just time for me to cut the rest of it out and wash and go.

Thanks and thanks and thanks! Great topic of discussion.

Dionne2010 · November 2010

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!

I dont know what to do with my hair! I have not had the "creamy crack" in my hair since 1992, and I am at a loss as to what to do with my hair normally. Now adding working out to the hair issue I am just sooooo lost!

Thanks for the tips everyone!

nubreeze33 · November 2010

AWE it really is challenging trying to figure out what to do, I have transitioned to locs......that works for me. Before that I used to just wear my hair pulled back in a bun when I got it in at the gym.

Mehs · November 2010

My hair was natural for 31/2 years until I relaxed it about 2 months ago. It didn't completely straighten so I have to flat iron or press it to get it straight. I posted a few days ago that I didn't exercise last week because I didn't want to sweat my hair out but this week its back to puffy hair. I pretty much just keep it in a ponytail, braids or wigs. I don't know what else to do. Good question, Maya. You ladies gave some great tips although I don't know if I can go back natural....too many tangles for me.

vi_msbehavin · November 2010

Another natural checking in! I can't imagine having to deal with relaxed hair and trying to work out everyday. As some others have recommended try getting a sew-in or some braids. You can also try incorporating some head bands to cover up your edges at work. HTH!