Exercising with ethnic hair

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  • thinguri03
    thinguri03 Posts: 27 Member
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    Wow!!! I started plaiting braids all the time and give it just a week of rest before braiding again. My hair is all natural(African), couldn't keep up with all the salon visits when it was relaxed because it had to be every week due to all the sweat. I even thought of dreadlocks but having one hair style for the rest of my life...not happening so I grew out my natural hair. Plaiting works for me.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I love wearing my hair curly so I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't have to worry about that (too lazy to iron out anyways), BUT, can someone please tell me how to find a damn stylist that actually knows how to cut and shape curly hair!

    If you google for Deva stylists in your area, you stand a GREAT chance of getting an excellent cut. Two in the SF bay area are: Mary Hill at Fabu in Campbell is superb. Teresa Callen in Palo Alto/Mtn View is also very good, but veeeeery slow (I don't always have the luxury of multi-hour salon visits!). I'm sure there are others, but those are the 2 Deva-trained ladies I went to for years.

    ETA: same strategy found a great stylist in rural NH, not just a CA fluke!

    Will have to try this the next time I get up enough nerve to attempt a haircut, thanks!
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Lurking with 2c/3a hair.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    I have Jewish hair. Curly-ish, but definitely more than 'wavy'...and extremely frizzy. I only use sulfate-free shampoos, and even then I only use the shampoo every third day. On the other days, I use a deep conditioner and scrub at my scalp with that. Also, I work out first thing in the morning and then shower, so I only do a shower and blow-dry once a day.

    I don't think that's going to help you much, because the textures of our hair are very different. But this does help me quite a bit.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,013 Member
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    I have VERY thick and curly hair. I don't think there's much you can do but when I do have a blowout, I use a cotton headband and do 2 braids. It's better than nothing.
    As pp said, love coconut oil. I style with it and often put lots in before a workout, then braid, to take advantage of the heat.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I have Jewish hair. Curly-ish, but definitely more than 'wavy'...and extremely frizzy. I only use sulfate-free shampoos, and even then I only use the shampoo every third day. On the other days, I use a deep conditioner and scrub at my scalp with that. Also, I work out first thing in the morning and then shower, so I only do a shower and blow-dry once a day.

    I don't think that's going to help you much, because the textures of our hair are very different. But this does help me quite a bit.

    Have been trying to determine the ethnicity of my curly hair, am Russian/Welsh, so maybe Jewish? Curly when air/diffuser dried, wavy when blowdried, not terribly frizzy though...Individual hairs extremely fine, but have 10lbs of it so hair very thick overall. Male uncles and cousins have strait up fros, but my hair is nowhere near that curly, although I can get a fro going if I coil/twist my hair and then try to brush out, actually looks kind of cool, but way too much work.
  • bassclef19
    bassclef19 Posts: 53 Member
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    I have been natural for about 3-4 years.
    Had relaxed hair for.. maybe 10-15.

    Working out with natural hair is so much easier. If I a coming from work to the gym I use a goody hair band to get the hair out of my face or pull it up into a puff.
    If I know I am going out after the gym, I will have my hair in braids or twists and wrap a silk scarf over my head. Sometimes it gets sweaty so I use the hair dryer to dry it (I would never attempt to wash my hair at the gym).
    I am a girl who loves to get dolled up and look great, but getting a really good workout is more important and I don't care how mashed up I look at the gym.

    For you, I would find a way to work with your hair at the gym. Maybe a head band to pull your hair back or you may have to use the hair dryer to straighten out some of the curl. Just don't let you hair stop you from being healthy!
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    I have Jewish hair. Curly-ish, but definitely more than 'wavy'...and extremely frizzy. I only use sulfate-free shampoos, and even then I only use the shampoo every third day. On the other days, I use a deep conditioner and scrub at my scalp with that. Also, I work out first thing in the morning and then shower, so I only do a shower and blow-dry once a day.

    I don't think that's going to help you much, because the textures of our hair are very different. But this does help me quite a bit.

    Have been trying to determine the ethnicity of my curly hair, am Russian/Welsh, so maybe Jewish? Curly when air/diffuser dried, wavy when blowdried, not terribly frizzy though...Individual hairs extremely fine, but have 10lbs of it so hair very thick overall. Male uncles and cousins have strait up fros, but my hair is nowhere near that curly, although I can get a fro going if I coil/twist my hair and then try to brush out, actually looks kind of cool, but way too much work.


    I'm Jewish, and my grandparents all came from Russia..so it's an easy diagnosis for me to just say I have Jew Hair, lol.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I'm Jewish, and my grandparents all came from Russia..so it's an easy diagnosis for me to just say I have Jew Hair, lol.

    It's my mom's side that's Russian and the only thing I know about that side of the family is that my mother's maiden name was Glaesman, her parents were evangelical christians, and my great grand parents left Russia just before the start of WWI.

    My dad's side is Welsh if you go back far enough and it's all curly hair on that side too. I have reason to beleive there has been some serious lying/covering up somewhere in that family tree, especially when looking at one uncle in particular, but the Glover surname is so prolific who knows exactly what came from where...
  • unamoss
    unamoss Posts: 28 Member
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    I've got nothing but hair from the neck up and each and every single strand has a mind of it's own. Its curly and wavy and kinky like nobodies business. I am white and if I don't brush out my hair twice I day I will naturally get dread locks, especially my neck area, no joke. My daughter's hair is mercifully more cooperative, as it's curly down to her mid back. My son had gorgeous long curly hair past his shoulders, and it made me cry when he finally wanted to cut it. He too got dreads if we didn't wash, condition and comb out his hair frequently.

    That being said, my daughter will only use conditioner while I'll shampoo every few days cause I like to smell nice and I sweat when I work out. We both use good product afterward. We both like the Morrocan oil products, however, my favorite is Hemp Texturing Glaze for my daughter. It clumps the curls together beautifully. I learned about it from a friend of mine who is African American. The curls just rain down. Just don't touch your hair once you put it in and don't put in too much cause it will make your hair crunchy.

    I had two girlfriends cut off their dreadlocks because of their difficulty in maintaining while working out. It was just a whole lot of hair to deal with. They both wear their hair natural now and are knockouts! To me, there is nothing more attractive than a woman embracing her innate natural beauty. Personally, I think the natural look is gorgeous and I'm envious of women who were blessed with such wonderful, wonderful hair. :happy:
  • LaurenEllexx
    LaurenEllexx Posts: 64 Member
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    Oh, I know! Don't put heat to your hair! I workout often and I don't see any point in putting extra heat when you'll sweat the next day but that's just me...
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    I'm white (mostly), but my hair is too frizzy to ever let air dry, etc. I don't use heat, but I use a ton of ethnic products (Pantene's for relaxed hair are great) and I have found a good twisting solution that gives me nice curls or waves instead of solid frizz. I definitely don't wash it every day and try to go more than 2 but the darned roots start to get oily (while the rest is like the Sahara!).

    I wonder if the twisting I do is what y'all are talking about? I can even get away with a twisted bun working as both a hairstyle and a frizz-tamer for later in the day if the top part is cooperating. I sleep with mine twisted, too, sometimes in those silky caps. Mine can frizz out while I sleep, yeah!
  • fragileelegance
    fragileelegance Posts: 102 Member
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    No way around it unless you've got braids, wig or weave...I've opted for weave lol :)
  • pcdoctor01
    pcdoctor01 Posts: 389 Member
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    When working out at the gym I would keep my hair in rollers and wear a bandana. This was 6am I the morning. If at home, I would do the same thing. This way after I work out, my hair is still curly.
  • StorytellerJoanie
    StorytellerJoanie Posts: 3 Member
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    Would you consider going natural? I got sisterlocks. It was the best hair decision I ever made.
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
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    I do not have a relaxer, but I do get my hair (naturally curly and slightly thick) pressed every 2 weeks. Because I wrap my hair every night (have for many years) and secure it with a scarf, I just leave it wrapped. I tie an additional scarf around it that has a sweat band around the edge. I generally have time (at least an hour) before I need to pull it down, but when I do, it's always perfect.

    I think it helps that my hair is so well trained. I wish you all the best.

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