Arriving to work sweaty

abitofbliss
abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I bike 10 miles to work everyday. I love the exercise but it's really taken a toll on my workday appearance. My office doesn't have a shower so essentially I take a 'hoe bath' and I usually leave my hair up in its nasty sweaty braid or bun. I'm so sick of it, I'm nearly ready to shave my head! Since I love my long auburn locks Ive been trying to figure out a solution. Everyone knows that I ride my bike so I doubt they are judging me but I just wish I could still wear my hair down.

I've decided that a small blow dryer and dry shampoo could be my answer from reading similar struggles.

Does anyone else have this problem and have any tips?
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Replies

  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Is there a gym near your office you can join? That would allow you to shower and clean up.
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    Is there a gym near your office you can join? That would allow you to shower and clean up.

    Great idea. There is one but I can't afford it.

  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Well you could always.....
    Eh, who am I kidding, I got nothing other than good for you for biking in to work. If they actually had real bike lanes where I live I'd do it (of course we do have a shower at work).
    What exactly is dry shampoo? Seen that mentioned a couple times and haven't a clue.

  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    Haha @piperdown44 dry shampoo is exactly what it sounds like. Shampoo you can use in between washes. It's almost like a deodorant spray.

    The idea of blow drying sweaty hair is cringeworthy but I've read it's not so bad.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    Is there a gym near your office you can join? That would allow you to shower and clean up.

    Great idea. There is one but I can't afford it.

    No Planet Fitness?
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    @sunnybeaches105
    There is but it's about my halfway point and not on my way. Not sure it would even be worth it.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    Is there a gym near your office you can join? That would allow you to shower and clean up.

    Great idea. There is one but I can't afford it.

    No Planet Fitness?

    They have showers? The one I had the misfortune of being dragged to that one time didn't have any.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    Is there a gym near your office you can join? That would allow you to shower and clean up.

    Great idea. There is one but I can't afford it.

    No Planet Fitness?

    They have showers? The one I had the misfortune of being dragged to that one time didn't have any.

    I was spitballing. I've never been to one
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    Haha @piperdown44 dry shampoo is exactly what it sounds like. Shampoo you can use in between washes. It's almost like a deodorant spray.

    The idea of blow drying sweaty hair is cringeworthy but I've read it's not so bad.

    That dry shampoo sounds......kinda odd, but if it works....

    I wouldn't cut the hair. Summer doesn't last forever and before you know it, nice cool fall weather is right around the corner.
    What do you do in winter?



  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    Well, I live in Florida @piperdown44 so we have about a 1-2 week winter. I just started this in May. I'm guessing I'll be breaking a sweat in the mornings til at least Dec.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    Well, I live in Florida @piperdown44 so we have about a 1-2 week winter. I just started this in May. I'm guessing I'll be breaking a sweat in the mornings til at least Dec.

    Ah. Well that's a bit different then.
    I visit the eastern side a couple times a year for work. Even on those mornings I'm out of the hotel at 6am it's humid.
    Keep at it and good luck!
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    abitofbliss wrote: »
    Well, I live in Florida @piperdown44 so we have about a 1-2 week winter. I just started this in May. I'm guessing I'll be breaking a sweat in the mornings til at least Dec.

    When it cools down to the mid-70s for a few days
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
    Baby Wipes and Baby Powder. I know a couple people that will use the wipe to wipe down the important parts of their bodies then use a little bit of baby powder to freshen up their hair.
  • hannahsadler_tn
    hannahsadler_tn Posts: 77 Member
    I workout in the mornings before work. I take a shower after my workouts at the gym but my body temp stays elevated for a while, so I usually have to put my makeup on in the parking lot at work. If I tried doing it while I was still at the gym I'd sweat it off. I usually end up scrunching my hair or putting it up. I hate blow drying it when I'm still sweating. Can you bring some mousse or product and scrunch it?
  • 04hoopsgal73
    04hoopsgal73 Posts: 892 Member
    As I want to wash my hair every other day I do the blow dry thing and dry shampoo spray as needed. Yes it's icky but I don't want to ruin my hair washing it out every day. Then I do the loose pull back until I feel cooled down and later I can wear it down. Baby powder works too which you can also use for your 'sink bath'. Hope you can find a place to shower.
  • Reraisin_Fool
    Reraisin_Fool Posts: 2 Member
    I cant stop laughing from......"Hoe Bath" LOL

    :)
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
    I think you are on the right track with the blow dryer and dry shampoo. I've tried a pantene one and the nozzle clogged after 3 uses making it worthless. I tried this aussie one next and the price is much better and it works as advertised. Good luck!

    http://aussie.com/en-us/shop-products/all-products/total-miracle-7n1-dry-shampoo
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    Maybe super dumb but....could you rinse it in a sink? Not sure if you have access to a more private bathroom
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    Yep - when I worked out on my lunch break (and had long hair) I would do the "hoe and blow". Hoe bath + dry shampoo blow- dry. It wasn't bad at all.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I just started trying dry shampoo and it definitely keeps my hair looking less greasy so I can go longer without washing.
    I'd use baby wipes when you get to work, the small hair dryer if your hair is wet, and the dry shampoo if it seems oily looking. You should be able to let your hair down after that.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I started using dry shampoo last year. It works well but I've found it to be a bit finicky. If I use it I can leave my hair down and it looks ok and I can put it up and it looks good but if I do put it up, I can't let it back down. Whatever style I put it in must stay that way till the end of the day. Kind of like hair spray (which I haven't used since college) but without the hard stickiness. I would definitely try the blow dryer (even on cool) and dry shampoo if needed.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    Mine isn't a spray, it's a powder that is applied with a brush.
    rxkdersrpn8l.png
  • chunky_pinup
    chunky_pinup Posts: 758 Member
    I tend to go to the gym before work, and can get ready there. However, when I'm being lazy and decide to sleep in, I go on my lunch break. On those days, I also do the "hoe bath" but I blow dry the sweat out of my hair. It seems weird, but it works! I have a spray bottle with water and spray my hair down a bit, then spray a small amount of leave in conditioner, and dry/style. It's obviously not ideal, but it works, and works well!
  • Marss86
    Marss86 Posts: 33 Member
    This is a tough one!

    From personal experience, I wait till my hair is relatively dry from sweat before I take it out of my bun or braid. Then you could lightly dry it a little with your blow dryer and add dry shampoo.

    Everytime I let me hair down when it's still sweaty it looks more dirty? However, you will have more creases and dents in your long hair when you leave it tied up till its dry.

    OR

    After you let down your hair & dry/blow dry and apply dry shampoo, tie back in a low bun for the first couple hours of the day ... It will create nice look waves and then let back down
  • notreallychris
    notreallychris Posts: 501 Member
    I gym at work, come back sweaty. I have dry shampoo and use baby wipes for arms, back and face.
  • rthompson81
    rthompson81 Posts: 305 Member
    I used to bike to work about 10 miles too, in Texas, so I understand the sweat issue. I kept a blowdryer, dry shampoo, body wipes, deodorant and makeup in my office, and I always made sure I brought an entire outfit for work, including underwear. There's nothing worse than putting on clean clothes over sweaty underwear!

    With my hair, which was long, I would blow dry the sweat out, like some other posters have mentioned, and then used dry shampoo. My favorite is Batiste. Sometimes it would be okay to wear down, but most of the time I took a few minutes to braid it or put it in a bun.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    This is a really tough question. And I have taken plenty of Hoe's baths. I like the term above Hoe and Blow. :)

    My hair has been growing out with minimal cuts for 2 years. It gets heavier and heavier with sweat after workouts. I do not wash everyday any more. I do alternate days of washing with shampoo and dry shampoo.

    I have to take it down right after the workout and scrunch it and let it dry some and then dry shampoo will absorb some and help dry just a little faster, but you need to decide if you are gonna put it back up or let it air dry or use that small portable dryer you have. My hair takes hours to dry as it really thick.

    So not much to do with it, but I can let mine down and air dry but since it is 80% gray its not so pretty. So it usually has to go back up in the claw that makes a cute up do with minimal effort.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I bike 8miles to work in Houston. 90% humidity and 90deg weather in the mornings. Luckily my work has a shower, but it was out of commission for about a year.

    During that time, I would take a hoe bath with baby wipes during the fall, winter, spring , use Dove body spray, dry shampoo my hair and mostly just left it up in a bun. During the summer, I had to bring a washcloth and use soap/water for my hoe bath. I keep 4-5 changes of clothes in a basket at work, shoes, toiletries and make up. I also keep a curling iron for the days I feel like trying something with my hair.
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    Yep - when I worked out on my lunch break (and had long hair) I would do the "hoe and blow". Hoe bath + dry shampoo blow- dry. It wasn't bad at all.

    Hahahaha that made my day.
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
    Wow. These are all awesome tips! Thank you all so much. I just ordered a small dryer and the batiste dry shampoo.. Hopefully I'll be able to start a new regimen on Monday. I usually carry everything in my bag but I like the idea of just keeping a stash at work. So glad I posted. Really helpful!

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