Straight N Natural- Working Out/ Sweat

A few of you have asked me what I’m doing with my hair while it’s straight and I’m working out. I’m no expert at being a straight natural and to be honest my roots are not perfectly straight, so there has been some reversion. It’s something I accept and that happens when exercising heavily.

However, my hair is fairing much better this time around than a prior time when I was working out quite a bit. Winter/Fall time is definitely the best time to do the straight hair thing if you’re going to.

Hair that says "poof"

Work out where it’s coolest

One big contributor to my hair lasting this time is that I am working out a lot outside. It’s around 40-50 degrees in the morning here so the sweat pretty much doesn’t have a chance to buildup. If it’s the summer time and you want to flat iron your hair, try working out inside in air conditioning if possible, preferably under a fan. That may help some, but I really have to say that the cooler weather has been a big plus for helping me keep my style.

Pull hair back

A member of LHCF named Pinkskates is a straight natural that works out on  a regular basis. She always suggests putting your hair up in a high bun or ponytail when working out. I’ve tried this and though it works, I’ve found that putting the hair up in 2-3 buns works better for me.It just seems to keep the roots taunter. If your hair is shorter, you may have to do 5-6 buns instead.

The pictures below are of my hair today before working out this morning. I did 2 high ponytails and then rolled the ends under, securing with a large hair pin. Do not tuck your ends near your roots where you will be sweating the most.

Here you can see my roots starting to revert some. Most of my hair has stayed pretty straight though.

I tried to show here that my ends are firmly tucked in the middle of my hair, not near my roots. I also rolled the ponytails to the front and not to the back where I seem to sweat more.

Here‘s Pinkskates website if anyone is interested. I believe it has both hair and fitness info . It’s not a free website though, just be aware. I can’t vouch for any of the info there.

Wear a cotton scarf

I always try to wear a scarf that will absorb the sweat aroudn my edges in addition to pulling it back. I know some of you are probably cringing, but having it on while you are heavily sweating for 30 minutes won’t killl your edges.

I’ve recently been wearing a linen head wrap that I have. It soaks up sweat and keeps my ears warm. I have tried satin scarves, but they get soaked easily and then the sweat has nowhere to sit but on my hair.

Double buns with linen wrap

Keep ends out of the way

Do not let your ends come anywhere near your face or any sweat. It’s much easier to hide puffy roots than it is puff ends. You may want to braid your hair up and pin it.

Let it dry

However you secure your hair prior to your workout, leave it alone until it dries completely.

Right combo of products

Make sure you start out your straight hair with good anti reversion products. Aveda Antihumtecant Pomade has been my HG for this. It really helps to keep my hair from going “poof”. However, this may not be the one for you. I also make sure to oil my hair with coconut oil and/or jojoba oil everyday. This makes my hair product heavy, but I believe it helps repel some of the sweat. I liberally oil my scalp with Burnt Sugar Pomade as well.

(If your hair feels too oily, squeeze sections of your hair with a cotton scarf to soak up some of the oil.)

Tried all these tips and it’s still not working for you?

You can still work out. Please do not stop working out entirely because of your hair. Avoid the rain, don’t go swimming, but please work out. If you don’t want to do strenuous cardio, try to do some yoga or weight lifting instead. The closer you get to wash day, the more intense your workouts can become.

That’s about all I’ve got ladies. Nothing ground breaking, nothing earth shattering. But it’s been working for me. Feel free to share your own routines for working out with straight natural hair!