Afro Hair & Exercising: Top Tips from BSD
In a recent poll of Black Skin Directory Insiders, the number one reason given for avoiding exercise was fear of sweating out their hair. In an era where Black sports stars like Sha’Carri Richardson and Dina Asher-Smith are champions on the world stage, we truly believe that hair shouldn’t be a hurdle to fitness for Black women.
Whilst exercise helps release sweat and toxins, regulates blood sugars, and increases mental well-being, having natural Afro hair can presents unique challenges during exercise.
Our hair shouldn’t be a barrier to an active lifestyle, so here’s five tips to help you get the best of both worlds.
Moisturise and cleanse your scalp regularly
Sweat contains salt which can make your hair dry and brittle leading to damage and breakage. Unless you’re rocking a Teeny Weenie Afro (TWA) you may not want to or have time to wash your hair every day. Using scalp cleansing and exfoliating wipes such as Ori Lifestyle Fun Fun Cleansing Pads with a salicylic acid helps to prevent congestion and build up followed by a light scalp serum is a good option for no-wash days. A weekly wash and condition is still recommended followed by conditioning deep treatment fortnightly.
Use a headband
Gone are the days of the basic polyester headband. Treat your tresses to a satin or silk lined headwrap, durag or scarf such as the Dina Headband from BindLondon or The Gym Wrap. Tie securely and snugly around your hair line to keep sweat off your face and keep your edges laid. They’re great to use with braids, weaves and natural hair as the wick sweat away.
Dry before your unwrap
It’s still very likely your hair will get damp from sweat, so before you unwrap, use a blow dryer on cool or medium heat to dry your hair whilst it’s still in place. This helps to prevents unnecessary puffiness and frizz.
Swim without fear
For the swimmers amongst us, chlorine is super drying for Afro hair and we know traditional sized swim caps aren’t really designed for voluminous natural hair. This is where Soul Cap enters the chat with their colourful 100% silicone swim caps - spacious and snug to keep everything from braids to dreads dry and protected.
Protective Styling - braids, buns, twists and cornrows
These are easy go-to hairstyles but be mindful that though versatile, braids they can sometimes feel quite heavy especially during cardio-based exercises and can put undue stress on your natural hair follicles. High pineapple style buns or low at-the-nape ponytails will keep your hair nicely tucked away and off your face. Not only protecting your hair but also your face from sweat, dirt and grime. Twists are quick to put in and take down. You can pin up whilst exercising and to prevent friction use a smidgen of hair serum oil during removal. Our favourites are Pattern Jojoba Oil Blend Serum and Adwoa Blue Tansy Treatment Serum. Cornrows are great for the long game and make cleaning your scalp straightforward in between washes. If you’re exercising outdoors on a sunny day, protect exposed scalps and partings with a hat or sunscreen spray like Ultrasun UV Face and Scalp SPF50 Mist.
The bottom line is that the benefits of exercise will always outweigh hair concerns. We promise you that once you get into a good hair care routine that works, you’ll look forward to getting your sweat on!