In Which Jenn Has A Sweaty Hair Epiphany

Ariel

Several years ago I read a supposed statistic that something like 50% of women don’t work out because they don’t want to mess up their hair. Now, I don’t know if that’s a ridiculous fabrication or an equally ridiculous truth, but I CAN tell you that I recently had a Workout + Hair Epiphany.

It happened when my roommate joined the legion of people, both Real Life- and Media-Based, that insist that you shouldn’t wash your hair more than, max, three times a week. It strips your hair of necessary oils and what have you and you’ll have a much healthier mane – nay, a shampoo-commercial worthy mane – if you leave it alone most of the time.

I think this sounds lovely and natural and holistic and it DOES NOT WORK FOR ME.

Hair
I want to go to there. (Source)

Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because my hair is long or because’s it’s fine or because I have an unusually oily scalp or what, but if I don’t wash my hair on a given day there’s an odds-on chance that in little more than 24 hours it will look a MESS. Stringy and greasy and just gross. Gross, okay? And that makes ME feel gross. I will trade shampoo-damaged hair in return for not feeling gross if that’s all right with everyone.

This remains my stance on hair care, but for some reason it has always bothered me, that my hair doesn’t react with joy and luster to the natural act of not shampooing. And then I figured it out.

IT’S ALL THE SWEAT.

Sweat. Sweat in my hair from one to three hours of ballet classes on Monday & Wednesday & sometimes Saturday morning and right now also Sunday rehearsals because we have a show coming up. Sweat from my runs, of generally 10 – 11 miles, on Sunday and Tuesday and Thursday and sometimes Friday if I had to skip or cut one of the other runs short and need more mileage. That’s six out of seven days of sweat soaking right into my past-the-shoulder-blades-long hair. No wonder it needs cleaning more often.

And so, as an athlete – YEAH I SAID IT I’M AN ATHLETE NOW – I must hold my hair to a different standard. I recognize that I put it through rigors the average scalp does not experience. If I feel I need to shampoo just about every day, then I will go ahead and do that, with a weekly deep conditioning treatment as a compromise. The end.

All that having been said… how do you cope with post-exercise-gross hair? Have you found a dry shampoo that actually works? Do you shampoo daily too? I may have a pro-shampoo manifesto, but I’m definitely open to other ideas!

Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.comSee ya real soon!

6 Comments

  1. Batiste Dry Shampoo–it comes in many scents and works really well for getting rid of oily hair. Klorane is also great, in fact, better than batiste, but double the price. Spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub it into your scalp and brush as normal. It really does work…and truthfully, not washing your hair every day does help your hair…I speak from experience. And yes, the adjustment is hard, but you get used to it. Plus, when you have dirty hair, it makes it easier to do fun updos and holds curl better.

    Good luck,
    ~Lisa

  2. I just wanted to say WOOHOO for calling yourself an athlete! Damn straight!

    And yeah, as far as hair goes, mine is always back in a ponytail so I don't think you need/want any hair opinions from me…although I wouldn't mind Tina Fey's hair in that picture 🙂

  3. I just Netflixed my way straight through all 7 seasons of 30 Rock so I'm on a Tina Fey high. Basically I want to be her right now.

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