Exercise and Natural Hair

If you're like me, then at the beginning of the year, exercising (for health or weight loss) was one of your New Year's resolutions. If you're like me, then you're still exercising and haven't let that resolution become a failure. Working out, while great for the body, can be stressful to your hair. How so, you ask?

• Sweat - Sweating on your scalp can cause itchiness. Some naturals would want to wash their hair after working out, but let's be realistic - if you have medium to long hair, washing several times a week is not very feasible.
• Friction - Floor exercises, such as yoga or pilates or sit ups and crunches, mean you have to lie on a mat (hopefully not the bare floor), which your hair can easily snag against. 
• Style Buster - If your hair is in a "flimsy" style or a stretched styled state before working out, chances are that the style could be ruined by the time you're done with your routines.

Source: Our Very Own Discovering Natural

So, what can be done to minimize the stress on your hair?

• Keep hair secure and covered in a scarf while working out OR if your hair's long enough, you can keep it in a bun/pineapple. Be sure to cool down before you take the scarf off, to help combat frizz.
• Put hair in protective styles like twists, so that you don't have to deal with redoing your hair. 
• Instead of washing/cowashing multiple times a week, look for a dry shampoo or better yet, Witch Hazel (a natural astringent) that you can use to clean your scalp in between washes. 
• To combat itchiness, incorporate oils like Tea Tree or Peppermint and massage into your scalp after working out. 

Here's to a healthy body and healthy hair!

P.S. Please, click here to vote African Naturalistas as the Best Beauty or Hair Blog, Thank you for your support.

Berry Dakara.