SWEAT & HAIR = COWASHING!?

How often should you wash your hair when working out?

  • Cowash hair after every workout.

    Votes: 74 44.8%
  • Wash hair with shampoo after every workout.

    Votes: 6 3.6%
  • Cowash hair after every other workout.

    Votes: 47 28.5%
  • Wash hair with shampoo after every other workout.

    Votes: 6 3.6%
  • Leave sweat in the hair until wash day, which may be once a week.

    Votes: 39 23.6%
  • Leave sweat in the hair until wash day, which may be once every 2 weeks.

    Votes: 1 0.6%

  • Total voters
    165
  • Poll closed .

biancaelyse

New Member
I work out about 6 days a week and sweat profusley. I co-wash every other day, sometimes daily if I don't feel fresh.

I shampoo once a wek since I use products with cones.
 

CHECKMATE!

New Member
It is nevre cool to let sweat stay in your hair after a workout,cowashing is the minimum...If you tend to sweat profusely,i recommend cowashing after every workout,salt is drying to the hair and any kind of sweat tends to smell when not "dealt" with :look: :yep:
 

p381

New Member
I don't know if it's o.k or not as far as hair care goes.
I have to rinse the sweat from my hair though.
I cowash just about everyday because of this.

Similar to what i do.

If i don't sweat too much after a workout, i'll just rinse the sweat out of my hair under the shower with "almost hot" water.
If i sweat a lot, then i'll co-wash.
 

Sly

New Member
lol she might have funk trapped inside that twist. i thought i read that the salt in sweat isnt good to leave in your hair for a long time. or something like that;

noooooooo!
:lachen::lachen::lachen:

That's the least of her worries. She will mostly go home and slap some hair spray and use the curling iron to lay edges down, and get the twist right :nono:. The sweat/salt may break her hair out down the line :eek:.

I'd co-wash, and wear a bun.
 
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Nice Lady

Well-Known Member
YUCK! Get in the shower and at least rinse that hair girl!! I excerise 3- 4 days a week and I cowash after each session. Both my scalp and hair are clean afterward. I can't imagine leaving sweat to cake up on my scalp and hair like that..my hair would smell like fish until next wash:nono:

I think now that I am into this hair thing--I can't do it at all. I find myself co-washing after every single strenous workout. My scalp feels hmmm....it might be all in my head.
 

blue_flower

Well-Known Member
I wash my hair every other work out with shampoo. If I wait too long, then my scalp becomes really itchy. I don't do co-washes with conditioner because it leaves residue on my scalp and I think it may have something to do with the sweat not being thoroughly rinsed from my scalp.
 
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*Muffin*

New Member
I don't always wash my hair after I exercise. I exercise everyday and I'd have to wash my hair everyday if I did that. I usually like to wash every 2 to 3 days. And my hair never stinks or feels dirty. Sweat is sterile and so is hair sebum, so I'm not that concerned with dirt and grime. Dirtiness accumulates over a period of time.
 

Freespirit02

New Member
Hey Ladies! Today I met up with one of my coworkers to participate in a ZUMBA class at the gym. Well of course the class was great! That instructor definitely knew how to do the dutty whine to that dancehall and reggaeton! Lol!:lachen: Anyways, I saw another coworker from my job and she came out of the class sweating so hard, I mean it looked like she just had a bucket of water poured all over her! When I said to her,"Girl you know your gonna have to wash that hair!" She said, "What!? I am not washing this hair! I'm gonna have to get some paper towels to dry it up." Her hair was in a french-roll, but now its drenched in sweat. There was sweat dripping from the ends of her hair from the nape and sides! I was shocked (in my head) to that response. So ladies, what do you think? Would you Cowash or wash your hair with shampoo? Is sweat okay to leave in the hair until wash day with shampoo, especially if your hair looks like someone threw a bucket of water on it?


If it's sweating like that..yeah i would wash my hair
 

chosen07

New Member
when I wear twists, I will let the water run through it when I shower after a workout. If just in a wash'n'go or fro, then I'll wash after every workout or every 2 workouts depending on how much sweat...

but this week I'm wearing the twistout and now am wondering if my plan to wear this for the rest of the week is gonna bust since I'm sweating daily... definitely can't even let water run through this...
 

onyxmin

New Member
I would run a good amount of water on that hair just to neutralize the salt contained in sweat. No need to waste my conditioners. Oil, style n go :)
 

MissMusic

Well-Known Member
I exercise daily, but I only wash 2 times a week. After workouts I just spritz my scalp with my own water based mix. However, the two times I do wash are on my serious sweat days (hot yoga days).
 

Ivytresses

New Member
Ladies,
I am going to be posting these questions on various threads fo various opinions and information, so if you see these questions in other threads and you helped me; just disregard. Here are my questions:

1. What is 4 a/b?
2. Texlaxed??
3. APL, BSL
4. Stretchers
5. Another question, what do you feel is the best wash routine?
6. How often should there be heat on hair?
7. What is Cowashing?

Thanks Ladies. These questions will be posted elsewhere.

Kim
 
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AtlantaJJ

Well-Known Member
Admittedly, her hair is probably stinky...gross, but sweat isn't like dumping a can of salt on the hair. Salt can be drying to the hair, but all that depends on how much salt is in her sweat, etc. After a certain point, sweating is just pure water because the body can't afford to release all electrolytes in the body, as they are used for important bodily functions like fluid balance. If she's sweating as much as you say, she is definitely sweating some pure water. At any rate, I work out every day and I don't wash my hair everyday, but I put my hair up pretty high and wear a sweat band. If I had wet, drippy hair though....ummm...that's kind of gross. I would at least rinse. She should invest in a Nike bandana made from quick-dri material that will absorb the sweat.
What she said plus, when I was natural it was easier to wash every day. Now I put my hair in a high pony for my workouts and wash 3 times per week. Washing every day is too much manipulation for my hair.
 

Fhrizzball

Well-Known Member
My head doesn't sweat that much even though the rest of me would be dripping buckets so my opinion is somewhat relate able only to me. Even when I exercised everyday I'm up to 3 times a weeks now, I would wash only once a week. My hair frizzes up too much and detangling that often led to damage. So I just wear a headband and afterward spritz my hair with water and anitbacterial/astringent oils.

But if it's as bad as you said it is maybe actual water contend would be optimal for her.
 

SouthernStunner

My 13yr old Men
Please dont shoot me for this BUT from what I am understanding from a lot of ladies that DONT wash or rinse and will just spritz their hair and seal is just masking the possible odor. To me that is like working out air drying your body and throwing on some cologne and going. It just doesnt sound right.

Please someone explain to me why you would wash your body (due to sweat, possible odor, and hygene reasons) but not your hair/scalp? The same reason I wash my body after working out is the same reason I cowash/wash my hair.

I think to do one and not the other defeats the purpose of being fully clean for me I need to feel clean from head to toe.
 

mahogany_horizons

Active Member
I don't wash every time I work out (which is usually 5 to 6 days a week) but I wash my hair twice a week, and if I sweated really hard I rinse it out. I cannot leave that mess caked on my scalp.
 

lwilliams1922

New Member
I'm about to start working out again after a 2 year baby break.

I'll have to see how things go but for starters i'm a cowash person. Poo is just too stripping for my hair. I'm leaning towards cowashing after every workout but I almost never touch poo.
 

divachyk

Instagram: adaybyjay
i work on a military facility and we have a set time to go to the gym before having to return to work. so first off, i'm usually pressed for time, and even if i wasn't, i'm not about to wash my hair after gym time with that stinky, sulfur smelling water. i hate that i have to wash my body in it and i'm definitely not using it on my hair.

before lhcf, i was afraid to wash my hair because i was unable to achieve the professional stylist look. now that i know how to care for my hair, i don't mind washing twice a week, but i wouldn't do it daily because i find it time consuming if i'm gonna properly condition/detangle my hair (i'm a tangler) -- and yes, i sweat a lot but my hubs don't seem to mind so that's all i'm concerned with.
 

MrJohnsonsRib

Active Member
I prefer to cowash after every workout. Generally I work out because it's a mandatory thing being in the military at least 3 times per week so because I work out before going to work I like to be fresh and that goes for my hair too. Shampooing would be overkill so I just cowash. Also cowashing makes my hair easier to style since it's soft and moist.
 

FindingMe

Well-Known Member
I tend to sweat a lot during workouts. If I sweat really hard, I wash with a poo bar or DevaCare NoPoo. Otherwise I might skip a day and wash the next day, but I never go more than two workouts without washing/rinsing my hair to get the sweat out.
 

fivetimestwo

New Member
I cowash every other workout day. It is usually the day of cardio where I sweat hard. For regular weight training or abs and squats- my hair is good to go!!!

I may get sweaty around my hairline but not enough to cowash or wash my entire head.

Same here. :yep: Although if my hair was completely drenched and dripping from the ends, I'd have to cowash immediately. Luckily this doesn't happen to me. At one point I would cowash after every workout and I think that was just too much for my hair to handle. Every other workout seems to be less stress on my hair.
 

Hersheygurl

Well-Known Member
After working out, I have to wash my hair. I just can't stand for my hair to not smell good, plus I think it would itch. I usually do intense cardio, so I have to cowash at least.

If I sweat to the point of my hair being wet, I put diluted shampoo in a applicator bottle and apply to scalp and rinse.
 

Kindheart

Well-Known Member
Admittedly, her hair is probably stinky...gross, but sweat isn't like dumping a can of salt on the hair. Salt can be drying to the hair, but all that depends on how much salt is in her sweat, etc. After a certain point, sweating is just pure water because the body can't afford to release all electrolytes in the body, as they are used for important bodily functions like fluid balance. If she's sweating as much as you say, she is definitely sweating some pure water. At any rate, I work out every day and I don't wash my hair everyday, but I put my hair up pretty high and wear a sweat band. If I had wet, drippy hair though....ummm...that's kind of gross. I would at least rinse. She should invest in a Nike bandana made from quick-dri material that will absorb the sweat.

You re partially right ,you also have to consider that when sweat comes in contact with bacteria found on the scalp and hair will cause your head smell .Unwashed sweaty hair tend to be sticky which attracts lots of bacteria and dirt,definetley a reuslt not comparable to washed /rinsed hair .Also,absorbing sweat is meant to give more comfort during workout not stopping the sweat from dirting your hair .

The scalp is part of your skin and needs to be washed as every other part of your body ,besides since after a workout the hair is wet you might aswell rinse it and get rid of sweat and dust avoiding bacteria growing on your scalp.Its just all about Hygiene .
 
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Britt

Well-Known Member
This is an issue for me. The cowashing/washing is not the problem its the airdrying. How are you manipulating your sopping wet hair so that it dries relatively enough so that you don't catch a cold by the next day? I'd love to cowash a few times a week, but it's the drying that's getting me.. Going to bed w/ a sopping wet bun is not cutting it for me. It's still way too wet in the morning, I don't mind some dampness inside the roots. I also cannot do cornrow braidouts on wet hair. I need something quick (10 min) that will allow my hair to dry enough by the morning. HELP! :help::help:
 

LaFemmeNaturelle

Well-Known Member
This is an issue for me. The cowashing/washing is not the problem its the airdrying. How are you manipulating your sopping wet hair so that it dries relatively enough so that you don't catch a cold by the next day? I'd love to cowash a few times a week, but it's the drying that's getting me.. Going to bed w/ a sopping wet bun is not cutting it for me. It's still way too wet in the morning, I don't mind some dampness inside the roots. I also cannot do cornrow braidouts on wet hair. I need something quick (10 min) that will allow my hair to dry enough by the morning. HELP! :help::help:

T-shirt dry for about 10-15 minutes before you apply your leave ins. Apply leave ins and then plaits (I do 2 or 4) and it should be dry by the next morning depending on what time you washed. At most, the braids may be damp but your scalp should be dry.
 
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