Those who exercise 3+ times per week...how often do you wash your hair?

[InsertCleverNameHere]

I am not having fun working out because I have to wash or rinse my hair everyday or every other day. I am about to say screw it and either just wash my hair less and deal with it or exercise less.

 

[MAHOGNEY329]

I wash my hair every time I work out, unless it is on a Friday night and I don't have any plans then I will pull it back into a pony tail for my Saturday morning workout. But better believe as soon as I leave the gym Saturday, I am washing and conditioning my hair...............the plight of black women.

 

[Solti]

I condition wash every day after my workout's (I workout 6 times a week) 'cept for the night time work outs!

 

[buffalosoldier]

I used to wash it every other day but for the last month or so I've been washing it once a week and it seems to be thriving. But I'm gonna start washing it every 5 days...right before I am at that breaking point!

I never ever miss excercising for the sake of my hair. You can put witch hazel or seabreeze on a Q tip to clean your scalp. It helps a bit.

 

[WesternEyes]

I workout 4 days a week and wash after every workout. I sweat alot during my workout, especially on my head and face. It annoys me when i'm trying to keep a look.

 

[LaNecia]

I work out twice a day most days so it depends on my training schedule. Usually I try to get a CO wash every evening, then style in the morning. This becomes time consuming though cause I'm wearing flat twists that I have to redo them daily (I don't use any rubber bands or anything on the ends so that minimized breakage and stress in that regard) but time wise...it's not fun. But....

I'll be trying to CO Wash every other day this week. Never more than that though...

I use shampoo once a week, on my Sunday 'hair do' day.

 

[Nyambura]

I exercise 6 days a week, at least once a day. At the very least, I rinse my scalp and hair but I usually do a C/W and then shampoo on the weekend. HTH!

 

[Nyambura]

I used to wash it every other day but for the last month or so I've been washing it once a week and it seems to be thriving. But I'm gonna start washing it every 5 days...right before I am at that breaking point!

I never ever miss excercising for the sake of my hair. You can put witch hazel or seabreeze on a Q tip to clean your scalp. It helps a bit.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), heavily diluted, is also a good way to keep your scalp clean but without unnecessarily irritating and over-drying it the way alcohol or witch hazel might. HTH!

 

[kristina]

I'm currently working out 5-6 days a week. I sweat alot too. I tend to wash my hair every 3-5 days depends on how my hair feels and what kind of style I want. I don't rinse the sweat out (I'm sure this is bad but my hair literally takes 10 hours min. to dry). I just make sure that the length of my hair is away from the sweat and apply moisturizer. I also don't think workouts should be sacrificed to maintain the hair.

 

[LaNecia]

...I just make sure that the length of my hair is away from the sweat and apply moisturizer. I also don't think workouts should be sacrificed to maintain the hair.

First, I totally love your hair!!

Second, I totally agree with keeping the sweat off the length of the hair, when mine was longer, I noticed that the sweat would dry it out very badly.

And last but surely not least.... for your comment about workouts not being sacrificed to maintain the hair! I truly believe there can be a balance betwixt the two. I will prove that this year but if I had to choose, I would opt for working out any day of the week over trying to keep a hairstyle.

I'd wear a french roll/up do every day if I had to...

 

[bajanplums1]

It really frigging sucks. I love swimming, but only go 2x a week bc of my hair. I do a conditioning wash after my Wed. swim & a full blown wash and triple condition after Sat swim. Honestly, when I workout--sometimes I don;t wash my hair afterwards, I just let it "air out." It would just be too much stress on my hair otherwise.

 

[tryn2growmyhair]

I am working out a lot as well -- ideally I would workout 6 days a week but it's usually 4-5. I am wondering what is better for my fine, fragile hair: CW after every workout or CW every other day (one of those wash days would be with shampoo) and allowing the sweat to dry on my hair? What do you think?

 

[LaNecia]

For what it's worth, A friend of my family who's a hair dresser says that the saline in our sweat interacts w/the relaxed hair and causes a type of reversion. Whether this is true or not I do not know but she recommended to me that when I wash my hair after a workout, my first shampoo should be with a Normalizing or Neutralizer Shampoo. Unfortunately, I can't shampoo my hair every day, we are talking about major breakage, regardless of the shampoo, it's just too drying.

Anyone else heard anything about this (in support or otherwise)? I'm going to do a little research and report back shortly....

 

[Peachtree]

I just started an exercise regimen about 1 mth ago, 3 days per wk. I exercise outside (in this COLD Cleve weather) so sweating isn't a big issue right now... but when the weather breaks, I'm prolly gonna sweat up a storm... then I'll prolly do a cond rinse after each session... but for right now, I wash & cond rinse wkly.

 

[buffalosoldier]

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), heavily diluted, is also a good way to keep your scalp clean but without unnecessarily irritating and over-drying it the way alcohol or witch hazel might. HTH!

Thanks I never thought of that. My friend used to train regularly and wore her hair in twists,she rarely washed it and that is where I got the seabreeze idea from. Her hair is LONG now

Trying to grow my hair, I'm no expert but I personally dont think that sweat is bad for your hair. As long you are washing your hair once a week you should be fine.
My friend used to train everyday and washed her hair once a month and it was lovely and long!
It just depends on the individual

 

[kristina]

First, I totally love your hair!!

Second, I totally agree with keeping the sweat off the length of the hair, when mine was longer, I noticed that the sweat would dry it out very badly.

And last but surely not least.... for your comment about workouts not being sacrificed to maintain the hair! I truly believe there can be a balance betwixt the two. I will prove that this year but if I had to choose, I would opt for working out any day of the week over trying to keep a hairstyle.

I'd wear a french roll/up do every day if I had to...

Thanks LaNecia. BTW- your so my weight loss, fitness inspiration (still trying to get my act together on that front)
I notice that the salt in the sweat is drying but the dryness can be counteracted with oil and or moisturizers- I guess it's a give and take.

I agree that if I had to choose, I'd rather have a fit body and dry hair. But I've been running on the treadmill almost every day and my hair doesn't seem too dry.

 

[NAY007]

I work out about 5 times a week and I wash my hair twice a week. That's working for good for me. There are weeks when I wash three times but those are rare.
Now in the summer time I wash my hair def. more often.

 

[Isis]

I exercise daily and I wash my hair every 3 days.

 

[Boadicea]

2-3 times a week

 

[caligirl]

I used to be a gymnast so I worked out every day, but only washed my hair every 3 weeks because it was pressed. Back then my hair would shed a lot and I never made the connection. Now I wash my hair with shampoo after every workout. I just try to use a tiny amount of shampoo (Keracare) and a ton of conditioner (Kenra) to prevent dryness.

 

[SandySea]

I was just wondering the same thing today. I just started working out again, and I sweat so much that my hair is soaking wet when I finish (gross-I know). Back in the day, I would just let it dry, but now that seems like a bad idea. I've decided to rinse with water (since it's already wet) to get the sweat out and CW every three or four days. It depends on how my hair takes the change. I'm worried about CWing my fine hair too often.

 

[AudraChanell]

Hey ladies (no hijack intended to the original author) I am starting to workout a little more and I know my roller wrap will be shot! HOW do you style your hair after CO washing or shampooing??

 

[babyblue]

i work out 3-5x a week. right now im just shampooing once a week and maybe i do one conditioner wash in the middle of the week depending on how my scalp feels. Otherwise i dont really sweat much and as long as there is no odor i dont see the need to wash after each work out.

 

[lovelymissyoli]

I exercise 4 days a week, two hours a day, and still only wash my hair once a week.