Washing hair after each workout?

[CrownJewels]

Dear Ladies,
I work out 5 times a week and -how it should be- sweat my a** off while doing that.
Since I am currently posted to a third world country, I wonder which is worse-
Washing my already damaged and fine hair every time after the gym with bad quality water or have the sweat dry in it?
No need to tell me what the more ladylike way is... :S

Please enlighten me..!

[Mindi912]

Washing your hair everyday is bad for your hair in general.

I used to live in South Africa and the heat out there can be intense. I only ever washed my hair twice a week.

Currently I train, everyday and sometimes twice/three times a day. I wash my hair perhaps three times a week, I have been tempted to wash it everyday but I know it will just become unmanageable.

[digitalbath11]

It depends on your hair. If you have very oily hair, I can see why you'd want to wash it more often. I sorta have this problem. I wash it maybe 4-5x per week.

However, I use deep conditioning on the nights where I know I'll wash my hair the next morning. This helps my hair stay strong and shiny. I also don't dye my hair.

You can try a dry shampoo in between washes. I haven't tried it, but I'm seriously considering it, since there's times when I dont wash my hair, and I fully regret it by 2 p.m. the next day

http://www.sephora.com/browse/sectio...egoryId=C17780

good luck!

[kdiamond55]

Yeah I can't wash my hair 5x a week either. It is color treated and it would be dry dry dry.

I do use dry shampoo between washes, and it works awesome! I bought the cheapie kind, I think its Tresemme and it works great.

[sbilyeu75]

Wow...I wash my hair every day. But I'm an oil slick, so I have to do it.

[hieronymous]

I wash my hair 2-3x a week since it's curly and will dry out quickly. If I sweat a lot it actually brings out the curl and looks pretty good. But if I think it's gonna be gungy I sometimes will rinse it out with plain water.

[CATRACCOM]

Mine takes most of the day to dry so I usually wash it about 2x a week, maybe 3. I have fringe/bangs so sometimes I can get away with just washing them alone and get another day out of washing.

[thehobbes]

Yeah 2-3x a week here too, more would destroy it. It sucks in the summer and I hate when hair days don't line up with workout days, oh well.

[birdiefu]

I have mid-thigh length hair and washing every day would just be horrible on many levels. I wash every 2-3 days, though I do try to time it after a workout. I do weights 3 times a week, so that is usually when it gets washed.

As far as the oilies - if you slowly reduce your washing frequency, your scalp often adjusts sebum production over time. A lot of times the *reason* for oily scalp is due to overwashing/overdrying the scalp and consequential overproduction of sebum to compensate.

[mommatosam]

I wash mine pretty much after every workout. I wish I didn't have to, but it gets REALLY oily and flat if I don't. Today I decided not to wash it and I can FEEL and SMELL my hair. I ended up having to tie it up in a ponytail cuz it looked so gross....

[GOambi]

I usually wash my hair about 2-3 times a week. But it really all depends on the weather for me. If it gets alittle too oily between washes I use a small amount of baby powder and apply to a cotton ball than dab it on my roots. OR I use TRESemme Dry Shampoo. It came out not too long ago. That works great also! Both are inexpensive compared to other dry shampoo's on the market.

[ExclusiveStarr]

My hair is curly and at my upper thighs so I can't wash it with shampoo more than once a week or it would be a dry, frizzy mess and even then I only wash my scalp. . . the rest of the week I just rinse and condition.

[birdiefu]

My hair is curly and at my upper thighs so I can't wash it with shampoo more than once a week or it would be a dry, frizzy mess and even then I only wash my scalp. . . the rest of the week I just rinse and condition.

Yup, if you hair is long enough, you can just wash the scalp - either by keeping the rest dry and out of the way, or putting conditioner on the length first. Actually, you can "wash" your hair with conditioner only too, I did for years before I moved and got harder water.

[mrskalee]

Birdie is right. It's called co-washing, when you wash your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. This is what I do after I work out. You have to rinse the salt "sweat" out of your hair otherwise you're causing more damage.

[pmbpro]

Wow. I have a friend going through the same thing. I'd never heard of the "dry shampoo" idea though, so thanks for mentioning it! I'll suggest that for her to try.

Another friend has dreadlocks, so it's a little trickier for her (at least they're still very short though --- "baby locks"), but she washes them it twice a week and re-twists any that need it...

Hmmm... I guess my "hairstyle" ain't an option for any of y'all. Hehe.

[leigh92]

I go to tae kwon do 3-4 times per week, kickboxing 2-3 times per week, and weightlift 3 times per week, so I'm sweaty a lot lol. People probably hate being around me. Can't wash my hair for all my workouts, so I only wash it about 3-4x per week. I try to make sure I don't smell terrible though (deodorant, perfume, and showering), but sometimes I'm working out three hours a day split up at three different times

Good thing I'm not a social person or I'd be screwed :P

[danibel]

I wash mine pretty much after every workout. I wish I didn't have to, but it gets REALLY oily and flat if I don't. Today I decided not to wash it and I can FEEL and SMELL my hair. I ended up having to tie it up in a ponytail cuz it looked so gross....

This is basically me. If I can smell my scalp, I have to wash my hair.

My hair has become very dry, though. I might have to look into some alternatives to washing it every damn day.

[ExclusiveStarr]

Yup, if you hair is long enough, you can just wash the scalp - either by keeping the rest dry and out of the way, or putting conditioner on the length first. Actually, you can "wash" your hair with conditioner only too, I did for years before I moved and got harder water.

Do I know you from another forum?

[AprilShowers13]

I conditioner rinse/co-wash my hair a few times a week. I really just like the way conditioner smells in my hair.

[Myshell87]

You really shouldnt wash your hair every day, as it strips the natural oils from your hair, and makes it frizzy and dry.

At most wash it every second or third day.. if you have access to dry shampoo use that, otherwise baby powder does the same thing (just put alittle in your palm and rub it through your scalp).

When i straighten my hair if it gets abit oily i usually put abit of powder in it and im good for another day...

[digitalbath11]

I washed my hair with conditioner this morning... and used a little shampoo in the crown of my hair.

I should incorporate this more often. Thanks girls

[lilymaisky]

Don't wash hair after every workout, not good to your hair. There is easy way to do that, you can use Faciano Dry Shampoo. One bottle for many times, no powder no residue. And it cleans very well.

[Xxoxo]

I just put it up in a bun

[anonymous]

Since I was a workout fanatic, I would wash my hair every day - even when it was extremely long. Otherwise, in this steamy heat (S. Florida) it smelled!!! Not to mention all the styling product that was left in it.......now I have uber short, bleached hair, and I still wash it every day. Can't stand to leave product in overnight, and my head sweats like crazy. I use a light oil on my hair, and dry hair shampoo/conditioner. Needless to say, I don't use a blow-dryer or flatiron, which helps tremendously.

[cjobson]

I have always had extremely dry hair so I've gotten away with only washing it 3x a week even though I work out every day. If I do more cardio, I'll sweat much more and may have to wash it as often as every other day (which I have been lately since I've been running often). But sometimes I can even rub baby powder into my scalp at night and that'll give me an extra day if it's feeling like it could be washed but not too bad. (Sounds kinda gross...but it really works...I swear!!)

[xSagax]

I wash my hair every other day, I used to drag out on it but I love having clean hair and it doesn't really get frizzy anyway. I felt kind of gross today when I found salt stuck to the hair at the back of my neck haha. Fascinating too. My new gym is a few degrees hotter and I sweat like a pig, thought I wasn't able to sweat like that. Usually wash my temples/neck out with water after the gym if I'm not washing it w shampoo. And dry shampoo is a life saver

[armygirlAZ]

TreSemmes dry shampoo has been my hero

[viccles007]

I wash my hair twice a week..if my hair gets a bit itchy from sweat i know its time for another one LOL

[Malaki100]

Only when I'm sweating so much my forehead is dripping.

[Britanica]

I wash my hair 2 or 3 times a week. When it is on my nerves or super oily, I just throw a bandanna in and pull it back.