Do You Really Need To Wash Your Hair After Every Workout?
As any true gym lover will know, the only bad thing about getting sweating is that you then have to wash your hair. Or, maybe not. According to celebrity hairstylist Marcus Francis, as long as you rinse it, your hair will be fine. After all, it's just sweat. "If you can rinse your hair, you don't have to shampoo it," Suave told Well+Good. "You're just getting water, you're getting the exfoliation of your hands in there, that's going to help alleviate some of the buildup, so you don't have to actually put shampoo in your hair."
Lucy Redway, hairstylist to stars including Olivia Palermo, agrees, revealing that washing your hair after every single gym sesh can actually do more harm than good. "Excess amounts of sweat can weaken the hair strand and shorten the life span of your hair," she explained to The Cut. "This is why it is important to lock in moisture, refrain from drying out your hair even more by over-shampooing, and use moisturizing products to keep your strands hydrated." In other words, you should be focusing less on washing your hair after working out and more on prepping your hair beforehand.
Prep your hair before you workout to avoid washing it
If your hair gets super sweaty whenever you work out, consider adding apple cider vinegar to your hair care routine. "Apple cider vinegar balances the pH level on your scalp, which can help control excess oil," Debra Jaliman, a dermatologist in New York, told Greatist. "Plus it gets rid of greasiness, itchiness, and irritation."
Alternatively, celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey suggests using a leave-in treatment. "The excess heat you produce while working out will help the mask penetrate more deeply, and it also helps to keep your hair nice and slicked back during exercise," she told Byrdie. "Post-workout, comb out your 'treatment style' and either rinse and air-dry or slick back into a fresh pony until you can rinse out. It will look sleek and super chic."
You can also just reach for some dry shampoo. "If your hair is freshly washed but you've booked a fitness class, spray hair with dry shampoo beforehand and twist up into a top knot," Sam Burnett, creative director of Hare and Bone in London, told Harper's Bazaar. "The dry shampoo will help absorb any excess sweat until your next hair wash."