How to deal with post-workout hair

So, you put on your activewear (go girl!), made your way to the gym (how good are you?), went hard during your workout (remember, sweat is fat crying) and now you’re left with a messy, stinky and downright sweaty head of hair. With these post-workout hair tips, you can transform those dirty locks into the squeaky clean ‘do they have always wanted to be – no shower required.
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#1 Brush it out
As soon as you hit the change room, take your hair out of the top knot, pony, braid or whatever ‘do kept your hair out of your face throughout your workout. Give your locks a good brush with a paddle brush to remove any kinks. We like the Lady Jayne Paddle Brush or Cloud Nine's Professional Paddle Brush. Then give your damaged ends some lovin’ by applying a pea-size amount of Al’chemy Lavender & Anthyllis Leave-in Conditioner for a smooth, sleek finish – it will also help protect your hair from heat styling.
#2 Blast your locks
With a decent blow-dryer, (VS Sassoon Pro 2100 Dryer if you’re on the hunt for a new one) blast your entire head with cool air. Start with your roots and make your way down to the ends. Flip your head upside down, and blast again – this will help create a bit of volume for your lifeless locks. Remember to use the cool setting on your dryer; warm air will only make you sweatier.
#3 Go crazy for dry shampoo
Yep – dry shampoo is a Godsend for sweaty hair. One with a fresh scent will absorb oil, dirt and grease from your locks and leave them smelling good. We recommend Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo as it has a light floral fragrance that will mask any nasty odour. Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo has a delicious fragrance of lemon, grapefruit and lime. Or if you’re after a more subtle fragrance, try Fudge Urban Dry Shampoo, which is formulated with special micro-powders to leave the hair super clean.
#4 Spritz some may chang oil
Mix two drops of may chang essential oil into the In Essence Spritz Bottle, which has been filled with water. Give your hair a light spritz with your concoction, as a perfume for the hair. May chang oil has great antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and cleaning properties – so it’s a great addition to your post-workout hair routine. It also has a fresh, lemon fragrance to keep you smelling good.
#5 Decide on your ‘do
Is your hair fresh enough to be left out – perhaps you just need to run a straightener through it and you’re good to go? Or maybe it’s more of a day-old pony type of situation? For simple styles that require minimal effort, have a look here.
What do you do with your hair after the gym? Any tips we missed?
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117 Member Comments
I no longer go to the gym so I don't have this problem.
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May chang oil is a new one to me.
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Dry shampoo sure comes in handy after a work out at the gym.
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I totally rock a post workout hair do on the days I gym before work! Dry shampoo and I are besties
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Number one tip..... Dont work out. No need to worry about workout hair then... Seriously...it works.
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I was wondering if anyone was going to post a comment along those lines :)
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Haha great advice Meedee!
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josella I promise you it works :D
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I can't deal with post workout hair at all, I need to have a shower. No amount of dry shampoo has helped.
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Even if dry shampoo does the job, I still feel yuck.
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I wish I could do post-workout hair, but my hair gets way too oily...I just can't cope!
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Yes limp, frizzy post workout hair is not a good look.
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Depends on how much you sweat when you train really but I don't think dry shampoo would take sweat out would it?
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you have to shower after gym no dry shampoo can ever get you out of sticky, greasy hair
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Agreed. The power of sweat...
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It always ends up so oily after a gym session
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I give it a good brush and apply dry shampoo; thanks for the great tips/article!
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Ah, i usually go straight to dry shampoo. Maybe i will try blow drying it first.
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I never excercise so much that my hair gets dirty haha
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Post work out hair, dried obv, makes for the best hair structure for a messy bun!!
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Oh I have to have a shower after gym! There's about a 30 minute window. And then I must just shower haha So that fixes it all . And def wash my hair! I still can't get into the dry shampoo. It freaks me out.
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I just wash it - I can't deal with dirty post workout hair!
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Dry shampoo is definetly my savior post workout! I also just style it up
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Well I don't go to the Gym - but when I used to go in my younger days, I couldn't wait to wash my hair after a session.
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May chang oil sounds great!
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