Jun 12

Jun 12 How to go from Working Out to Work without Washing your Hair

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This week’s Women in the Workplace Wednesday is a little different. I still think things like raises and interview tips are important, but wanted to touch on some self care, because if you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t do either of those things!

We all know working out feels good, but it is sometimes really hard to get up and do it, even though we know the great impact it has. What doesn’t help is having to find time to work out and then also spend a million years and be late to work because you spent too long getting ready. I mean the difference between dry, styled hair and wet hair for me is around 20 minutes, so I totally get it.

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Most of my ladies who work a 9-5 job work out in the morning, because although they have to wake up earlier, it ensures it gets done. Working out in the afternoon just doesn’t always happen! Whether it be that plans change, a horrible day happens or you’re just tired, end of the day work outs are easier to quit on in my opinion.. though I am a notorious snoozer in the morning. Let’s just say both can be hard! ;)

At my last job I either worked out before work or during lunch. I worked 7 am - 4pm, so if I worked out in in the morning I needed to leave by 6:30 am if I was taking a local class. That meant I had to get p around 4:30 am or 5 am to find time to workout and get ready. Even then, I didn’t have a ton of time to get ready! For lunch workouts I would just head to the gym, change, workout, towel off and put my work clothes back on, sans shower. Yep! No shower, so def no hair washing then.

Ever since I did Orange Theory, I began receiving questions about my hair and how I saved it during workouts. First of all, my hair has a mind of its own. It is naturally straight, but will somewhat hold a curl if I wear it in a bun and of course if I use a curling iron. It is pretty thick and isn’t on the greasy side. Right now I’m washing my hair about every other day, because right now my hair is doing this weird detox thing, BUT for the majority of my life, I have washed my hair 2-3 times a week max. I don’t really use a hair dryer/let it air dry. I have a post coming up soon on all of my haircare, but I just wanted to say that I do take care of my hair and the status of your hair affects how it reacts to things like workouts, how often you have to wash it, etc.

SO with that in mind, here are some other tips to go from working out to work without washing your hair!

TIPS:

Wash your hair at night - So I know this whole thing is about not washing your hair, but when you do wash your hair, do so at night! This will ensure you do have clean hair from time to time and it won’t take away from your morning routine.
Wear a headband - When you workout, wear a headband! This keeps the hair out of your face during a workout, which keeps strands from getting stringy and greasy earlier than expected. I have this headband in several colors. It gets the job done and doesn’t give me a headache in the process.
Use a sweat towel - Continually wipe off sweat during your work out, and this will keep your hairline from getting too greasy. When you’re workout is complete, place the towel around your neck and let it sop up the sweat here, away from your hair.
Have proper hair accessories - I like these hair ties because they leave minimal crease. I also have started using these clips when I’m done with a workout / when I’m putting my hair up temporarily. I like to do one one the crown of my head to keep the hair out of my face and add volume to my roots and the use the other to twist my hair into a bun.
Wear your hair up for the least amount of time possible - I put my hair up right before the class begins and take it down as soon as the class is over and the sweat towel is around my neck. I don’t really workout for more than an hour max, so in that time, my hair hasn’t creased much. If I workout longer than that, I typically always wash my hair.
Blow dry sweat - Use that cold feature on your hair dryer! This makes you look more presentable faster and keeps your hair from stringing.
Only use dry shampoo when you have to - In my experience if you just dry shampoo right out of the flood gate, you have to wash your hair sooner. When using dry shampoo, I try to wait at least 2 days before using it. I recommend Evo Water Killer and Primally Pure Dry Shampoo. Try Primally Pure’s for 10% off with discount code ELLEMULENOS.
Curl your hair - If I really need to look presentable and my hair looks questionable, I’ll just curl the ends quickly and call it a day. Since my hair is naturally straight, the curl gives it a finished look it might not of had if I’m at the end of my dirty hair lifespan.
Don’t be afraid to rock the pony - Some days it just doesn’t work and you need to wear a top knot or a ponytail. It happens. Just embrace it! Buns look professional anyway ;)