Where other folks see fun and entertainment in sports, athletes are drawn toward the focus, discipline, and competitiveness of the culture. According to Psychology Today, young people are interested in becoming athletes for various reasons like physical and emotional well-being, leadership skills, and social identity.
This naturally accompanies immense pressure, the need for multitasking, and perseverance. If you are a fitness enthusiast or athlete, you undoubtedly love to push the physical and mental limits of your body. As you strive to stay in shape, relieve stress, and stay active, do not forget about your hair.
Does that sound a bit odd? The truth is athletes may take time out for a skincare routine, but many neglect their hair. In this article, we will discuss why athletes need to prioritize hair care and how to maintain healthy tresses after a tiring run or workout.
Athletes Need Hair Care Too
The US athletic team for the 2024 Paris Olympics comprised 592 athletes. Out of these, 314 were women, which amounts to 53% of the roster. What would be that one thing common among all these professional players? A hectic training schedule that regularly exposes them to harsh weather elements.
The above considerations are reason enough to assume that athletes have unique hair needs. Secondly, daily physical exertion leads to increased sweat production. Studies have discovered that the average sweat rate among football players can range between 4 and 5 liters/hour. This is simply during a practice session on a hot and humid day.
Such water loss from the body can lead to skin irritation, dryness, and scalp buildup. Combine it with the chlorine generally found in swimming pools and it’s easy for the hair to lose natural oils. The result would be tresses that are dry, brittle, and vulnerable to breakage.
Another factor that we simply cannot miss is the prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Most fitness enthusiasts or athletes spend extended periods outdoors practicing and developing skills. The UV exposure would deteriorate the health of hair strands, making them weak and fading their natural color.
Considering the issues we just mentioned, it should be clear that not only do athletes need hair care, but their needs are also highly specialized. Besides effective cleansing, you need a routine that offers your scalp deep nourishment and protection from the elements. Once you’ve understood how your hair care needs differ from others, it will be easier to adopt a customized routine.
5 Post-Run Hair Care Tips to Match Your Athletic Lifestyle
As a sports enthusiast, you enjoy working your body to stay fit and healthy. Now, it’s time to make your hair maintain the same pace. Let’s look at five tips that will meet your unique hair care needs as an athlete.
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Choose Protective Hairstyles for Training
To minimize hair damage and preserve scalp health, you must adopt hairstyles that are protective in nature. In other words, your hairstyle should reduce or eliminate the risk of hair loss from constant movement, sweat, and harsh elements.
Some styles that should help would include the buzz cut, undercut, or slick back for men. As for women, effective protective hairstyles are braids, buns, and ponytails. If a female athlete’s hair is extremely long, they can secure the strands through tightly woven braids that are then wrapped in a bun.
Consider the sport you practice as well as hair type and length to choose a protective hairstyle. Do not be concerned about aesthetics on the field. Your hairstyle should prevent strands from getting in your face. Also, it should help make your hair healthy, strong, and manageable.
Use the Right Hair Care Products
Since your hair care needs are unique, as discussed above, the right products will also vary. Unlike people who do not get direct sunlight often, you need to invest in hair care products that counter the damaging effects of UV exposure and nurture the scalp.
Let’s look at a basic list of the products you will require:
- A hydrating shampoo that replenishes the lost moisture during intense running or workout sessions. Look for something with natural oils and aloe vera in it
- A leave-in conditioner that detangles hair and locks in moisture for long periods. This means ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter will help maintain hair elasticity
- A clarifying shampoo that is specifically designed to remove sweat buildup, chlorine, and styling products. Consider a shampoo with peppermint or tea tree oil extracts.
Besides these, choose a hair serum, mask, and oil designed to provide UV protection as well as moisture retention. Do keep your hair texture in mind since brands offer different products for different hair types.
Avoid Harsh Styling Treatments
This tip applies to everybody but more so to athletes who are constantly exposed to the elements and heat. Since your scalp already loses much of its natural oils and nourishment through sweat and environmental factors, avoid any chemical treatments.
Chemicals generally strip the scalp further of moisture and natural oils, but it doesn’t end there. Many of them are so toxic that they can lead to serious complications. A simple yet deadly example would be the hair relaxer.
This chemical-based long-term hair straightening product is mostly used by Black women to relax their tightly coiled hair. Recent studies have discovered that this product increases the risk of uterine cancer. TorHoerman Law shares that some women who used hair relaxers frequently even developed breast and endometrial cancers.
The scenario is so serious that an active hair relaxer lawsuit has been filed against companies like L’Oreal, Dark & Lovely, African Pride, and Motions Hair, among others. Hence, it is best to steer clear of hair relaxers.
Safer alternatives would include herbal rinses, keratin treatments, and natural oils. Heat styling is also an option, but athletes must avoid it as they are already exposed to too much heat.
Manage Humidity and Sweat
Humidity and sweat management deserve a separate point because, without them, other efforts may not bear fruit. Being a salty residue, sweat can easily dry out the scalp, thereby causing irritation and weakened strands.
Humidity is more often than not responsible for making hair frizzy and unmanageable. One way to combat this issue is to wear moisture-wicking caps or headbands.
This will prevent excessive sweat from coming into contact with one’s hair. Additionally, the clarifying shampoo we talked about should help remove buildup without removing natural oils.
If your running sessions are too sweaty or intense, consider rinsing your hair with cool water between each wash. This will help remove salt and excess oiliness from the scalp.
Develop a Strategic Hair Care Regimen
Once you’ve had your rigorous run of the day, it’s important to establish a hair care regimen that immediately tackles the effects of sweat and the elements. Let’s look at what that strategic regimen would look like:
- Start by gently cleansing your hair with a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo
- The next step is to coat the strands in a hydrating conditioner. Just ensure that this product is designed for your hair type
- Now, carefully detangle your hair with a detangling brush to reduce breakage. You must start from the ends and work your way up to the roots
- Complete the post-run regimen with a leave-in conditioner or serum that locks in moisture and gives a healthy shine
We understand that fitness enthusiasts and athletes face unique challenges. Studies have even found that professional athletes are at a higher risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and substance use. A lot of that is linked with performance pressure.
The key to becoming a successful athlete is to enjoy the journey, give your best, and take good care of yourself. This includes your weight, skin, hair, and psychological well-being.
Dmytro Reshetchenko
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