How to Fix Your Hair After Going to the Gym

Tending to Your Post-Workout Hair

Spray your hair with dry shampoo to give it a quick boost. Grab a can of dry shampoo and spritz some product into your hair. If your hair is looking pretty limp, flip your hair forward and spray along the backside of your hair. Dry shampoo is a great go-to product to have in your gym bag. Dry shampoo is perfect if your hair normally looks flat will give your hair a touch of grittiness, which will create volume in your hair.

Control loose, messy strands with a dryer sheet. Pack a couple of loose dryer sheets in your gym bag, which can go a long way in taming your sweaty, post-workout hair. Grab 1 of the sheets and rub it over any loose, unruly strands of hair. This can help calm your hair down and make you look presentable as you leave the gym. As a precaution, keep a box or stack of dryer sheets in your gym bag.

Blow-dry your hair without washing it for a salt spray look. Plug in a hair dryer in the gym locker room and dry off your hair. Don’t worry about showering—the hot air combined with your sweat will give your hair a lot of volume after your exercise. You can always wait until you get home to blow-dry your hair. You can also get this effect by working out near an air conditioner. If you tend to get frizzy strands after you blow dry your hair, try using a directional nozzle on your hair dryer. This will help lay down the cuticle, so you won't get as many fly-aways.

Braid your hair if you’re in a rush. Split your hair into 3 parts and twist into a side braid, or another braid of your choice. This allows your hair to look presentable without needing a lot of extra maintenance. If you’re in the mood for something fancier, you can always tie your hair in a fishtail braid, instead. Any kind of quick hairstyle can work if you’re in a rush, like a ponytail.

Slip into a headband as a stylish way to hide your sweaty hair. Pick out a headband with a unique, stylish pattern going around. Slide this headband over your forehead, leaving the rest of your hair tucked underneath. This is a great solution if you don’t feel like tying your hair up. The secret to the hairband’s success is that it helps hide your sweaty hair. This is a great option if you have longer hair.

Spritz your hair with perfume as a quick solution. Search through your gym bag for your favorite perfume or body spray. If you’re in a rush, spray this product throughout your hair, so you don’t reek of sweat as you leave the gym and go about the rest of your day.

Use conditioner but not shampoo if you hit the showers. Lather up your hair with a blueberry-sized amount of conditioner, but no shampoo products. Your hair doesn’t need shampoo to look stylish, and can hold its own with just a little conditioner and a good rinsing. Try using a cleansing conditioner, which will clean your hair while still leaving some of the natural oils. You may find your hair easier to pull up or style when it’s still a little dirty. If you’re really committed to your shower routine, massage clarifying shampoo into your scalp once a week to eliminate dirt and buildup. This is especially helpful for curly hair—it tends to be drier, so it needs to be moisturized more often.

Tending to Your Hair before Exercising

Spritz your hair with dry shampoo before you exercise. Dry shampoo is a great tool at multiple points in your workout. Blast some dry shampoo throughout your hair before tying it up in a bun or ponytail. At this point, your hair will be fresh and ready-to-go as you head to the gym. This is a great solution if you’ve showered recently and don’t want to mess up your hair too badly.

Secure your hair with a fabric tie so it doesn’t get creased. Unfortunately, elastic bands can leave your hair looking creased and a little worse for wear. To protect both your hair and your post-workout hairstyle, tie your hair back with a fabric hair tie instead. If you have curly, natural hair, a topknot is an option for keeping your hair secure and out of your face.

Spray leave-in conditioner throughout your hair before you workout. Similar to dry shampoo, spritz a leave-in conditioning product throughout your hair before you start working out. Once you’re done for the day, plug in a blow-dryer in your gym locker room and go over your hair. The heat from the dryer will kick the conditioner into gear, and help your hair feel rejuvenated. You can also dry your hair at home. If you have natural hair, consider moisturizing your hair each morning with natural oils, like coconut, argan, or jojoba.

Apply a texturizer to your roots before you hit the gym. Go through your workout as you normally would. Once you’re done, flip your hair forward and massage your scalp. With the help of the texturizing product you used, you may give your hair some nice volume! This is a great option if you don’t feel like pulling your hair up before a workout. Keep in mind that dry texturizing spray only works on dry hair, while wet texturizing spray works on both dry and wet hair.

Tie up your hair before you workout to get great texture after. Choose an updo that will give you a great hairstyle once you’re done exercising. Believe it or not, ponytails and braids can make your hair look wavy, curly, or somewhere in between. If you’d like your hair to be smooth with gradual, slow waves at the bottom, tie it into a low-hanging braid. If you’d prefer wavy hair, braid your hair close to your scalp before transitioning to a fishtail braid. If you’d rather have loose, easy curls, tie up your hair in a bun on top of your head.