Hair Care For Triathletes

As we all know looking after your luscious locks when swimming, cycling and running is no simple task! Here are a few steps to making your hair love you back! 

SWIM

Being in the water can definitely damage our hair when not taken care of. There are a few things to consider: 

1. Salt and chlorine are quite drying. 

They will take that natural moisture out of the hair so making sure you replenish it is super important. This can be done by adding moisturising products to the hair like a leave in moisturizer or conditioner before and after you swim. 

2. Knots in your hair after you get out

Once your hair is tangled it can take some force to get it out. To avoid this I recommend plaits/braids. Not a ponytail. Loose hair will knot easily, if you can't braid try a twist then a bun. 

      3.Colour changes. 

Some colours can be quite sensitive and will fade or change more than others (eg. red, pastels, rainbow colours, blonde). Brighter colours will need to be washed less in order to protect the colour fade, possibly using a specific shampoo and conditioner to top up the colour. However, blondes will need to be washed more often to ensure there is no chemical residue left in the hair that will stain (usually green).
What I do before I swim

Add an oil for hydration (shu essence absolue oil) and to keep the hair slippery, I then braid my hair in two. Once I finish I use (Bright blonde shampoo and conditioner), finishing with a leave in moisturizer such as (project sukuroi) and style as usual.

BIKE

SWEAT! Let's talk about sweat. While we are wearing a helmet and riding our bikes our scalp can get sweaty. This isn't something we need to stress about but it should be considered in our routine. As sweat dries it sits on your scalp and if left too long can build up and cause irritation. 

Some people will need to wash their hair more regularly than others, if you become itchy or flaky try washing your hair immediately after sweaty exercise. If you don't have any irritation, dry shampoo could be used to get you through an extra day or two without a full wash. The other option is to use a cleansing conditioner to wash your hair. This is a low cleansing product that will also seal your hair and keep your hair healthy. Because it's a low cleanser, it will remove build up such as sweat and product without removing any natural oils. 

Wearing a helmet while we cycle can create friction and pressure for our hair, depending on how we style it. I would recommend braids or a low pony, as well as using smoothing products to reduce the rubbing of the helmet on points of the head. 

What I do before I cycle

Add smoothing cream (ultimate reset duo serum) and braid my hair in two. After riding, I undo the braids and wear my hair curly finishing with dry shampoo (dry cleaner). 

RUN

The biggest issue for your hair when running is the hair tie that you choose to tie your hair up with and how tight it is. At times I have found myself with myself with some unnecessary breakage at my crown (top of head), because of where I have been wearing my ponytail. The tighter the hair, the more pressure and strain you put on it. This causes breakage and damage in certain areas. 

Rubber ties can be quite grippy and hard to remove, which causes further pulling. The traditional hair elastic can be similar, and can also be quite restricting for the hair. I have found using a coil hair tie such as invisibobble a great option for less stress on the hair. A scrunchie is also a good low tension option and won't leave a mark in the hair when you take it out. 

What I do before I run

Brush all hair back off my face to a ponytail/bun using a scrunchie or low tension tie. Try avoiding metal and rubber. Soft materials only, I love using silk scrunchies. 

Another tip is to sleep with a silk pillowcase. It will help prevent tangles and breakage from tossing and turning throughout the night. 

Try these tips for yourself to get your hair looking happy and healthy again!

Happy Training!

by Tiarne April