Sweating is something that almost all of us do, whether we like it or not (when somebody can’t, it’s termed anhidrosis). Sweating’s goal, contrary to common opinion, is not to remove toxins from your body (your liver and kidneys do that); rather, sweating is designed to regulate your body’s temperature.
Because this is the time of year when we sweat the most and the air is already humid, we thought it would be a great time to look into how sweat can influence our scalp and hair. Because, believe it or not, there are a number of them.
How Sweat Wrecks Your Hair
Sweating Can Cause Scalp Inflammation
Lactic acid is a substance found in perspiration. This type of acid can hurt your scalp if you sweat excessively. Then, scratching your head for relief can actually aggravate the itching, resulting in scalp damage from filthy fingernails and/or the formation of lesions on your scalp.
Sweat Can Cause Hair Dryness
Sweat contains a lot of sodium, which is why it tastes so much like saltwater. Saltwater is bad for your hair and scalp because it zaps all of the natural moisture from both. When your hair is dehydrated, it becomes dry and brittle, which can lead to split ends and breakage, as well as a dry and itchy scalp. Neither of these are desirable.
Sweat Can Clog Hair Follicles
You’ve probably never considered the connection between sweat and hair loss. But the reality is that when oil and perspiration combine, they can produce a substance that clogs your hair follicles. And if you’re not careful, this might lead to hair loss over time. That’s insane.
Sweat Can Cause Strands To Weaken Over Time
Remember what we stated before about lactic acid? Another thing it has a tendency to do is bond to the keratin in your hair. This will not only dry out your hair (as previously said), but it will also weaken the links of your hair. And, eventually, this can lead to hair loss (wow!).
Here’s How To Protect Your Healthy Mane From Sweat
So, now that you’re aware of some of the ways perspiration can wreak complete and total havoc on your hair, what can you do to prevent this from happening?
Rinse Your Hair After A Rigorous Workout Sesh
Rinsing your hair with fresh water is an excellent approach to remove “saltwater.” So, after working out or spending a lot of time in the sun, give your hair a good rinse with cool water (you don’t want to use hot water because it dehydrates hair as well).
Get Scalp Scrubbing!
Exfoliating your scalp is always your best bet in preventing sweat (and product accumulation) from clogging your pores. It will not only keep sweat from aggravating your scalp, but it will also soothe it. If you’ve never done this before, we’ve got some pointers and recipes for you.
Leave-In Conditioner FTW
Whether you’re in between washes or want to add moisture to your hair after working out but don’t want to swamp it in water, a leave-in conditioner is a good compromise. If it’s water-based, it can hydrate your hair without creating excessive product build-up. It will also make it more difficult for lactic acid to harm your hair strands.
Now that you know what you need to do, wipe that sweat off your brow, go forth and prosper, not perspire.
Featured Image: Pexels
