How Daily Workouts Can Affect Dyed Hair

Exercising works wonders for our bodies, but what about our hair? It may seem like an odd question, but there's a real connection between working out and our hair, which is especially true for dyed hair. We're sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but regular exercise isn't your dyed tresses' BFF.

Confused? Let us clarify things. When we exercise, we sweat, and while sweating is great for the body, it can also cause hair color to fade. This is because our sweat is a combination of elements and chemicals, including salt, sugar, ammonia, and urea, mixed with water. The salt in our sweat fades our hair color faster than it would fade without sweat in the mix. On this, Corinne Adams, senior colorist at Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon, told Glamour, "Sweat will cause your hair to get dry, which makes your color fade and become brassy."

So, does this mean you have to choose between salvaging your hair's color and staying fit? Not at all! You can easily protect your hair and look after your physical health, starting with using the right shampoo. 

If you want your hair color to last, use a sulfate-free and paraben-free shampoo specially designed for dyed hair. Sulfates are very harsh on the hair and one of the ingredients folks should avoid in haircare products, so make sure to bring your own shampoo to the gym to protect your locks — and their color. Even if you do use specially formulated shampoos, you should still avoid shampooing your hair daily. If you work out every day and need to refresh your hair, you can always employ dry shampoo instead, which is one of our best tips for making hair color last.

Moreover, you can protect your hair by tying it up in a braid, bun, or ponytail — anything that works for you. Alternatively, you could follow hairstylist Laurel Berg's advice: "Invisibobbles are the perfect workout hair accessory—because they're made of plastic, they can hold hair without absorbing sweat and their spiral design makes it so they won't cause headaches, hair breakage, or leave you with any weird ponytail holder mark" (via Real Simple). 

And if you're thinking that a baseball hat will protect your colored hair from sweating while you jog outside, you'd better think again. "They may keep your hair out of your face, but a baseball hat creates heat on the scalp, resulting in added sweat," hairstylist Dana Caschetta added to Real Simple.

Wondering how soon after dyeing your hair you can work out? If so, the real question you should ask is how long you should wait to wash your hair after a fresh color. Exercising, like hitting the gym or going for a run, will cause your head to sweat, meaning you'll want to wash it afterward. However, experts advise waiting a few days before washing hair post-color treatments. "Wait at least three days before shampooing your hair after color," celebrity hair colorist Aura Friedman told New Beauty.

This is paramount for protecting your hair color and ensuring it doesn't instantly fade. "When you get color services your cuticle is shocked and opened. It needs 24 to 48 hours to reseal," Fabio Scalia Salon lead colorist Lucio Galano told Glamour. As such, if you work out immediately after coloring your hair, both your sweat and shampoo will enter the unsealed cuticles, interfering with the dye's molecules. As colorist Leo Izquierdo added to New Beauty, the three-day lead-up to hitting the gym — and the shower! — allows "the cuticle to close and the color to set."