Come rain or shine, most of us want to stay active. For the fair weather joggers this read may not be quite as interesting, however for those who are braving the British winter weather; here are some tips to maintaining a tangle free mane in the rain.
“There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
- Alfred Wainwright
Anyone who has ever been caught in a downpour whilst out running will understand the struggles of detangling a matted ponytail. If your hair is coloured, fine or curly it’s likely that you have experienced the trifles of a ‘tangled pony’ even in dry conditions. Luckily there is a way this can be avoided. Follow the steps below to maintain tangle free hair whilst exercising.
PRE RUN IN THE RAIN - If washing hair afterwards
1. CHECK THE WEATHER – If raining, damp or hot humid conditions ALWAYS plait hair.
2. APPLY LEAVE IN - This will help condition the ends of hair and make it easy to take out afterwards. Living Proof No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner 118ml - £22 is a great, anti-frizz treatment suitable for a range of hair textures.
3. PLAIT HAIR – Any style of plait is sufficient, the more sections the the hair is devided into, the more texture you can create for a post run hairstyle.
4. READY TO GO - I find wearing a hat helps keep rain out my eyes. This might make you sweat more but if washing hair afterwards it’s worth going with a hat. I wear the Nike AeroBill Tailwind - £21.95 which really breathable and has a reflective trim for hi-visibility if running in the dark.
POST RUN
1.UNRAVEL PLAITS - Apply small amount of SHRUB instant detangling spray 200ml – £10.00 for a tangle free post exercise unravelling.
2. APPLY SERUM & FINGER DETANGLE - Starting at the ends of hair working up, (hair is in it's most fragile state when saturated) be gentle to reduce breakage. Rubbing a small amount of Umberto Gainnini Grow Serum - £8.50 on your hands before can help with detangling.
Photo by Adelle Tracey
PRE RUN IN THE RAIN - If NOT washing your hair afterwards
1. CHECK THE WEATHER – If rain is forecast or extremely hot or humid weather ALWAYS plait hair.
2. APPLY SERUM & PLAIT - Smooth serum into the ends of hair & Plait. Plait in any style of choice to create different style waves. Another great serum I use regularly in my kit is 100% Pure Pro-Vitamin B5 Smoothing Hair Serum - £36.48
POST RUN
1.KEEP IN PLAITS & DRY - Either let hair air dry in plaits OR Apply a heat defence and use a hair dryer to dry hair in plaited style. Azure Healthy Shine Xtreme Heat Protecting Shield 150ml - £10.99 is a Natural heat defence free from Sulphate, Parabens and Silicones for a variety of hair types.
3. ONCE DRY UNRAVEL - Finger detangle with recommended serums & apply a dry shampoo to the root of the hair to add volume. Klorane Natural Tint Dry Shampoo with Oat Extract 150ml - £9 has a natural tint to suit your hair colour, which prevents that white tint you can get with some dry shampoo's.
Photo by Adelle Tracey
TA-DA!
The method results in beautiful volume in waves with no use of curlers or straighteners. Try out different braids to create looser or tighter curl patterns to get variation in post weatherproof hairstyles.
Cover photo by Ryan Garwood ft. Zoe Thresher + Myself