Helmet = helmet hair? No sweat!
We hear it all the time, and ladies, this is mostly for you: “I don’t like wearing a helmet, I sweat and my hair gets ruined!” Priorities, priorities, the struggle is real! The good news is – you’re not alone, we’ve all lived it at one stage (or are still now!). It’s true that the chances of your slick bob being perfect after riding are slim. How do you wear your riding helmet to protect your noggin whist riding your oh-so-large equestrian beast, but still get to work looking pretty fly in a speedy turnaround time??
We’ve had some schooling in life to learn a few tricks:
Wash your hair the night before riding
You’ll at least start in a better position if your hair is cleaned the night before. Clean + riding > slightly dirty. Slightly dirty + riding > really awful! Some of us aren’t even that lucky though – good luck!
Ever worn a buff under your helmet?
Buffs are thin enough to not interfere with the fit of the helmet and minimise sweaty hair by wicking sweat away from the head.
Skip the full wash
If you are running short of time to get ready for work after riding, skip the full hair wash and opt for a dry shampoo! There are a variety of products on the local market: Paul Mitchell, Wella, Redken, and if you need a budget-friendly but effective buy, Batiste is a more pocket friendly option and is found in most Clicks stores. It’s a matter of buying and trying to figure out what you like!
Great “How to” by Marie Claire.
Befriend the shower cap
Make it a habit to pack your shower cap into your bag and put it to use! This will allow you to wash your (red) glowing face properly and should not make your already borderline dirty hair get any worse.
If you opt for the full wash because it’s just that bad, but have no time to dry and style as normal:
1 – Curly hair
If you have curly hair and know you have a semi decent curl, don’t brush your hair after washing it OR if you need to find your hair parting, make sure you brush whilst your hair is still quite wet. We all know what happens when dry, curly hair gets brushed…
2 – Straight, flat hair
If your hair is naturally straight and a bit ‘limp’, add some volume by plaiting your hair whilst still damp. It will create loose waves when dry! You can only hope that the drying part happens in the car from stables to work, and you can simply undo the braid and gently run your fingers through to loosen the waves and create a styled look.
Be organised the night before, at least! Plan your work outfits and your riding hair plan.
You know the kind of riding you expect to be doing and if you are like most of us, you’ll be pushing the limits with how many horses you need to ride versus how much time you actually have. You also might then know how many minutes, seconds (milliseconds?!) you have to get yourself in a publically acceptable state and into the traffic to the office.
Plan and pack your work outfit the night before, and identify a post riding hairstyle to work with it. There is more than likely at least one (dirty) hairstyle that will work.
Some notes:
1 – Pull hair up and away from the face if it is dirty
Hairstyles that the pull the hair up and away from the face will minimise the appearance of greasy hair. Plaits, up do’s and high ponytails are your friends.
2 – Plaits
Perhaps plaits are a ‘younger’ look but there are many sweet braid styles you can do if you have the patience to add a soft, feminine feel to your look, including up do’s.
3 – High ponytails
High pony’s can work for both corporate and casual looks. They require a bit of grease to hold anyway.
4 – Ballerina buns
Invest in 1) “Ballerina Bun Donut” to get the perfect round blob on your head and 2) a good hairspray to keep stray hairs in place.
5 – Messy up do’s
Buns, braids, twists , half-up/half-downs. Make sure you always have pins and butterfly clips ‘in stock’. They somehow always grow legs, right?!
6 – Loose waves
Either from washed hair or if your hair is slightly dirty, run your hands through your hair with some water, plait it and loosen when dried. Gently run your fingers through to loosen waves.
7 – Add cute hair accessories
Headbands, bows, or distract them with a flower accessory of some sort. This is usually suited for a younger look only, but whatever floats your boat.
Life tip for all ladies: If you didn’t know already, Pinterest is the bomb for hair-spiration! There are even posts dedicated to greasy hairstyles and some include step-by-step illustrations.
Confidence is key
No matter the end result, you have to “fake it ’till you make it”! Sometimes hair just really won’t cooperate and all of the above fails! Think about how much you love riding, wear a beautiful smile all day and everyone will forget about the mess on top of your head!
Choose YOU – make wearing a riding helmet a top priority!
