Pro Athletes Swear By This Super Easy Hair Care Routine

Our hair represents us just as much as our careers or anything else that we choose in life, so we need to prioritize when it comes to taking time to coach it for success, and that starts with a good hair and scalp care regime. Hair is not a game, meaning you must train, condition, and strategize for winning hair. Also, to achieve optimum hair performance, you must begin with a healthy scalp, because a healthy scalp is the starting point for strong hair. As women with active lifestyles and demanding workloads, the thought of adding a hair and scalp routine to your work-life balance can be next-level challenging, and even more so if you’re a professional athlete, but giving your hair and scalp the much-needed love is a must.

“No matter what your job is, or what you need to accomplish in a day — self-care and maintenance must be a priority,” said Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican Olympian, and the most decorated 100m sprinter of all time. “My hair is just as important as any other part of my body. Having a hair care routine allows me as an athlete to make sure my hair is getting what it needs as I navigate my busy schedule. It’s so connected to beauty and confidence that it’s vital to my performance.”

The Game Plan: First, stick to a reputable brand that can address your game-day hair needs with a simple, streamlined product line. You only need a few key items to maintain a good routine. Second, for quick results, start your process with a weekly pre-wash. It’s a game changer that not only rids the scalp of product build-up, debris, and sweat, but it also helps detoxify the scalp allowing your hair to better absorb nutrients to keep it vibrant, manageable, and healthy. Next, use a shampoo that has the balance of cleansing while providing much-needed moisture and shine. The final step for a good game-day win is a deep conditioning masque that strengthens the hair. That’s it, four easy steps, and you’re winning!

Beautiful, healthy hair starts with a healthy, clean, and refreshed scalp, but how to get there is another story. From rows and rows of in-store hair-care products lining the shelves to being inundated with social media hair potions and pomades, deciding what’s right for your hair-care routine can make you want to rock a baldie. Fortunately, some of your fave, well-known brands have taken the guesswork out by creating a seamless, enjoyable ritual that’s just as beneficial for your scalp as it is for your hair.

“Just breathe and push through,” Amateur Boxer and Wellness Coach, Monica Jones, who sports a mane of luscious golden curls, tells her clients. An easy hair and scalp routine can now just be a few products and pumps away. “It’s simple,” she shared. “I use a leave-in conditioner and a detangling brush in the shower to detangle my hair. I flip my head and shake out my curls while they’re saturated and add in cream-based frizz control. I dry with a T-shirt or microfiber towel and then use a diffuser to blow dry to 3/4 dryness. Once it’s dry, I finish my ends and scalp off with Argan Oil. Also, I always sleep with a silk bonnet at night — it makes my styles last for multiple days.”

If we can find our way to a simple TLC regimen for our scalp, it can become a soul-soothing ritual that relaxes and comforts you, your hair, and your scalp. Nia Symone, CEO of Purpose To Be Heard, and a former Division 1 basketball player, turned host, and sports analyst, shared why self-care is important to her. “When you step out you not only want to look good, but you also want to feel good and be confident in who you are,” she said. “For me, setting time aside for a hair care routine is refreshing, it is a form of self-care, confidence, and connecting with yourself.”