In case your ponytail reaches past shoulder-length, it doubtless swishes forwards and backwards as you progress. This, Smith says, is the place you possibly can (actually) run into points: “Should you go for a run and you’ve got your hair unfastened whipping forwards and backwards, it’s an absolute recipe for break up ends and actually dry friction burn on the ends of your hair.”
An excessive amount of friction, as we all know, can set off bodily injury, elevate up the cuticle, and trigger frizz. It’s why you would possibly sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase versus cotton or linen materials, so your strands glide simpler throughout the floor, which helps them retain their smoothness and shine. (And on that be aware, you would possibly need to put money into some silk scrunchies to additional defend your tresses.) Should you’re not participating in intense exercise, this clearly poses much less of an issue; low-to-moderate depth coaching (assume yoga, Pilates, or strolling) received’t create as a lot friction, so a unfastened ponytail could also be A-OK.
It’s extra of a warning for HIIT exercises or jogs: As a lot as chances are you’ll need to resemble an iconic Baywatch babe if you hit the pavement, all that swishing forwards and backwards can hurt your hair within the long-run. “That’s like whiplash on your hair,” Smith provides.
As an alternative, he recommends wrapping your hair right into a bun or braid, in order that your ends keep tucked in and guarded. Once more, simply ensure you’re not pulling too tightly if you’re tying, so that you don’t trigger breakage on the hairline. For buns, you may also need to swap up the position occasionally: “This fashion it isn’t repeated injury in the very same spot—you are giving your hair a break,” hairstylist Levi Monarch as soon as shared with us.
It’s a fragile dance, and on the finish of the day, just a few damaged hairs shouldn’t deter you from breaking a sweat—common train, in any case, is nice on your magnificence routine. However should you’re an avid runner otherwise you discover your pony bopping round throughout a spin class, you would possibly need to tuck within the ends á la buns or braids. Maybe save the lovable pony on your stroll house.
