oh so shallow.. but what the heck to do you do with your hair?

[lph]

I have shoulder-length curly fine hair too. I shower at work, but if I didn't have a shower I think I'd be fine with just running wet fingers through my hair several times and letting it air dry, adding some light gel to settle the frizz. But I have the kind of workplace where I could arrive just wearing a Buff and leave it in if I wanted to.

No, not just a Buff. You know what I mean.

[OakLeaf]

Years ago I had a butane curling iron for touch-ups when I'd go to hearings on my motorcycle and there were no electrical outlets near the mirrors in the restroom. I don't know if they still make those.

You can wash your hair in the sink, if the restrooms aren't too gross at your workplace. Dunking your head in cool water will help the rest of you stop sweating, too. Keep a hair dryer, and whatever other tools and products you need, either at your desk or in the restroom if it's the kind of place where you can do that.

[Medianox]

I have long straight very fine hair that reaches past my tailbone and I keep it in a single braid down my back to ride. When I get to work, I unbraid, brush, fluff and clip it in some kind of bun. There is a shower at work but usually I clean up with baby wipes or at the sink...my hair dries quicky (a hair dryer stashed in a locker would be good though) and in a few minutes you can't tell I rode to work.
Short hair, depending on the style, could be easier to maintain I guess, but my hair doesn't suffer too much from being under a helmet and a little sweaty since its straight and pretty flat anyway-lol! If you had hair that reacted to humidity by getting frizzy you may have more of a problem
I wash my hair in the evening when I get home then and I'm ready to go in the morning.
Good luck!

[Becky]

I'm probably not the best person to ask.... I cut my hair very very short when I began commuting by bike

[KnottedYet]

I'm probably not the best person to ask.... I cut my hair very very short when I began commuting by bike

Me, too. At least, short-er.

Baby-fine, very thin, and dead straight. Fluff it up with my fingers and it's good to go and actually has some BODY for once!

Bandanas are good: full coverage for really bad hair, headband for passable hair. I love my bandanas (I have more of them than I have bikes, even!)

[Becky]

Your hair sounds exactly like mine, Knott!

[Laterider21958]

I've not been able to find a resolution to the hairstyle/helmet hair problem and have resorted to walking to work instead. Only have to go just over 2kms each way and takes only 25 minutes of fast walking. My hair is much like Oprah's natural curl and volume, and if I pull it straight it would reach about 2 inches above my waist. I keep it up in a French roll while at work - just to keep it under control. Some days it goes up easily and on others it fights me, so riding with hair down and then trying to tame it at work could take up too much time. Hence the walking. If only there was a helmet designed for "up-do's".

[Jolt]

I have long straight very fine hair that reaches past my tailbone and I keep it in a single braid down my back to ride. When I get to work, I unbraid, brush, fluff and clip it in some kind of bun. There is a shower at work but usually I clean up with baby wipes or at the sink...my hair dries quicky (a hair dryer stashed in a locker would be good though) and in a few minutes you can't tell I rode to work.
Short hair, depending on the style, could be easier to maintain I guess, but my hair doesn't suffer too much from being under a helmet and a little sweaty since its straight and pretty flat anyway-lol! If you had hair that reacted to humidity by getting frizzy you may have more of a problem
I wash my hair in the evening when I get home then and I'm ready to go in the morning.
Good luck!

I have long (all one length) hair as well and I find that it's actually easier to have it look decent after being under a helmet than when it was really short (because when it was short it would get really flat from the helmet). I generally just put it in a low ponytail and it doesn't look much different after riding--if I want to make it look a little nicer I can put it in a bun once at my destination. The other nice thing is that I don't have to keep getting haircuts every six weeks--just the occasional trim to clean up split ends.

[Eden]

I'm also lucky enough to have a shower at work - but I actually grew my hair longer when I started cycling more..... It would get so messy looking when it was short, but longer (I have curly hair too) I can at least put it in a pony tail and not look too bad.

[malkin]

My hair looks pretty stupid all the time whether it's been in a helmet or not.

[Medianox]

I have long (all one length) hair as well and I find that it's actually easier to have it look decent after being under a helmet than when it was really short (because when it was short it would get really flat from the helmet). I generally just put it in a low ponytail and it doesn't look much different after riding--if I want to make it look a little nicer I can put it in a bun once at my destination. The other nice thing is that I don't have to keep getting haircuts every six weeks--just the occasional trim to clean up split ends.

I agree! When I had short hair I was miserable since I had to wash and style it (using a bunch of stuff) to get it to look good...I had to wash it everyday too to get all that gunk out of it just to start over again. There are people that look great with super short hair that doesn't require all that of course, but it just never worked for me. I had chin length hair 4 years ago and I haven't cut it since! It is all one length and I just bun it or braid it and go...it always looks acceptable. Because it is straight and basically flat, being under the helmet doesn't seem to hurt it...it just gets a little damp.

ps...I saw your sig....lol I'm an RN working ICU

[Jen72]

I refuse to remove my helmet when I'm out cycling. My hair looks like crap since it gets soaked with sweat. I'm always amazed when other women take a rest and pull of their helmets and their hair looks halfway decent. I couldn't commute to work on bike unless they did have a shower so I could get completely ready there.

[GLC1968]

I have a shower at work, luckily.

I have had both super short (right now it's less than an inch long) and super long (braid down my back) hair while biking. Personally, I look better with long hair. A helmet does NOTHING to my hair when its long since my hair is both curly and thick. In fact, nothing does much to my hair when it's long, even me! It's got a mind of it's own and I'm just along for the ride. The problem for me was that it was HOT and that my helmet always felt too tight.

Now that my hair is super short, it looks ridiculous when I take off my helmet, but one or two handfuls of water through it and it's passable. It's way cooler feeling though, and I'll take that over how I look any day.

[Jolt]

ps...I saw your sig....lol I'm an RN working ICU

In that case, it figures you'd appreciate that kind of humor! I'm an RN as well, currently working on a dementia floor in a nursing home b/c that is all I could find as a new grad last year and I am STILL trying to get into the hospital (I do NOT belong in long-term care!). How do you like the ICU? I am hoping to work cardiac or ER.

[shootingstar]

My dearie tells me, that he hears alot of complaints about helmet hair from some women as it relates to getting more people (including women) to cycle. I do agree with him and others here, that naturally curly hair causes problems.

But doubtful that a guy even thinks about this..at all. And some guys have a real mop of curly hair also.

Things always look greener on the other side of the fence. How much I wanted to have naturally wavy hair when I was young. Here I am tonight ...at around 6:30 pm after a 10 min. cycle. Earlier today at 7:30 am I went for a 42 kms. cycle, went grocery shopping with my helmet off and on. Then after some computer work at home, then I spent 3 hrs. lifting dusty boxes before evening mini-bike ride.

Meanwhile no shower nor brushing of hair since 7:00 am. --or past 12 hrs. (Helps that I live with dearie who is a cyclist also.)
Will be getting a haircut next wk., hair too "long" for me. My hair has grown 4+ inches since early May.

2nd photo shows my backward cowlick...which causes a natural hair split..according to hair stylist. One thing I strongly recommend to anyone: make sure you find and keep a skilled, precision-cut hairstylist..this is why back of hair looks good with no brushing for many hours and vigorous activity, every hair strand cut in a way to fall naturally into place...even after taking off helmet.