Commuting & hair

[Crankin]

My only advice is to cut your hair, unless you have straight, frizz free hair that can be styled without a blower, etc.
I have a pixie and all I did was shower before riding to work, then wipe off with wipes or soap and water/wash face and reapply deodorant, wet hair and redo with gel after arriving.
Keep hygeine supplies at work and also extra pair of shoes, bra, jacket for days when you forget stuff. Bring all of your needed clothes for commuting days on a day when you drive, unless you have a pannier.

[tulip]

I commuted 14 miles each way for five years. I always used the shower at work. I kept all my shower stuff, including a towel, at work. Once a week, I would drive with a week's worth of pressed work clothes that I kept in a garmet bag in a closet. No one knew it was there. No one knew I rode a bike to work by my office appearance. Only my bike in the lobby bike rack and my end-of-the-day change into bike clothes gave me away. No one had a problem with me riding my bike; in fact, I even inspired several others to do the same.

[azfiddle]

I am a teacher, and don't have a shower, but I do have a lab sink. I only commute about once a week, partly because I have to leave so much earlier to get there and clean up.

I wash my hair in the sink, shampoo and condition and use the blow dryer, and use a wash cloth and soap since there is no shower.

I have pretty short hair so it dries quickly.

[Eden]

Hmmmm I'd say the exact opposite of Crankin.... Leave it long. Middle length/shorter hair is the worst - it gets and looks messy almost immediately under a helmet and is hardest to get looking good again. Unless you are willing to go very, very short, so that it can go spiky, leaving enough to put in a pony tail if necessary is best.

I'm lucky enough to have a shower at work, so I generally just shower there. I have on occasion, when working at a different campus, showered just before my ride so that my hair was good and wet before I left. Since it was a short commute it would not dry all of the way by the time I arrived. I don't ever blow dry anyway, so when it finished drying it looked the same as always. A few other times, when I only had to go in for about an hour and didn't feel like going early enough to shower, I put my hair up in a pony tail and tied it with a scarf to make it a bit more dressy. My hair is curly.

[BikingNurse]

We don't have a shower at the clinic so do that at home and wipe down at work. I keep deodorant and makeup at my desk. But I put my moisturizer with sunblock on at home
I leave home with my hair wet in a pony and do a quick brushout at work. This works well for me. I keep scrubs and extra panties and bra at work. Th only ppl that know the days I ride are my doc and receptionist... and anyone who has drays taken cause that room is the only place I can put my bike. Basically. For me it is easier to have hair I can throw in a pony.

[Trek-chick]

I wash my hair in the sink, shampoo and condition and use the blow dryer, and use a wash cloth and soap since there is no shower.

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I do the same (except for the blow dryer), and leave my stuff in my desk drawer. I wash then, put in a ponytail and am ready to go.

I also use antibacterial wipes for the body and have spare travel size deoderant I use also.

[shootingstar]

I've never showered at work...even though for some workplaces there was a shower. Just too much time and hassle for me.

But I always changed out of my cycling clothing, washed my face, wipe parts of me and dealt with my short hair (brushing it).
For certain, I ook worse with longer hair under helmet. I know I do, so I keep a short haircut: over half of my ear or whole ear shows, with the style I keep. I never worry...my hair grows fast.