Healthy Body, Healthy Hair

“I can’t. I might sweat out my perm”


Too many times I’ve heard black female friends give me this excuse for not joining me for a group fitness class or an outdoor power walk. While it is wrong to assume all African American women have this attitude (many of the women who do regularly attend my favorite aerobics classes have relaxers) the issue of women not exercising for fear of ruining their ‘do is prevalent enough that it has captured the attention of the Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin. 


The New York Times reports that in a recent interview Dr. Benjamin said, “Oftentimes you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because I don’t want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet.’ ” She continued, “When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons.”


She went on to say that this is not a problem just in the African American community, but that she sees this with older white patients as well. 


The irony of all this is exercise can actually make your hair look better, in the long run, at least. 

Sonia Tutuwan

That’s what I learned Saturday when I had the opportunity to attend an Ask the Stylist event at LeVia’s Hair & Body Essentials, a local natural hair care store located just a few minutes from my home. 


At the event, we naturalistas had the chance to chat with Sonia Tutuwan Thames, creator of Nahbila’s Essentials hair products and a stylist who was specializing in natural hair care long before it became the “in” thing. For two hours Sonia graciously answered questions we had about how to care for our tresses. 


I was so grateful that Sonia helped me find new products to aid me in my quest for fifth day hair (reviews coming soon). But what stood out to me most was something she said about the importance of overall health. 


One woman asked about taking supplements to promote hair growth and strength. Sonia said that while supplements may be necessary for those with certain medical conditions the best thing to do is just eat right! For example, eat balanced meals with the proper amount of protein.


There’s a reason your hair grows more in the summer, Sonia said. You have improved blood circulation and you’re eating more fruits. Since being active is a great way to increase blood circulation it makes sense to get out and get moving! Improve your health and you’ll improve your hair! Get up and exercise and then refuel with your favorite fruits. If you want nice hair, you need to be willing to mess it up!