Dancer Hair: What a Girl Needs To Know, Part 2

A dancer’s feet aren’t the only aspects of a dancer’s body that require extra TLC. As we discussed in Part 1, a dancer’s hair takes a lot of abuse. Between the sweat and the tightly wound coif that the dancer life requires, a dancer’s hair takes a bit of a beating. Today, we’ll look at 3 keys to keeping dancer hair on pointe.

Implement a Daily Healthy Hair Care Regimen

Healthy hygiene habits are important for all girls, but adding some extra hair care steps to daily hygiene rituals can be especially significant for dancers. Before you can effectively add the right steps into your hair care routine, be sure to have the proper tools and products on hand. That should, at the minimum, include two brushes: a paddle brush as well as a soft-bristled one. It should also include products such as shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner, and hair oils. Before you decide on those products, though, be sure to check labels and make sure your selections don’t include ingredients that can actually do more damage.

Change up Your Hairstyle Often

As much as you want to be sure to follow your healthy hair care routine on a daily basis, there’s something you don’t want to do every day: wear the same hair style. When you pull your hair into the same style day after day, you stress both the tautly pulled hair and the area around which the ponytail holder is wrapped. Instead of a bun, you can try alternatives such as a braid at the nape of the neck. With a braid, you’ll also change the location of the ponytail holder. If you really want the look of a bun, you could still wrap your braid into a low chignon, using bobby pins.

Use Bobby Pins with Caution

Every dancer needs some bobby pins, and we totally get that! But when it comes to bobby pins, make sure to exercise caution — especially when you’re using them on a daily or almost daily basis. You might not be able to completely avoid hair breakage as a result of bobby pin use, but you can lessen your chances and instances of such breakage. How?

1. Be sure to use heavy duty bobby pins purchased from a beauty supply company instead of the cheap ones you can find at the typical convenience store.
2. Next, throw away any bobby pins that are missing the rubber stoppers.
3. When sliding the bobby pin into place, be sure to place the flat side against your scalp with the rigid side facing outward, so it can easily grip the hair.
4. When inserting each pin, open them widely before sliding it into place.

The extra time and effort to care for and style your hair carefully will pay off when recital season and competition time comes: your perfect bun smoothly and securely in place, you’ll enjoy a boost of confidence just when it matters most!