My chronic problem with running and trying to look cute while doing so are my unruly baby hairs.
I’m sure I speak for a good majority of the women in this community when I say: Baby hairs are a hindrance to looking cute while running. Especially when you’re going all-out, trying to beat your personal records, while you’re at it.
Bonus win if you can get a race photo where you don’t look too dugyot, ‘di ba?
Truly, running and the bangs you got when you were in a ~mood~ don’t really make a good match. Not when the sweat starts pouring and your ponytail starts bouncing aggressively. So, how do you tame them?
I’ve got a few recommended styles that you can lean to whenever you’re training or racing.
Five cute hairstyles for girls who run
For the benefit of those of us who are too busy to go for fancy updos, these hairstyles are ranked from the simplest to the most complicated (but cute) to do.
1. The ponytail and headband combo
Who doesn’t love a clean and simple ponytail, right? It’s sleek, easy to do, and does the job of keeping hair out of your face.
But a ponytail by itself doesn’t do much to keep the tiny hairs near your face neat. A few minutes into your run and you’ll see them poking up.
Usually, a thin elastic headband is enough to keep the hairs off your face. But these days, I often reach for wider headbands because they also help keep the sweat from dripping all over the face.
You can get these kinds of headbands from your usual sports outlets, but a current favorite of mine are the ones from Always Kinetic. Not only are they wide, but the design is also tapered and non-slip, so it stays relatively put for the most part of a long run.
The headbands from Always Kinetic come in five colors (white, blue, black, pink, and purple) – perfect for mixing and matching with different running outfits.
2. The basic French braid
This type of braid is a style you can turn to for long running days, and a ponytail headache is something you want to avoid.
To keep your baby hairs or bangs away from your face, start the plaiting closer to the front of the face so that they’re tied down. For extra security for loose hairs, you can also make use of clips or pins, or lock them down with your trusted gel brand or wax.
It also helps to use a toothbrush for neater application of the wax. The bristles will help keep the alignment of your hair strands on-point.
3. Double Dutch or boxer braids
A double Dutch braid, also called boxer braids, is somewhat like a French braid. The main difference between them is that the plaits are woven outward, instead of inward (see video tutorial).
This kind of plaiting creates an elevated look for the braid, and makes it look like ropes. Even viewed from afar, boxer braids are more visually captivating (or cute) compared to the flat French braid.
Moreover, since the braid also starts at the very front of the face, it locks in bangs and baby hairs effectively. If needed, you can also lock those hairs in place with a headband or your preferred wax or gel brand.
4. Dutch fishtail braid
This last one on the list is the most difficult on the list because it combines two braiding techniques, namely the Dutch and fishtail braiding technique.
If you don’t quite know how to do a fishtail braid, I embedded a tutorial video for the basic technique, below. Further down, you’ll find a full tutorial for the Dutch fishtail braid itself.
Hard as it is to do, the effort is worth it because it produces a beautifully neat braid that keeps all of your hair locked in place. In photos, and up-close, it’s an elegant style that makes you look like a strong and put-together baddie while running on the track, or to get your iced coffee.
Just imagine it: You running in this hairstyle and then naka salubong mo si crush? Nako. Baka masabi ‘nya na lang, “mine ‘yon.” ;)
Fishtail braid tutorial
Dutch fishtail braid tutorial
What do you think about the hairstyles we put on this list? Try them out and post a running photo on the Pinoy Fitness Mobile app for a chance to get featured on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Or, skip that and share it on the Pinoy Fitness Community Facebook group. Tamang papansin lang kay runner crush, or flex ng running stats (while looking cute, of course).
