The Impact of Hair Care Practices and Attitudes Toward Hair Management on Exercise Habits in African American Women

The study from 2014 investigated the impact of hair care practices and attitudes toward hair management on exercise habits in African American women. A total of 86 women participated, with 61 completing a 70-item questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 52.3 years, and they exercised an average of 3.1 days per week. Hair management was reported to be as prohibitive to exercise as poor health, with 31% of women stating that exercise increased the time spent managing their hair and 18% exercising less than they would like due to hair concerns. The most common hair care issues during exercise were maintaining hair style and the time required to wash, dry, and style hair. Over half of the women had hypertension (53%) and many were overweight (74%) or had been told they were overweight by a health professional (62%). The study concluded that hair care practices and hair and scalp health may influence African American women's perceptions and attitudes toward exercise, suggesting that dermatologists could play a role in facilitating regular exercise by providing guidance on hair management.