Is Sweat Good for Hair?

Yes, sweating is natural, and it’s not bad for your hair per se. But is sweat good for your hair and hair growth? 

As it turns out, no scientific evidence shows that sweating — whether from regular exercise or warm weather — makes your hair grow thicker, keeps your hair healthy, or stops hair loss. In fact, there’s not much high-quality evidence that sweating does anything of note for your hair or scalp health, other than possibly affecting its odor after a few days without shampooing.

The good news is that if you’re interested in stimulating hair growth and promoting a thick head of hair, you don’t need to rely on perspiration to achieve your goals. Below, we’ll explain how hair growth works and why you shouldn't rely on sweating as a solution if you’re starting to notice hair loss. We’ll also list your options for shielding your hair from damage, maintaining a healthy scalp, and promoting healthier hair roots and follicles—no sweat required.

Simply put, no, sweating does not make your hair grow any faster.

There’s currently no scientific evidence suggesting that sweating increases your hair's growth rate, makes your hair grow thicker, or prevents common forms of hair loss, such as male pattern baldness, from developing. 

There’s also no reliable evidence that sweating keeps your scalp healthy, regulates levels of hormones involved in hair growth, or has any other effect on male pattern baldness or other scalp conditions. In other words, sweating isn’t a magic solution to hair loss in men (or in women, for that matter). 

Contrary to what you might have read online or seen in a YouTube video, sweating doesn’t promote the release of “toxins” from your scalp pores or have any other special effects on your scalp and hair. Instead, sweating is just your body’s mechanism for regulating body temperature. When you feel hot, your autonomic nervous system triggers the release of water and sodium from your sweat glands, allowing you to cool yourself.

This is why it’s common to sweat when it’s warm outside, while exercising, or if you have a fever. The natural, normal process is critical for ensuring your body functions the way it should — but it doesn’t have any positive or negative effect on your hair growth.

Although sweat plays an important role in regulating temperature, there is no evidence that it is good for hair.

Technically, your body produces two types of sweat: sweat from your eccrine sweat glands and from your apocrine sweat glands. 

Sweat from your eccrine sweat glands (which are found primarily on your hands and scalp) is made up primarily of water, with small amounts of minerals, such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This sweat may also contain metabolites, such as ammonia, lactate, urea, and certain unmetabolized substances from medications.

Meanwhile, sweat from your apocrine sweat glands (which empty into your hair follicles) is oilier, containing a mix of similar minerals and metabolites mixed in with lipids, hormones, and proteins.

At the moment, we can’t find any scientific evidence showing a connection between sweat from your apocrine or eccrine glands and significant improvements in hair health or growth. In other words, the research we have right now doesn’t suggest that excessive sweat — whether from exercise or daily activities — is good for your hair. 

Rather, most research suggests that letting sweat build up on your scalp without cleaning it regularly might negatively affect your hair’s health, scent, and feel.

Sweating is closely associated with body odor. While sweating itself doesn’t cause you to smell, the chemicals in sweat released from your apocrine glands may develop an unpleasant odor when they attract bacteria.

Most of these glands are located near your armpits, chest, and genitals, but small amounts may be found on your face and scalp. This reaction between sweat and bacteria may give your scalp a noticeable odor if you leave your skip hair washing for several days.

Beyond an unpleasant smell, there’s also some evidence to suggest that sweating might affect your skin’s protective barrier function, which could increase your risk of irritated skin and issues that affect your skin surface.

Put simply, while sweating doesn’t appear to be particularly harmful to your hair, it also doesn’t seem to offer any significant benefits for your hair or scalp. 

If you sweat a lot, there are some simple steps you can take to keep your hair and scalp as healthy as possible. Try to:

• Wash your hair and scalp after exercising. Post-workout, wash your hair as thoroughly as you can using a high-quality shampoo. Consider a thickening shampoo if you’re noticing early signs of a receding hairline or hair thinning.

• Focus shampoo on your scalp. Shampoo works best when you focus it on your scalp, not the full length of your hair shaft. If you have an oily scalp, more frequent wash days may help reduce your risk of developing acne on your forehead.

• Apply a high-quality conditioner. Conditioner helps prevent your hair from looking weathered or lacking in shine. Try to use conditioner as part of your hair care routine every time you wash your hair to keep it nourished and properly moisturized. If you are worried about dryness or frizz, a leave-in conditioner can help as well.

It’s also good to keep yourself hydrated if you’re prone to sweating. Try to consume lots of fluids if you sweat often or during taxing activities such as exercise. If you feel like you’ve lost sodium or other electrolytes while sweating, consider a sports drink for a hydration boost.

Although working up a sweat in the gym or sauna can offer real benefits for your overall health and well-being, there’s no clear evidence that sweating improves hair growth. The good news is that growing and maintaining healthy hair isn’t as difficult as you might initially think, even if you’re prone to issues such as male pattern baldness.

If you’re beginning to spot the early signs of hair loss and want to do something about it, or just want to keep your hair looking and feeling its best, use the evidence-based techniques below to promote healthy hair growth:

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Nutrition plays a significant role in the health of your skin and hair. Try to eat a balanced diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein, and other foods that support healthy hair growth.

• Get checked for medical conditions that cause hair shedding. Hair shedding can be an early sign that something isn’t quite right internally — perhaps an infection, a medication side effect, or a nutritional deficiency. If you notice your hair shedding more than normal, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider.

• Keep your scalp clean and healthy. Excessive scalp sweating may affect your hair’s smell and texture and contribute to issues such as itchy skin and dandruff. Wash your hair whenever it starts to feel overly oily or dull to keep your scalp clean. The frequency may vary depending on your specific hair type (for instance, dry hair or curly hair may need washed less often).

• For thinning hair, consider minoxidil. An over-the-counter medication, minoxidil shifts inactive hair follicles into the anagen phase, helping to improve hair growth. It also increases blood flow to your scalp, giving your hair follicles a better supply of nutrients. We offer minoxidil topical solution and minoxidil foam online as part of our range of hair loss treatments for men.

• If you have male pattern baldness, try using finasteride. This prescription medication prevents your body from converting extra testosterone into DHT, a hormone that causes your hair follicles to stop growing new hair. We offer finasteride online, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.

It’s normal to sweat, especially if you have a fit lifestyle that involves plenty of exercise and outdoor activities. While sweating is important for managing your internal temperature, it doesn’t appear to have much of an impact on your hair’s ability to grow. 

When it comes to the relationship between sweat and your hair, here are a few things to remember:

• Sweat doesn’t appear to stimulate hair growth or stop hair loss. Most hair loss in men is the result of male pattern baldness, which is genetic and hormonal. Right now, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that sweat plays a role in hair loss. 

• Sweat might increase your risk of scalp irritation. In addition to causing your scalp to smell, sweaty hair might increase your risk of dealing with skin barrier function issues, including some that could involve itching and/or irritation. 

• Dealing with sweaty hair is fairly simple. If you’re prone to sweating, washing your hair after intense physical activity or at the end of a hot, humid day is usually all you need to do to keep it looking and feeling its best. 

Finally, if you’re starting to lose your hair, don’t panic. Numerous options are available to treat hair loss, including FDA-approved hair loss medications like finasteride and minoxidil. 

Interested in exploring your options? Take an online hair loss consultation to learn more about what you can do to prevent hair thinning, maintain healthy hair, and even stimulate regrowth in certain parts of your scalp.

You can also learn more in our guides to treatments for thinning hair and preventing hair loss.