LONG HAIR BJJ

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become an extremely popular Martial Art in the modern era. Athletes of all sizes, shapes, and sexes are beginning to train consistently inside the world of BJJ. The calibre of these high level athletes that now call the mats their home are just adding to the exponential growth of the Brazilian artform. As the evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has gone from one innovation to the next, the notoriety of the combat sport is now beginning to flourish at the hands of female grapplers. The growth of the women's divisions in Jiu Jitsu has become incredible, as young women are now looking up to world class athletes like Gabrielle Garcia, Beatriz Mesquita, Ffion Davies and Patricia Lage. One of the biggest issues that most women face in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and even some bjj for smaller guys, is trying to control their long hair.

What this article covers:

• Can Long Hair Effect a BJJ Athlete
• Knowing Your Hair
• BJJ Hairstyles
• How to Take Care of Long Hair in BJJ
• Accessories that May Help with Long Hair
• How to Manage Hair when Not Training BJJ

Many athletes that love Brazilian Jiu Jitsu also love their long hair, and choosing between them is simply not a choice at all. Having long hair can be an issue, as mainly women will find that their hair will get extremely messy, especially competing against the larger athletes, especially once they find out what is open mat bjj. There are many different ways that women can tie up their hair, and try to get it out of the equation, but with the rigorous grind of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it is almost impossible for it not to get tangled up in an opponent's grips, or in the Gi itself. No matter how much an athlete will try to take care of their hair, it is next to impossible to keep it vibrant. Athletes will also find that grappling consistently can severely deplete the overall health of their hair. 

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CAN LONG HAIR EFFECT A BJJ ATHLETE

Sporting long hair all braided up can make a female grappler look fierce, as if she was Lagatha reincarnated from Vikings. But in reality after a female will grapple against an opponent, she will come out with messy hair, with half of her braids pulled out. Although this still is fearsome, as a female that looks battle hardened with messy hair, and Gi rashes on her eyebrow can be quite a fierce look. She will always hit the showers with the same conundrum every day. How can she get her hair to function properly, and still train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu everyday. Having long hair in Jiu Jitsu can cause a plethora of issues for women, but first and foremost their hair is being pulled out. This can cause all sorts of damage to the hair follicles, which does not sit well with athletes that love their luscious long hair.

Hair can get in an athlete's eyes, and can cause infections, as well as tiny lacerations around the facial area. Hair can be trapped unintentionally in an opponent's grips, and it can also become extremely tangled in other body parts of their opponent, including their Gi uniform. Not only does this prove the hair to be unhealthy, but it can just be plain annoying. An athlete that has to keep stopping to fix their hair, will find it can be detrimental to whether they win, or lose or even a reason to take a walkover from their competition matches. There is no ponytail in the world that is super strong enough to stop an unintentional hair pull, as they will surely lose their hair tie in the process, and suffer from a messy hair syndrome. Constant hair pulling, whether it's intentional or unintentional will almost always result in constant shedding, which can then cover the mats. This will now become a hygiene problem, as dirty hair follicles can become trapped in open wounds, which can result in the spread of infections like staph or ringworm.

KNOWING YOUR HAIR

It is extremely important to understand what type of hair an athlete has, because knowing the standard will help with how they should care, and style their hair. There are different grades of hair and these include straight hair, which is one of the easiest types to keep clean, manage, and tie up. The lucky athletes have straight hair as it will be a lot easier to deal with. Waves can range from little bends, all the way up to s-shapes. These are usually really flat at the base of the scalp, and bigger towards the bottom of the hair. The density can vary between thick, and thin, and can be extremely frizzy at times. There are different grades of wave, and these can determine how an athlete will manage their hair. The curls will tend to have lots of volume, as the pattern will always begin at the root. They can also dehydrate quicker, leaving a significant need for moisturising the hair. Kinks and coils are among the tightest of the curl patterns, as they resemble the letter z. This hair type has sharp twists, and turns, or coils that can be extremely annoying to get a brush through. The strands will vary from extremely fine to very wiry hair. They are also really delicate, and prone to breakage, tangling, and shrinkage, which can be extremely bad for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Getting to know an athlete's hair type will go a long way into understanding how to manage the cleanliness, and to utilise the best tie up methods.

BJJ HAIRSTYLES 

There are many athletes that have what is called in between hair, which means that it is not long enough to tie up, but also not short enough for it to not be a problem. These athletes will just naturally deal with messy hair, as their focus is purely Jiu Jitsu. There are many athletes that have long hair like Kurt Osiander, undertaker bjj, and mostly all female grapplers in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It is extremely hard to keep hair out of an athlete's face, but there are different hair styles that may help these athletes. A traditional ponytail is not the most ideal solution, as it can quite easily be pulled out. A ponytail needs to be tied up as high as possible, and the main reason for this is so that the ponytail doesn't affect the athlete when they are on their back playing guard. A ponytail that has been tied lower will often get tangled when an opponent tries to secure neckties, or the cross face. Athletes must also make sure not to use any metal clips in their hair, as this can cause injuries, or even damage the mats.

The most common hairstyle in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is different types of braids. Any form of tight hairstyles is great for athletes so they do not get tangled up during a match. Braids can be done on a single ponytail, or even on pigtails, as they can be extremely diverse, and functional for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Cornrows are another interesting option, as many modern day grapplers use this hairstyle. Probably the most popular form of hairstyle used in combat sports today is in the French style of braids. The downside to having this type of hairstyle is the time factor, as it takes time to secure this hairstyle. So even though it may be beneficial to athletes for training, it is not exactly practical for every single lesson. It can be tricky to find a hairstyle that works, as women will just allow their hair to go wild, and this is due to frustration, and their carefree attitudes. 

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF LONG HAIR IN BJJ

Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can be extremely messy, as the art involves heavy amounts of perspiration. This can cause an athlete to go home with extremely dirty hair, and what makes it even worse is that their hair gets pulled, and torn during training. This can leave an athlete's hair extremely damaged, especially athletes that train bjj against bigger opponent. Hair breakage can happen as a result of it being pulled, as the inner cuticle with its overlapping scales is what keeps the strands together. Keeping healthy hair is extremely important, and athletes can utilise different routines to maximise the health of their hair follicles. The important tip for long haired athletes is to wash their hair with shampoo, and conditioner after every single training session. This will ensure that their hair won't carry any bacteria. Giving an athlete's hair a proper wash involves removing all the dirt and grime, massaging the scalp, and providing significant moisture to help the hair retain its balance.

Another good option is to do regular treatments on the hair, like protein, and repair treatments. It is also a good idea to see a hairdresser from time to time, just to have a professional have a look at their hair, and cut away any split ends. Athletes should stay away from any heating elements like a blow dryer, a curling iron, or a hair straightener, and this is because heat will damage the hair, especially if it is used every day. Of course there will be times where the athlete will need to use heating implements, and a good recommendation is to use heat protective products in their hair. The best way to dry the hair is to let it dry naturally, so there is less breakage. Hair protection is crucial for athletes, especially for the female athletes, as most of them use it as their identity.

ACCESSORIES THAT MAY HELP WITH LONG HAIR

Finding the right hair tie is extremely important for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as the wrong style can cause significant damage, and breakage to the hair. The hair strands must be held tight, but not so tight that it may cause physical damage to the hair. Using softer styles of hair ties like scrunchies can be a great solution. There are many different types of clips that can be used but they can be dangerous to use while training on the mats. Using tiny rubber bands can also be damaging to the hair strands, as they will also cause significant breakage. Using silk products can prevent friction on the hair, unlike most other fabrics that will cause significant pulling, straining, and breaking. Swirly curly snappee hair ties are stretchy, and will easily tie down the hair, which is perfect for curls and coils. 

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The kitsch microfiber towel scrunchie is made from microfiber, and can soak up excess water without roughening up the cuticle. This is perfect for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as the traditional fabrics have abrasive fibers, which is great to take out the moisture, as this can cause frizz. The kooshoo plastic free hair tie is extremely stretchable, and is made from one hundred percent biodegradable material. The drying process is performed with certified organic pigments. Burly bands large hair ties are used for athletes with extremely dense, and thick hair. These hair ties have no slip, and are designed specifically for those thicker locks, and they have a durable flexibility to wrap around the hair strands without stretching, or breaking. 

HOW TO MANAGE HAIR WHEN NOT TRAINING BJJ

The main problem that athletes will face is when they are not working out, they will commonly want to wear their hair tightly secured. This does put significant stress on the hair which will result in damage and breakage to the follicles. A good idea for athletes is to wear their hair down loosely when they are not training in BJJ. This will help in less strain, and stress upon the scalp, and the hair strands. There will be enough significant pulling during training sessions, so in the downtime from BJJ, athletes will need to take this conservatively. Although it might be difficult, especially for women to wear their hair down loosely, because some women have frizz which can be extremely annoying. Another good tip would be to wear a headband, or even resort to wearing hats, or bandanas, as a way of allowing the hair to remain more free flowing, and not so tight. Remember Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can put significant strain on an athlete's hair, and athletes that want to train four or five days a week must utilise these types of solutions. 

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