Flowing locks and wrist locks: can you really have it all?
Written by Vicky Beckett, Tuesday 8th April 2025
Amidst the arm-bars, rear-naked chokes, and accidental face smashes, there’s one battle you might not have anticipated when you took up BJJ: the war on your hair.
Brazilian jiujitsu can be brutal on your lid. Between mat friction, sweat, knees to the ponytail and hair-ripping gi grips, it’s a miracle anyone’s hair survives. I’ve also heard different views on whether dirty hair can spread bacteria on the mats. So, stopping just short of taking a razor to my scalp, I spoke to Elena Hlinkova, blue belt and professional hairdresser, about how to stop your mane from looking like it lost a fight with a cat.
I’ve heard some people say you should wash your hair every time you train. What do you think about that?
It obviously depends on how much you train, but I wouldn’t recommend washing it every day. Ideally, it would be once a week with a double shampoo. The first shampoo removes product build-up and excess oil, while the second shampoo lets your hair absorb the nourishing properties of the shampoo, followed by a conditioning mask.
Even though a cleansing or “detox” shampoo might seem like a good choice after some sweaty rounds, I wouldn’t recommend it for daily or even regular use as it strips down the hair of everything – good and bad. It makes it dehydrated and dull in the long run.
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