Hair follicles are incredibly sensitive to what's happening inside the body. Stress levels, blood flow, sleep quality and hormonal balance all influence the hair growth cycle. While pilates isn't a magic "hair growth workout", it helps create the conditions that healthy hair needs.
Walk out of a good pilates class and something subtle has shifted.
Your shoulders sit a little lower, your breathing feels deeper, your mind is quieter. You feel stronger but not exhausted. Calm, but energised.
If you've ever experienced that particular post-pilates glow, you know it’s doing something. Something more than just toning your core.
But is pilates good for your hair?
At first glance, the two things seem unrelated. Pilates is about posture, breath and precise movement. Hair health feels like a different conversation, one involving scalp serums and supplements, not spring-resistance reformers.
When you explore the science behind stress hormones, blood circulation, inflammation and overall wellbeing, the connection becomes surprisingly clear.
Is pilates good for hair?
In short: yes. Pilates supports many of the systems that directly influence hair health, particularly circulation, stress regulation and mental wellbeing. When these systems are balanced, the environment around each hair follicle is healthier too.
Now, no study has put someone on a reformer for two months and measured their hair growth as a result. That would be a very niche clinical trial. But the research into what pilates does to the body tells us a lot.
Systematic reviews into pilates and women’s health have found consistent improvements in quality of life, physical strength, flexibility and psychological wellbeing. One randomised controlled trial on reformer pilates found improvements in body composition, muscle strength and mood-related outcomes after just eight weeks of regular practice.
Hair follicles respond to all those things.
They’re sensitive, living structures that rely on the rest of the body functioning well. And pilates, it turns out, is very good at helping the body function well.
What is pilates, exactly?
Before we go deeper into the science, it’s worth getting on the same page about what pilates is.
Pilates isn’t just stretching. And while it shares some qualities with yoga (the breath-led movement, the focus on the body-mind connection), it’s a distinct discipline with its own origins and principles.
Pilates was created in the early twentieth century by Joseph Pilates, a German-born physical trainer who originally called his method Contrology. His philosophy was straightforward but radical: the body and mind function best when they work together.
Precise, intentional movement. Deep, conscious breathing. Full attention.
Today, pilates is recognised as a mind-body exercise focusing on trunk stability, postural alignment, flexibility and controlled movement. It’s practised globally, in boutique studios, gyms, physio clinics and living rooms, and is used both for general fitness and as a tool for rehabilitation.
But what makes it particularly relevant to hair health is that combination of movement and nervous system regulation…
Which exercise is best for hair growth?
There’s no single exercise that flicks a switch and makes hair grow faster. But there are forms of exercise that support the conditions hair follicles need. And pilates is one of them.
Exercises like yoga, running, swimming and resistance training all support hair health in similar ways.
Here’s what’s happening:
During the anagen phase (the active growth period of the hair cycle), follicles are working hard. They’re producing keratin, dividing cells rapidly, and doing all of this at remarkable speed. To keep this up, they need a steady supply of nutrients and oxygen, delivered via the network of blood vessels surrounding them.
Cardiovascular exercise supports this in several ways:
- Improved circulation, getting more blood and oxygen to the scalp
- Enhanced oxygen delivery throughout the body
- Better insulin sensitivity, supporting metabolic efficiency
- Reduced inflammation, which can otherwise disrupt the hair growth cycle
Some pilates movements, particularly spinal articulations, cat-cow sequences and gentle inversions, also temporarily encourage blood flow toward the upper body. This doesn’t "activate" hair growth on its own, but it contributes to the environment that follicles thrive in.
A quick word of caution
While regular exercise is broadly beneficial for hair health, it’s worth noting a nuance.
One survey exploring the relationship between exercise and androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss) found that people with pattern hair loss reported higher overall exercise levels, particularly frequent low-intensity activity.
Before you cancel your reformer membership, the researchers were quick to emphasise that this was an association, not a cause. The study raised the possibility of oxidative stress from physical activity as a contributing factor, but the evidence was far from conclusive, and the authors called for further research.
The broader scientific consensus still firmly supports the idea that regular exercise benefits overall health, which in turn supports healthy hair cycles.
As with everything, context matters: overtraining, underfuelling and high stress can work against hair health. But a regular, balanced pilates practice is firmly in the "supportive" column.
Does pilates lower cortisol?
Yes, pilates can lower cortisol. And this is one of the most important connections between pilates and hair health. Cortisol is the body’s primary stress hormone. In short bursts, it’s useful. It’s part of the body’s alert system. But when cortisol stays high, it disrupts almost every system in the body, including the hair growth cycle.
Hair grows in three repeating phases:
- Anagen (active growth)
- Catagen (transition)
- Telogen (rest and shedding)
When stress levels spike, the body responds by pushing more follicles into the telogen phase. This leads to increased shedding weeks or months later, a condition known as telogen effluvium. Many women notice it after periods of intense physical or emotional stress, and it can be alarming.
Pilates helps interrupt this process.
Research comparing regular Pilates practitioners with non-active controls found significant reductions in depression, anxiety and stress-related behaviours among those who practised regularly.
The mechanism makes sense: Pilates teaches slow, controlled breathing, often directing breath laterally into the ribcage, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. That’s the "rest and repair" state, the counterpart to fight-or-flight.
When the parasympathetic system takes over, cortisol drops, inflammation reduces and recovery processes ramp up. Over time, this quieter internal environment supports healthier tissues across the board, including the scalp.
Does pilates change your brain?
Pilates isn’t a passive practice. From the moment you start, you’re coordinating breath, movement and alignment. You’re tracking where your body is in space, adjusting in real time, maintaining focus through challenge. It’s quietly demanding in a way that builds neural connections over time.
Research consistently links pilates to improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms, effects that go beyond a typical post-exercise mood lift. Regular practitioners report changes that feel more systemic: better sleep, more stable energy, improved mood, greater body awareness. A sense of feeling more at home in themselves.
This matters for hair health in ways that are harder to quantify but very real.
When someone starts sleeping better, the body has more opportunity to repair and regenerate overnight, including the cells that support hair follicles. When stress becomes more manageable, cortisol levels stabilise. When mood improves, self-care follows. It becomes easier to eat well, rest properly and notice what the body needs.
This is the ripple effect of pilates. It doesn’t just change one variable in isolation. It shifts the internal environment. And hair, one of the body’s most sensitive barometers, reflects that.
How to wear your hair for pilates
One of the most searched questions in pilates is surprisingly practical: how should I wear my hair for pilates?
It’s a fair one, because getting your hair right makes a big difference to your practice and to your hair health.
The short answer: up. Definitely up.
Pilates involves a lot of floor work, rolling movements and (in reformer classes especially) machinery with moving parts: springs, sliding carriages and straps. Loose hair has a way of finding all of these at the worst possible moment.
Even in mat classes, moves like shoulder bridges, roll-downs and spinal articulations mean your hair regularly meets the floor. Letting it hang loose creates unnecessary friction and can lead to tangles, breakage and a distracting class experience.
A secure style lets you focus entirely on the movement. Which, if you’ve ever tried to hold a reformer footbar position while managing a rogue strand of hair, you’ll know is easier said than done.
What’s the best hairstyle for pilates?
When it comes to pilates hair, the goal is secure but gentle. This is a useful principle for hair health in general.
Tight hairstyles place repeated tension on the hairline, contributing to traction-related stress on the follicle. So while a slicked-back bun might feel neat and tidy, it’s worth going easier on your edges.
The best hairstyles for pilates:
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Low ponytail: comfortable when lying on your back, keeps everything out of the way without pulling too tightly at the crown. Use a snag-free band to avoid creasing or breaking the hair
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Loose braid: helpful if your hair tangles easily or if you wear extensions. A French braid is particularly good, as it sits flat on the mat and won’t dig into your neck
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Low bun: practical for most class formats, sits below the headrest on a reformer, and can be secured loosely with a scrunchie
- Claw clip twist: underrated for pilates. Keeps hair up without a tight elastic, can be adjusted easily between exercises, and creates far less tension at the scalp than a traditional hair tie. Just opt for a flat clip.
If you have longer hair or wear extensions, braiding before class is worth the extra two minutes. It protects both the hair and the bonds, minimises tangles and makes the post-class detangling process significantly more pleasant.
Do I have to wash my hair after pilates?
Ideally, yes. It’s sensible to wash your hair after pilates, or at least rinse your scalp soon after class.
Why?
Sweat itself isn't the issue. It’s what happens when sweat sits on the scalp for extended periods that causes problems.
During exercise, sweat mixes with the scalp’s natural sebum, styling products and general environmental particles. Left on the scalp, that mixture can irritate the skin and potentially clog follicles over time, contributing to buildup and compromised scalp health.
The scalp is skin. Like the skin on your face, it benefits from regular, gentle cleansing, particularly after sweating.
If you exercise frequently, you don’t necessarily need a full wash every time. Rotating between full shampoo sessions and lighter rinses works well, depending on how much you’ve sweated. A gentle, sulphate-free, fragrance-free shampoo is ideal for regular washing. It cleans effectively without stripping the scalp’s natural oils or disrupting its pH balance.
Follow with a nourishing conditioner to keep ends and mid-lengths hydrated. And if your hair needs extra post-workout lustre, a lightweight finishing oil applied to the lengths (not the scalp) restores that healthy, natural sheen.
Does pilates make you look younger?
Of course, pilates doesn’t directly reverse ageing. But it supports lots of what we associate with looking and feeling younger.
Consider what pilates actually changes: posture, muscle tone, circulation, sleep quality, stress levels, energy, mood. These aren't cosmetic tweaks. They’re foundational to how someone carries themselves and how their body functions day-to-day.
A systematic review on pilates and body posture found evidence that regular practice improves spinal alignment across the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. That’s not a small thing. How someone holds their spine influences how they breathe, how they engage their muscles, how they move through a room. Upright posture signals vitality in a way that no skincare product can.
For women navigating perimenopause or menopause, the benefits are even more significant. One study found that eight weeks of pilates meaningfully improved both quality of life and menopausal symptoms. And when someone is sleeping better, experiencing fewer mood fluctuations and feeling stronger in their body, it shows. In their skin, their energy and their hair.
The bigger picture: pilates and holistic hair health
Hair reflects what’s happening across the whole body. Genetics, hormones, nutrition, sleep, stress, circulation and mental wellbeing all play a role in the growth cycle. When one of those systems is under strain, the hair often shows it first.
Pilates doesn't target hair directly. But it quietly supports many of those systems; improving circulation, reducing cortisol, encouraging better sleep and shifting the nervous system toward rest and repair.
There’s something powerful about a practice that makes you feel better in your body, calmer in your mind and more at home in yourself. And that’s not just good for your hair. That’s good for everything.
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