People with long hair who use insect repellent: what do you do with your hair to keep it clean?

2026-05-18 15:13 UTC

I have waist length hair. I don’t like how I look with no hair or a buzz cut, and I find longer hair easier to manage. I’m not dead-set on this length, it just seems the best config for my life in general. When it’s not gardening season, I wash my hair 2x per week. I have a super low tolerance for greasy or dirty hair and this frequency works. I rely on bug spray while gardening. I wear full coverage clothes and try and spray the clothes, but I need to spray the exposed skin on my face and neck. This leads to spray or the spray+sunscreen+dirt combo getting in my hair. I have tried special clothes and hats (including with nets) but I get bit right through them. I want to avoid getting bit because of the risk of disease, but honestly I mostly want to avoid hearing or feeling them on my skin. Thermacell type products have not been useful. Currently I try and pile my hair in a hat and today I am trying to wrap it in a kerchief first. The bulk isn’t great with the hat. My hair type is 1a, but I imagine people with more texture also deal with this challenge. So I guess my questions are: Do you have tips/tricks for keeping long hair clean while using bug repellent? If your solution is a protective wrap of some kind, how to you keep the sun off your face/neck if the bulk prevents the use of sun hats? Thanks!

Replies (7)

@evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2026-05-18 15:47

Not a problem I have, but generally, I hate bug spray because of how greasy and smelly it is (and the fact that deet damages synthetic fabrics), so I will go to a lot of lengths to avoid using it. I use long sleeves and occasionally a bug net if the mosquitos are really thick. They can bite through clothing, so I make sure it’s loose. I’ve actually been thinking about making a garment to wear under a long sleeve shirt to add another layer to my shoulders where gravity makes the fabric sit against my skin. I also use permethrin treated clothes if im going to be somewhere with a lot of bugs. I do try to minimize that to when I really need it because permethrin is harmful to a lot of beneficial insects, too. You could use a permethrin treated buff or something similar to protect your neck. Lastly, picaridin comes in a lotion that is not greasy or smelly, and it works just as well as DEET for mosquitos.

Open ##2668671
@buttmasterflex@piefed.social 2026-05-18 16:23

Not a hair person (curse you, male pattern baldness!), but picaridin based bug spray is effective, safe for skin and clothes, and non-greasy. Sawyer’s version works really well!

Open ##2669334
@Nemo@slrpnk.net 2026-05-18 18:09

I wear strap with a pad of citronella in it, that’s all. Never sprays.

Open ##2671250
@kindnesskills@literature.cafe 2026-05-18 18:11

Sunhat (wide brim that goes all the way around) with mosquito net atop it so the brim keeps the net away from the skin. A bit of hair in a flat bun under it, so theres a cm of distance between scalp and hat to avoid getting bit through the top. Or find a hat with bite-proof material (fishing, hiking and hunting stores most likely). Remaining hair in a low braid to keep the net from your neck even when bending over, and getting the hair out of the way. There are electric mosquito repellants I’ve been considering as a way to keep them away without putting anything on me, especially when as stationary as when weeding or with multiple people in a small area. After gardening, you can rinse your hair out with just water, to remove dirt and sweat. It’ll get rid of debris without affecting your washing schedule.

Open ##2671329
@Korhaka@sopuli.xyz 2026-05-18 21:07

Why use spray? I have a roll on insect repellent. Have been wondering about using some citronella lamps, not sure how effective they are though.

Open ##2674635
@wuphysics87@lemmy.ml 2026-05-19 04:02

Beekeeping suit

Open ##2682379
@agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 2026-05-19 04:22

I wore a bandana pirate-style But my hair was only shoulder length. I’d probably combine that with a bun.

Open ##2682530