Hair ethics

I am a certified Massage Therapist and been doing this for about two years now.  I had no problems there, until my boss confronted me about my hairstyle (straightback braids). I understand that hairstyle is not ethical in certain work environments, but I sweat all day because massage is a physical job to do. I refuse to wash my hair everyday. She insists that I remove my braids and look for a professional look. At first I thought she was discriminating, but then again I realized that she may be right. Oh yeah, she's white LOL. What protective hair styles would you guys recommend? I would do a weave, but I can't because it gets in the way of the service. Did you guys ever go through something similar??