Swimmers don’t have to have blonde streaks by default! By taking steps to prevent absorption of chlorine before swimming you can prevent your hair from becoming bleached and damaged – or worse, green.
Why Does Swimming in Swimming Pools Damage Hair?
Most swimming pools use chlorine, a harsh bleach, to sanitise the water. Many geographical locations have particularly “hard” water, which contains small amounts of metals such as copper and manganese. Even regular water contains trace amounts of these metals. Chlorine reacts with the metals to cause oxidisation, which turns the metals green (just as oxidisation caused the Statue of Liberty to turn green). Exposure to these oxidised metals can cause a greenish tinge to hair. What’s more, hair coloured with dyes containing metal salts can react to the chlorine, also causing a greenish tint. Chlorine also bleaches hair, particularly in combination with sunlight at outdoor pools.
Soaking Hair Before Swimming
The quickest way to guard against chlorine damage is to thoroughly soak your hair in fresh water before swimming. The water will saturate your hair and swell each strand, preventing it thirstily soaking up the chlorine-laden water. This method is not ideal, especially if you will be swimming for an extended period of time or hopping in and out of the water; but it is quick and requires no special ingredients.
Oiling Hair Before Swimming
Oil keeps out chlorinated water more effectively than fresh water. Use a light coating of hair oil on wet hair or a slightly heavier coating on dry hair. You don’t want to leave oil slicks all over the surface of the pool; just coat your hair with a thin barrier between it and pool chemicals. A very small amount of leave-in conditioner does the same job.
Wearing a Swimming Cap
Swimming caps don’t always keep hair bone dry, but they do help. Soak and/or oil your hair before putting the swimming cap on – it seems counterintuitive, but it’s a double layer of protection.
Washing Hair After Swimming
Swimmers will rarely be able to prevent a little chlorine from coming in contact with their hair. After swimming, wash the chlorine away. Plain water will do in a pinch, but a clarifying shampoo is best for removing chemical buildup. To avoid stripping the hair, don’t clarify every day; but after occasional swims or a week of solid swimming it may be a good idea. If you don’t have a clarifying shampoo, a teaspoon or so of baking soda mixed into regular shampoo will do the trick. Follow with a vinegar rinse to restore the pH balance of your hair.
Using a moisturising conditioner is also a good idea, as chlorine tends to dry hair out.
Keeping Hair Out of the Pool
The most obvious solution is to keep your head above water! If you don’t plan to put your head under in the pool, wear a high ponytail or bun and prevent chlorine from touching your hair in the first place.
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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