What to do about Swimmers Hair
Swimming every day will give you a great body, but it will do a number on your hair! The chemicals in swimming pools strip your hair of its natural oils and cause split ends, frizz, and massive amounts of damage. So what can you do to keep your hair healthy?
Keep it dry
The first thing to do is to keep the chemicals from getting into the hair at all. If you aren’t going to be submerging your hair, you can tie it up in a bun on top of your head, which will keep it mostly dry. Otherwise, pop on a swimming cap.
Wet it beforehand
If you lack a swimming cap and want to actually swim, rather than wade, soak your hair in tap water beforehand. This will help to keep the chemicals out of the hair strand because the hair is already saturated with chemical-free water.
Wash it immediately afterward
You can get shampoos designed specifically for swimmers which will put a protective, waxy coat on your hair. Of course, eventually, this will cause annoying buildup. You can also get clarifying shampoos which will remove all buildup and chemicals from your hair, but these will also strip healthy oils. Regular shampoo will also take out chemicals. Whatever you use, get that chlorine out as quickly as possible!
Condition it
Use a conditioner after washing, and do a deep conditioning treatment once a week to help reverse some of the damage of the chemicals. You can also put some conditioner in before swimming to help protect your hair, but not too much or it will be bad for the pool water.
Use natural remedies
A vinegar rinse after shampooing will seal down the hair cuticle and restore the scalp to its healthy pH balance, which is extremely important since the scalp should be slightly acidic while chlorine bleach is basic. As an added bonus, your hair will be shiny and full of volume.
Keep it cut
Get your hair trimmed a bit more frequently during the summer. The chemicals help to cause split ends, and once you have split ends the chemicals will cause much more damage, much more quickly. It is better to go for a slightly shorter style and have healthy hair than to have to cut it all off because it got so damaged.
