Everyone loves swimming, but not when it means risking your hair getting damaged by the chlorine. And with summer right around the corner any advice on how to correct swimmer’s hair is appreciated.
“People always used to ask me if I got my hair lightened professionally and I would always tell them “No, I’m just in the pool a lot,”” said Logan Greer, a former member of the swim team.
Because of all the chemicals in the pool, people that regularly swim are more susceptible to their hair getting lighter and drying out quickly. There are tons of old home remedies for keeping your hair nice after a day in the water, but who knows if those really work?
For example, if you get your hair wet with regular water before getting it wet in chlorinated water, your hair will be protected from the harsh chemicals. Because your hair acts like a sponge, the first rinse with clean water will be soaked into your hair and won’t allow the chemically treated water to absorb into your follicles. However, I tried this a few times at my local pool and my hair still felt dry and crunchy after my swim!
Also, a lot of people think that wearing a swimming cap will protect their hair from the water, but they’re wrong. Another former swimmer, Julia Bosso, used to wear a cap but could still feel the damage: “I used to swim competitively so my my hair would be exposed to chlorine every single day. Even though I put my hair up in a swim cap that didn’t keep the damage away. I would always braid my hair too, before putting it in a cap to minimize the amount of hair that got pulled at or broken from having the cap on, but the chemicals would still get through eventually.”
The only tried and true treatment for pool hair is to wait it out. “After I stopped swimming my hair started getting back to normal naturally after a bit of time. You just have to be patient with it, but eventually the damaged parts all grow out,” Logan said.
But if you’re anything like me and can’t wait that long for your locks to grow out and be beautiful once again, there are some other options for keeping it tame in the mean time. There are tons of products out there that advertise for pool hair remedies, but you don’t need to waste your money on those.
The quickest solution to the problem is actually pretty easy. The first step is to make sure that you’re washing your hair immediately after swimming so you don’t let the chemicals have time to sink in and dry on your hair. Next, Julia suggests that “deep conditioner is your friend. Not only would I do a hair mask once a month, but I used leave-in conditioner almost everyday.” She also went on to tell me about wet brushes that can be super helpful if you’re on the go.
So, if you can manage being patient while your hair grows out and the damage eventually fades away then you’re set for a season of splashing in the pool. But if you’re a bit impatient, you might want to add deep conditioner and a wet brush to your summer shopping list.