PSA: Pool water is bad for your hair! Here are four tips to protect your tresses
We know this heat has been making you daydream of hitting the beach, but not everyone is lucky enough to make the trip. The next best thing is to jump into the cool blue waters… of a swimming pool!
However, this summer-perfect activity may turn out to be detrimental to your hair health. Chlorine damage is something to take seriously as it zaps out the moisture and the natural oils that prevent your mane from drying out and splitting. Moreover, the coloring and the chemicals found in pool water can cause light hair to discolor. So much for that platinum blonde you painstakingly bleached and toned! But we’ve got some tips up our sleeves to help prevent fugly pool hair.
Image via hairinmanila.wordpress.com
Put off major salon services until after pool season is over
Dye jobs, rebonding, and other chemical treatments make your hair more vulnerable to damage. The hair strands already become more brittle, dry, and porous, so we’re not going to sugar-coat it: Chlorine WILL make it worse.
Image via livestrong.com
Image via sciencefocus.com
The swimming cap is your best friend
Aside from keeping hair out of your eyes while doing your laps, the swimming cap serves as the much-needed barrier between hair and chlorinated pool water. Find one with a snug fit, but not something so tight that you start to feel lightheaded.
Start and end with washed hair
Those shower rooms/stalls are there for a reason! Aside from making sure you descend into the pool a little cleaner, the tap water will introduce moisture and get absorbed by the hair over the chlorine-treated water. It’s a sponge effect, so let hair soak up on the tap first to avoid soaking up on chlorine instead.
After the swim, rinse off the excess chlorine on the tap. Do not idle when your locks are on the line! The sooner you wash off those chemicals, the less damage they’ll make on your hair.
Shampoo, condition, and treat your hair
You’re going to need a lot of conditioners and damage-repair treatments if you’re planning on being a regular at the pool. Hair experts actually recommend applying conditioner before you dive in, as the product packs in moisture and helps prevent chlorine from penetrating your hair strands. After you swim, condition your hair again after shampooing or switch to a deep-conditioning hair mask for a stronger dose of moisture.
Have you already gone to the pool this summer? How did you deal with chlorine damage?
Sources: Go Ask Alice!, Today.com
Cover image via lifewithme.com
