Swimming and Your Hair

[Windsy]

I have been swimming in a pool (doing water aerobics). I usually wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner after every swim and on the weekend I clarify with diluted clarifying poo. I haven't seen any adverse reaction yet, like breaking or drying. I don't wear a swim cap because no matter how tight or what type I use, my hair is always soaked.


Am I doing enough?

 

[ladylibra]

i don't bother with swimcaps either. i do wet my hair before getting in the pool and then coat it with a cheapie conditioner... this way i feel it doesn't soak up a lot of the chlorinated pool water.

 

[Windsy]

i don't bother with swimcaps either. i do wet my hair before getting in the pool and then coat it with a cheapie conditioner... this way i feel it doesn't soak up a lot of the chlorinated pool water.

Do you see any dryness or breakage?

 

[AfroKink]

when I was in swimming lessons, I would soak my hair in leave-in conditioner before going in the pool, for the same reason as ladylibra. When I got out, I would use Aubrey's Swimmer Shampoo to get the chlorine out, followed by Brocato's moisture intensive treatment. No abnormal dryness or breakage resulted.

Lys

 

[ladylibra]

Do you see any dryness or breakage?

nope. i also did this back in high school when i had a relaxer... we had to swim for 6 weeks in gym class. got the tip from another black girl who was on the swim team and she had gorgeous hair so i figured she probably knew what she was talking about.

 

[Windsy]

Thanks for the tips ladies. Really appreciated!!!

 

[Pheonixx]

when I was in swimming lessons, I would soak my hair in leave-in conditioner before going in the pool, for the same reason as ladylibra. When I got out, I would use Aubrey's Swimmer Shampoo to get the chlorine out, followed by Brocato's moisture intensive treatment. No abnormal dryness or breakage resulted.

Lys

This is what I'd always been told to do if I was gonna swim in chlorinated water. Apply leave-in and give a good wash as soon as possible afterwards.
I don't swim too often though...

 

[HappyHairDreams]

I have been swimming in a pool (doing water aerobics). I usually wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner after every swim and on the weekend I clarify with diluted clarifying poo. I haven't seen any adverse reaction yet, like breaking or drying. I don't wear a swim cap because no matter how tight or what type I use, my hair is always soaked.


Am I doing enough?

I took swimming in the dead of winter in college and I washed everyday and didn't have any problem. (I was very surprised) I did however use a swimming cap. How effective it was depended on how well i put it on that particular day.

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

Swim caps don't really work, what I do it wet my hair w/ water (before I get in the pool), then I coat it with some conditioner and pin it up. Then I wash with a diluted SLS free shampoo...

 

[Reinventing21]

Hi all! I love water aerobics as well, and I am taking a class. I use two regular condition caps, and then tie my cheap black satin scarf around my head to hide(for the most part anyway) the caps. My hair never gets wet, and I am one that could never use swim caps. HTH!

 

[rosie]

Okay, I have a question about putting conditioner in the hair before swimming. Actually, I have a few questions:

1. If you wet your hair and saturate it with conditioner, then won't the conditioner wash out when you get in the water? I mean, won't the water be all white with conditioner residue when you get in?
2. I have two daughters who are swimming this summer. I will not be with them when they swim. I also, cannot depend on them to do the wet hair/condish routine. Will it help to saturate the hair with conditioner in the morning before they leave the house around 7 am? They won't swim until 1 pm.

TIA

 

[ladylibra]

Okay, I have a question about putting conditioner in the hair before swimming. Actually, I have a few questions:

1. If you wet your hair and saturate it with conditioner, then won't the conditioner wash out when you get in the water? I mean, won't the water be all white with conditioner residue when you get in?
2. I have two daughters who are swimming this summer. I will not be with them when they swim. I also, cannot depend on them to do the wet hair/condish routine. Will it help to saturate the hair with conditioner in the morning before they leave the house around 7 am? They won't swim until 1 pm.

TIA

1) if you get in the water with dry hair, your hair will soak up chlorinated water. if you wet your hair and then coat it with conditioner, it won't be so eager to soak up the chlorinated water. what i do is wet my hair, slather on conditioner, squeeze everything out (like your wringing a towel, but not as roughly since it's your hair) and then go swim. you're not gonna get that much conditioner in the pool, no one will notice. if you're gonna be swimming for a prolonged amount of time, i guess you could always re-apply like you do with sunscreen.

2) i don't think it would hurt. in the summer i co-wash almost every day and instead of rinsing i just squeeze the majority of the conditioner out of my hair. this way i don't have to use a leave-in. it would still leave coating on their hair, so i'd say it's still better than not doing anything.

 

[Cholet112]

I was on the swimming team for a number of years and wetting the hair and applying conditioiner saved my hair. Swimming caps aren't meant to stop your hair from getting wet they are so swimmer can move through the water easily as this reduces drag in the water caused by loose hair. But they do cut down on the potential harmfulness of the chlorine better than wet/conditioning alone. Just my nickel.

 

[Fine 4s]

During my teen years and permed days, I was told to put a conditioner on my hair before going swimming. The most horrific experience happened to me as a result of doing so.

This was at sleep away camp and I didn't live in the US at that time.

So here I go trying to look cute. Before going into the pool, we were hosed down and lord have mercy when that water hit my hair and those suds came out I was so embarrassed. All the lil' white kids were like "what is that?" or "ewww..." Apparently, my condish wasn't good for the pool

 

[ladylibra]

During my teen years and permed days, I was told to put a conditioner on my hair before going swimming. The most horrific experience happened to me as a result of doing so.

This was at sleep away camp and I didn't live in the US at that time.

So here I go trying to look cute. Before going into the pool, we were hosed down and lord have mercy when that water hit my hair and those suds came out I was so embarrassed. All the lil' white kids were like "what is that?" or "ewww..." Apparently, my condish wasn't good for the pool

i'm confused... why were you hosed down? instead of showering i assume? erplexed

 

[gymfreak336]

I put conditioner on my hair before going into the pool. I also use a chelating shampoo to remove chlorine and condition with a super emollient cream

 

[Napp]

i usually wear cornrow when i go swimming which isnt often but i found a community pool near by so i would like to go a few times in the summer. how can you wash out the chlorine from braids. i dont think i would ever bother to go swimming w/ loose hair

 

[Fine 4s]

i'm confused... why were you hosed down? instead of showering i assume? erplexed

That's what they did in camp. Before anyone could get in the pool, a counselor hosed us all down from head to toe....and when my turn came up...mad suds.

 

[Covergirl5906]

Hi all! I love water aerobics as well, and I am taking a class. I use two regular condition caps, and then tie my cheap black satin scarf around my head to hide(for the most part anyway) the caps. My hair never gets wet, and I am one that could never use swim caps. HTH!

yes that works for me as well when I do water aerobics...my hair doesn't get wet...

 

[FemmeCreole]

to me all that takes away from the fun of swimming

anyways I grew up in the islands and I was a water baby....always in the ocean, river or pool. I never applied anything to my hair before and I always would dive under water.....I'd just wash my hair afterwards and that was that. My hair didn't suffer at all

 

[kittie43]

I am currently taking a swimming class and I have just been washing my hair with aloe rid first and then I washed with con shampoo and conditioned. My hair seems to be doing okay, but does anyone know of a chelating shampoo that will get the chlorine out that does not contain sls?

 

[Riverwalk]

bumping

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I use the swim cap to keep my hair in place... soaking the hair with water before getting in and coating with conditioner is about the best thing you can do. I think the swim cap offers some protection if you are going to be diving and splashing around a lot.

 

[Cholet112]

I am currently taking a swimming class and I have just been washing my hair with aloe rid first and then I washed with con shampoo and conditioned. My hair seems to be doing okay, but does anyone know of a chelating shampoo that will get the chlorine out that does not contain sls?

Ion makes a great shampoo for swimmers. I would follow with a moisturizing shampoo after though.

 

[rosie]

During my teen years and permed days, I was told to put a conditioner on my hair before going swimming. The most horrific experience happened to me as a result of doing so.

This was at sleep away camp and I didn't live in the US at that time.

So here I go trying to look cute. Before going into the pool, we were hosed down and lord have mercy when that water hit my hair and those suds came out I was so embarrassed. All the lil' white kids were like "what is that?" or "ewww..." Apparently, my condish wasn't good for the pool

See this is what I was asking about?

Okay, I have a question about putting conditioner in the hair before swimming. Actually, I have a few questions:

1. If you wet your hair and saturate it with conditioner, then won't the conditioner wash out when you get in the water? I mean, won't the water be all white with conditioner residue when you get in?

TIA

I can see my kids coming home crying about the other kids laughing at the suds (white residue) coming from their hair when they jumped in the pool.

 

[rosie]

to me all that takes away from the fun of swimming

anyways I grew up in the islands and I was a water baby....always in the ocean, river or pool. I never applied anything to my hair before and I always would dive under water.....I'd just wash my hair afterwards and that was that. My hair didn't suffer at all

You know, you are right. I swam all the time when I was younger. I only suffered when I had the dreaded Vigorol in my hair.

I think conditioner in the morning before we leave the house and the rinse/wash out after swimming will be enough.

 

[michaela]

Bump......

 

[DarkVictory]

I was on the swimming team for a number of years and wetting the hair and applying conditioiner saved my hair. Swimming caps aren't meant to stop your hair from getting wet they are so swimmer can move through the water easily as this reduces drag in the water caused by loose hair. But they do cut down on the potential harmfulness of the chlorine better than wet/conditioning alone. Just my nickel.

Agree with the bolded. Also cuts way down on post-swim detangling.

 

[PassionFruit]

Im going to be doing a lot of swimming in the net few weeks... when I did the water aerobics classes in the past I washed daily. but that was before LHCF and Im now pretty scared to wash my hair with SHAMPOO that much....

my plan is to soak my hair with water and then apply leave in conditioner before I get in pool... but now Im wondering when I get out?? should I use a moisture shampoo or clarifying or chelating one?? Im thinking I need something to combat the chlorine.... or do you think I should just co-wash daily and maybe add some baking soda to my cheapie conditioner to clarify...


Im also worried about the ph factore.... maybe co-wash with something with low ph like Nexxus Ensure