Products to protect hair from the swimming pool chlorine

Although many people don’t agree with the Oscar they gave to the movie “The Shape of Water,” I loved it.

Maybe its because some of the scenes of the movie made me remember how I feel every time I practice my favorite sport: swimming.

 

 There is only one aspect that I really worry about when I enjoy each dive in the pool: my hair.  

Because even though you don’t believe it, chlorine turns into enemy number 1 for my hair.

 

I’ve been swimming for a long time. To be exact, I think I started with my first kicks in the water when I was five years old.

Since then, I never stopped. Because when I’m in the water, I’m in my element. I can float free of worries.

 

There I am, standing in front of the pool, I bend my knees, prepare my arms and head, and the world stops until the water comes into contact with my body.

It’s as if my whole body wakes up when I dive. It doesn’t matter what style of swimming my trainer wants me to practice that day. I’m an aerodynamic and forceful line, completely ready to execute the best crawl of my life.

 

 But my hair pays too high a price for the swimming medals that I have accumulated in my room. 

My trainer doesn’t understand anything about hair beauty, so I never got any advice from her on this aspect.

Until one day in the changing room, I saw how one of my teammates pulled out various hair products from her bag.

 

When I asked, she looked at me as if she was looking at an alien or at the main character from “The Shape of Water.”

She couldn’t believe that after so many hours of swimming in water full of chlorine that I wouldn’t take measures to protect my hair from its effects.

And that’s where an experienced swimmer like myself found out that there are products that can protect the hair from chlorine.

And also that there are products specifically made to protect the hair before swimming and others to use after getting out of the pool. 

Do you consider yourself a decedent of mermaids like I do?

 

Then you should put your hair in quarantine right now and start to use these products to protect your hair form the damage produced by chlorine.

That’s why, today I will tell you:

 

 

3 must-have products to prevent the chlorine from ruining your hair

It doesn’t matter what your favorite style of swimming is. Be it crawl, breast, or butterfly, you will need to apply products to your hair that protect it before putting on your swim cap.

 

It’s not a matter of declaring war against chlorine, since that’s what eliminates all types of bacteria that can cause serious infections in people like us that spend so much time in the water.

 However, its effects on the hair are devastating, even if you use a swim cap.  

 

Because chlorine eliminates the natural oils of the hair, which causes dehydration. And dehydrated hair, is prone to breakage and frizz. And don’t even start about split ends, which are practically insurmountable.

Are you blonde and you notice that your hair is turning green after swimming for a long time?

 

The green color comes from rusted heavy metals, primarily copper, that are introduced in the cracks in the cuticle of the hair. When the cuticle of the hair is damaged, the heavy metals find more places to enter, decoloring the hair.

Is there a solution for this?

 

Yes, shampoos specificallt designed for swimmers.

Do you want to know what they are? I will tell you when I finish talking about what the  best are for protecting your hair before starting to swim.

 

Hair serum

This product is always in my swimming bag.

Before going into the pool, I wet my hair with tap water and apply a few drops of this oil in my hair, distributing it smoothly from the roots to the ends.

Why do I wet my hair with tap water?

 

Because when my hair is saturated, very little chlorine can enter the stalk. Imagine for a moment that the cuticles of your hair act like a sponge. If they are full of clean water, it will be more difficult for the water from the pool to penetrate and inflict damages.

 This product acts as a barrier, to stop the chlorine from penetrating the cuticles of my hair, so my hair doesn’t suffer damage from the chemicals. 

 

Since I started using it, I’ve noticed that in addition to my hair being shinier, the frizz has noticeably decreased.

Do you notice that after washing your hair, it feels rough and dry as if it were straw?

 

I got rid of that sensation forever thanks to this oil, because when I take off my swim cap, my hair feels soft, even though I’ve been practicing for two hours.

 

If you want to protect your hair, use a good quality swim cap

Speaking of swim caps, in all my years as a swimmer, I’ve used dozens of brands.

But since I started caring about the health of my hair, this swim cap has been essential for me.

 

 Since before I put on the swim cap, I apply the oil that I recommended before, using this cap is a pleasure.  

The cap slides easily over my hair, completely covering each piece of hair.

It’s stays in place well, which allows me to practice perfectly all the styles of swimming with complete freedom.

Do you have greasy hair?

 

My teammate does too.

That’s why, instead of using the product that I recommended before, ideal for dry and normal hair, she uses a leave-in conditioner.

 

Leave-in conditioner for swimmers with greasy hair

This product has the advantage of hydrating the hair without leaving greasy residue and acting as an excellent barrier against the aggressive chlorine.

 

My teammate, just like me, wet her hair and distributed the conditioner from the middle to the ends.

 Since she found this product, because others left her hair too greasy, her hair had natural moisture and when it dried, it didn’t end up flat.  

 

Now, what should you do immediately with your hair when you get out of the pool and head to the dressing room?

You should wash it immediately!

 

With what product?

With the ones I’ll tell you about here.

 

What products to use to wash your hair after swimming

Both my friend and I use this shampoo specifically designed for swimmers.

 

The truth is I tried other shampoos but this never fails. And if that weren’t enough, you can also buy the conditioner.

 The shampoo eliminates the chlorine residues completely, while the conditioner leaves my hair soft and newly hydrated.  

 

Also, it’s pretty cheap and the bottles come in small enough sizes to easily store it in your swim bag or backpack.

In the case of my friend, she’s blonde, thanks to this product, she eliminated that green that took over her hair every time she got out of the pool.

Thanks to these products, now I can fully enjoy my swimming lessons without thinking or worrying about the damage to my hair.

I submerge myself, I dive in, and I simply let go to the feeling of floating into space.

Without worries, without limits. Because now, I know how to care for my hair so that the chlorine doesn’t ruin it.

 

Are you an avid swimmer? How do you protect your hair from the damages of chlorine?