remove chlorine with a CO wash?

[canary4624]

I'm going to a scuba-demonstration-thing tonight, which will be in a pool. I'm planning on soaking my hair with tap water before, as I read in some helpful threads on LHC :)

Here's the thing: I CO regularly and only clarify once every few weeks or so. I don't like the way my hair behaves after a shampoo, particularly after multiple shampoos in a row. And, I just did a clarifying shampoo a few days ago (bad planning :o ). Is it possible to remove chlorine and other pool chemicals with a vigorous CO, or am I asking for damage that way?

(I don't have a swim cap and doubt I could get one to stay on anyway.)

[HairColoredHair]

CO will probably be enough if this is a one time thing. Make sure to rinse thoroughly right after. :)

[magicatt]

Yes, it's possible. You need to use a conditioner with Disodium EDTA in it. It will chelate the chemicals out of your hair. I CO with Suave Naturals Toasted Vanilla after pool swimming because it has the Disodium EDTA and my hair is always left soft and clean of pool chemicals. It's a fairly common ingredient so check your conditioner to see if it has it. If not, Suave Naturals is cheap enough.

[canary4624]

Beautiful! I just happen to have some Suave naturals, which has disodium EDTA in it, so I'll use that. Thanks to both of you for the advice :happydance:

[RancheroTheBee]

Littleorca swims, as well. She might be able to give you some pointers.

[Katze]

I do get my hair wet before going in the chlorine, but usually do shampoo wash afterwards. A swim cap helps, IMO, in that your hair isn't floating and soaking in the chlorine, nor getting tangled, but I don't feel like it keeps chlorine water out of my hair at all. In fact when I am floating on my back I can hear water leaking into my silicone swim cap!

I think occasional swimming, followed by CO washing, especially with the EDTA, would fine.

Last weekend we were on a 'wellness' vacation and swimming in a chlorinated salt pool. I had heavily oiled my hair for the first swim, then shampooed, but not the next day. I put a bunch of leave-in (goth rosary) in it and continued my normal routine of oiling the length, Fox's shea butter, etc and my hair was totally fine, if a bit gunkier faster than normal...

I think you'll be OK. :)

[ktani]

I agree with magicatt. It depends on what is in the conditioner and the percentage of EDTA.

It should definitely help IMO.

Another option would be a pre treament prior to swimming, with argan oil. It chelates copper.

I recommend a swim cap, for extra protection, in any case, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=276153&postcount=2258.

[Finoriel]

Speaking as a technician who has to take care of a pool: Anyone who would try to step into my water, not showering and cleaning the important parts *ahem* and rinsing her/his hair to remove products, before coming near the pool, would not get the chance to put the second foot into it. :patrol: :wink:
Seriously, you have no idea how much work it is and how long it takes to get the water chemistry under control again and how annoying it is to clean off the greasy residues baked together with old skin flakes and hair from filters or pool-walls. Accidentally forgetting to take a shower before swimming is one thing, intentionally gunking up ones hair with oil or other products before swimming is another thing. You wanna swim in someone else's grease and product residues :eyebrows: really? It´s somehow ironic imo. On one hand everyone wants clean and hygienic water and would complain very loud about an oily water surface and grey marks on the pool walls and on the other hand finds it abslutely acceptable to swim in the water unwashed, slathered with sunscreen/body lotion or various hair-treatments. No offense, just my 2 :twocents: to think about it.

Not to mention that most things one can coat hair in are not that effective in keeping out the chlorinated water anyways.
Rinsing ones hair in fresh water before is not doing much to prevent chlorine penetration. That´s comparable with cooking spaghetti in water without salt, then putting them into a salted sauce for *insert time you´re swimming* and expecting them to not pick up the salt.
I use a silicone swim-cap in my size and my hair does not even get wet while swimming and I´m not talking about the kind of "head high above water level" swimming :wink:.

For those who avoid EDTAs, using a simple ascorbic acid (vitamin C) rinse after swimming and generously rinsing the hair with fresh water first, gets also rid of the pool chlorine.

[ktani]

Speaking as a technician who has to take care of a pool: Anyone who would try to step into my water, not showering and cleaning the important parts *ahem* and rinsing her/his hair to remove products, before coming near the pool, would not get the chance to put the second foot into it. :patrol: :wink:
Seriously, you have no idea how much work it is and how long it takes to get the water chemistry under control again and how annoying it is to clean off the greasy residues baked together with old skin flakes and hair from filters or pool-walls. Accidentally forgetting to take a shower before swimming is one thing, intentionally gunking up ones hair with oil or other products before swimming is another thing. You wanna swim in someone else's grease and product residues :eyebrows: really? It´s somehow ironic imo. On one hand everyone wants clean and hygienic water and would complain very loud about an oily water surface and grey marks on the pool walls and on the other hand finds it abslutely acceptable to swim in the water unwashed, slathered with sunscreen/body lotion or various hair-treatments. No offense, just my 2 :twocents: to think about it.

Not to mention that most things one can coat hair in are not that effective in keeping out the chlorinated water anyways.
Rinsing ones hair in fresh water before is not doing much to prevent chlorine penetration. That´s comparable with cooking spaghetti in water without salt, then putting them into a salted sauce for *insert time you´re swimming* and expecting them to not pick up the salt.
I use a silicone swim-cap in my size and my hair does not even get wet while swimming and I´m not talking about the kind of "head high above water level" swimming :wink:.

For those who avoid EDTAs, using a simple ascorbic acid (vitamin C) rinse after swimming and generously rinsing the hair with fresh water first, gets also rid of the pool chlorine.

I have heard the first part of your post stated before and I agree with it. I have not heard of the second part but great to know.

Would putting an oil on the hair that is most absorbed into it and covering that with a swim cap like the one you use, still potentially cause a problem? Or is any product still not advised? Also, are there not restrictions at some pools, requiring swim caps for long hair, to help avoid long hair clogging drains?

That is what I had in mind re the oil, although not properly clarified, not a heavy oiling. I should have been much more careful with my wording.

[Finoriel]

Only a very small part of the oil gets absorbed into the hair. Some oils more than others, but the lion´s share of the oil does not get absorbed. Oil molecules are not that tiny and hair in general is not that porous to be able to really take up much of it. A tiny amount of oil will not protect the hair from water by any means. A thick coating all over would possibly help some, but still be far from sealing the water out.
Wearing ones hair oiled under a swim cap, does not affect the pool-water - when there does not get water under the cap. Which would make the oil unnecessary in the first point :wink:.
If the cap leaks it either does not fit properly or does not get worn as it should (beyond the hairline :p I mean with the rim on "unhairy skin"). Water which can leak through to the hair will also leak back into the pool water. More an open border than a one way road. So, no that won´t solve the problem for good.

Rinsing out the chlorine afterwards or wearing a proper not leaking swim cap are the most effective solutions I know.
If you´re not swimming daily or have very damaged hair to begin with or health issues like an allergy, some occasional chlorine won´t ruin ones hair/skin anyways :wink:.

[ktani]

Only a very small part of the oil gets absorbed into the hair. Some oils more than others, but the lion´s share of the oil does not get absorbed. Oil molecules are not that tiny and hair in general is not that porous to be able to really take up much of it. A tiny amount of oil will not protect the hair from water by any means. A thick coating all over would possibly help some, but still be far from sealing the water out.
Wearing ones hair oiled under a swim cap, does not affect the pool-water - when there does not get water under the cap. Which would make the oil unnecessary in the first point :wink:.
If the cap leaks it either does not fit properly or does not get worn as it should (beyond the hairline :p I mean with the rim on "unhairy skin"). Water which can leak through to the hair will also leak back into the pool water. More an open border than a one way road. So, no that won´t solve the problem for good.

Rinsing out the chlorine afterwards or wearing a proper not leaking swim cap are the most effective solutions I know.
If you´re not swimming daily or have very damaged hair to begin with or health issues like an allergy, some occasional chlorine won´t ruin ones hair/skin anyways :wink:.

Thank you. Oils in general only coat the hair, agreed. Some can be absorbed but how much is the key question here and what I was thinking about was not sealing the hair.

I agree about the swim cap usage too. Water in water out, so there would still be a risk of water "contamination" from any oil not absorbed.

I corrected my previous recommendation, in the peroxide thread, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=471420&postcount=499.

[amiaow]

I swim as well and just give my hair a good rinse afterwards. I haven't found that it causes me any problems! I usually rinse out with conditioner. I recently purchased a swimmers shampoo but haven't really found that this is any more effective after a swim than the conditioner rinse.

[ktani]

I just completed and posted this in the peroxide thread, on swimming and hair.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=472884&postcount=505