Hair care for those who swim in the ocean /pool

[marla]

I am a beach person and spend a lot of time in and around the ocean. My hair is wavy/frizzy and after a day at the beach it is knotted, dried out and most likely broken off in parts. Does anyone have any tips for protecting your hair from the wind, sand, saltwater, etc? I have heard some people wet their hair first and coat with conditioner but I have also heard that can burn your scalp. What about braiding, does that help? Any advice appreciated.

[dearladydisdain]

I think the wetting hair and applying conditioner is a good idea. I don't see why it would burn your scalp :confused: It would also be good to braid your hair after you do this, too. :) I am not often at the beach but I always braid my hair when I go to the pool.

[OhioLisa]

I would coat with either conditioner or oil and then braid. Wash your hair as soon as you can after getting out of the ocean and you should be fine.

[ktani]

I am a beach person and spend a lot of time in and around the ocean. My hair is wavy/frizzy and after a day at the beach it is knotted, dried out and most likely broken off in parts. Does anyone have any tips for protecting your hair from the wind, sand, saltwater, etc? I have heard some people wet their hair first and coat with conditioner but I have also heard that can burn your scalp. What about braiding, does that help? Any advice appreciated.

I just did an Article on this subject, a little while ago, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=115

[InTheCity]

I am a beach person and spend a lot of time in and around the ocean. My hair is wavy/frizzy and after a day at the beach it is knotted, dried out and most likely broken off in parts.

This was a wonderful post topic but I just got the sinking scared feeling in my stomach... I am a beach addict and the nearest is about a 75 minute drive. DBF and I went at least 10 times last summer for the day and drove back home. That leaves over an hour before I can get in the shower! Yikes. Just last summer, I was one of those sillies who damage hair regularly and wondered why it didn't grow. Now that I'm working hard to keep it beautiful and grow it - I'm scared :confused:

Okay, not really scared, but this is a good darn point!

[Elphie]

Most beaches have shower heads that you can at least wash the saltwater off out of your hair before leaving. I'd just give it a good rinse and take care of it at home.

[Sissy]

I just did an Article on this subject, a little while ago, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=115

Ktani,

What you wrote is very interesting as I have wondered about this topic before as well. Would there be any negative affects to using club soda (i.e. is club soda drying to ones hair or will it change the color of ones hair?)

Would club soda rinse (followed up with coconut oil and hair washing) be better for one's hair than taking a shower directly after getting out of the pool and using Swimmer's Shampoo and Conditioner (such as Aubrey Organic Swimmer's Line)?

Thanks,
Sissy

[Sissy]

also, I have another question. This is a bit off the OT but I also love to swim and this seems to be the place to ask. Where I live there is a freshwater lake nearby. I love to go hiking and swimming there with my husband and dogs. Is there any need to use special swimmer's shampoos, club soda, etc after swimming in freshwater sources? Or is hair only damaged from swimming in chlorinated pools and saltwater sources?

[ktani]

Ktani,

What you wrote is very interesting as I have wondered about this topic before as well. Would there be any negative affects to using club soda (i.e. is club soda drying to ones hair or will it change the color of ones hair?)


Would club soda rinse (followed up with coconut oil and hair washing) be better for one's hair than taking a shower directly after getting out of the pool and using Swimmer's Shampoo and Conditioner (such as Aubrey Organic Swimmer's Line)?

Thanks,
Sissy

The club soda has a similar pH to most shampoos and conditioners but neutralizes the chlorine. It would IMO be the equivalent to using the products you mention and no, it should not alter natural hair colour. It is reported to remove the green cast to hair that swimming in chorine can as well as brassiness to hair cused by environmental factors.

[ktani]

also, I have another question. This is a bit off the OT but I also love to swim and this seems to be the place to ask. Where I live there is a freshwater lake nearby. I love to go hiking and swimming there with my husband and dogs. Is there any need to use special swimmer's shampoos, club soda, etc after swimming in freshwater sources? Or is hair only damaged from swimming in chlorinated pools and saltwater sources?

It would depend on the mineral content of the water you swim in. The club soda helps remove mineral build-up.

[ratgirldjh]

what i do before beach or pool or even any long term outdoor in the sun outing is to put coconut oil all over my hair. i use this as an excuse for a coconut oil soak!
when i get home i sometimes wash it out with soap or a poo bar - but i have been known to let it stay til the next day.
it definitely protects your hair! but beware - sand does stick to coconut oiled hair - LOL

[ratgirldjh]

also, I have another question. This is a bit off the OT but I also love to swim and this seems to be the place to ask. Where I live there is a freshwater lake nearby. I love to go hiking and swimming there with my husband and dogs. Is there any need to use special swimmer's shampoos, club soda, etc after swimming in freshwater sources? Or is hair only damaged from swimming in chlorinated pools and saltwater sources?


from what i have found - freshwater swimming (unless in a polluted lake or pond, etc.) is actually good for my hair. when i lived very near a lake and went swimming every day - i found that i could go WO much easier. actually salt water isn't too bad for my hair either!!! but my hair doesn't like chlorine very much :(

[marla]

what i do before beach or pool or even any long term outdoor in the sun outing is to put coconut oil all over my hair. i use this as an excuse for a coconut oil soak!
when i get home i sometimes wash it out with soap or a poo bar - but i have been known to let it stay til the next day.
it definitely protects your hair! but beware - sand does stick to coconut oiled hair - LOL

It seems to me that oil would burn the hair and the scalp, in the same way that the skin burns if you try to tan with baby oil?

[Cinnamon Hair]

The last time I was at a beach I wet my hair and put conditioner in it. Combed to detangle while still wet and then braided. Then I took the braid and twisted it to make a bun, secured with 3 medium size strong plastic claw clips around the outside of the bun. That thing held through some big waves. Every hour or so I would squeeze the water out with my hand and rewrap the bun if it was getting loose from the water weight. After swimming be sure to shampoo and condition. You don't want salt water or chlorinated water drying in your hair. :nono:

[angeldance]

When I go Scuba Diving I soak my hair in tap water, cover it in coconut oil, then I wear a hat with has a neoprene visor which has a cotton bandanna attached (made by Cherokee) its really good as your head doesn't get burnt and the visor keeps the sun out of your eyes when your in the water.

[Aditi]

If you can you can wear a swimming cap before going into water, that way your hair will stay protected from salt or chlorinated water.

[Gothic Lolita]

When I was still a competitive athlete I'd go swimming at least 4 times a week for a few hours in chlorinated water.
The swim cap never kept my hair dry, and it is beyond me how people manage this. All the cap gave me was a huge tangle attached to my head. But of course I had to wear it, it's necessary if you want to swim fast.

I never had a problem with chlrorine damage, but I rinsed my hair before I went in and also washed it gently but thoroughly after I got out and conditioned very well. I think it makes a huge difference when you wet your hair before you go in.
Applying the coconut oil also seems very nice! And when you wear a swim cap, your head won't cool out so much and the oil would even be more effiecient.

[LittleOrca]

After I swim and use a hair 'poo and conditioner on it to remove anything harmful to my hair in it, I do a 30 min CO soak and that seems to liven my hair back up. I suggest that! A nice CO soak and then a few CO washes to get the moisture back into your hair and keep it from being so dry.

[hairymonster]

This is what I do:

Before swimming I wet my hair thoroughly, then squeeze out the water and apply conditioner liberally from root to tip. Then I bun my hair and put on my lycra swimming cap. The lycra cap is not impermeable like the silicon cap but it keeps my bun intact and also helps prevent the conditioner from washing off during the swim. I don't like the silicon cap as it is very tight and gives me headaches, and water still gets in through the gaps near my ears. When I'm done with the cap I shower to make sure I'm completely soaked in tap water before jumping in. After swimming I shampoo and condition as usual as I do not have much time to deal with the conditioner soaking.

I still get some damage from the chlorine, but it's nothing compared to the damage I get when I jump in the pool without any wearing a cap at all - even wetting my hair with tap water beforehand didn't help much.

With the swimming cap, the amount of chlorine damage depends on the conditioner I use. Some work better than others. I used to get great results with a mixture of honey, castor oil and a light tea tree oil conditioner. Later I changed to a deep conditioning treatment wax which almost completely dissolved in the water by the time I finished swimming and left me with dry coarse hair every time.

Lately I have been using Alberto VO5 Deep Nourishing conditioner which gives pretty satisfactory results, so I'm sticking with it as I am almost constantly travelling and do not want to have to carry bottles of hair stuff (honey, oils etc) with me.

[Katze]

I swim twice a week at the moment in an indoor pool, and wear a (silicone) swim cap to keep my hair from tangling. I usually oil the night before, and swim with "dirty" hair, sometimes with some extra conditioner on the length under the cap. I wet my hair before putting the cap on - the cap does not keep water out, but I have heard that wet hair absorbs less chlorine - and just tuck all my hair up inside the cap.

The biggest issues for me are

1) Tangling - my hair is fine, and has such severe taper, that braiding (for example) causes it to knot up when I swim. I'd love to find a way around this for non-pool swimming, but so far it's either the silicone cap or loose.

2) Washing too much. My hair is fine and wavy and damaged at the ends, so I have to make sure it is as greasy as possible when I swim. I achieve this with lots of oiling/leave-ins the day before I swim. I also condition heavily after washing (see below)

3) Getting the chlorine out. I'm sort of blonde, and used to get green hair from pools, but also am just paranoid about having icky pool chemicals in my hair. So I almost always use a sulfate shampoo (Herbal Essences) after swimming. I usually CWC too, and sometimes use an SMT for the last "C".

So far my hair doesn't seem to be suffering that badly but only time will tell. As pregnant as I am, swimming is one of the few non-painful forms of exercise I can do at the moment, and I hope the benefits to body are not harming my hair too much!

Oh, and on the silicone cap: I have a huge head, and it still stretches to fit my head. Personally I *like* how it looks but understand that others don't. Still, I think it's worth it just for keeping hair contained and semi-protected...

[sandigirl]

I ponytail, twist up, and then fasten my hair to my head with a big barrette. I will wear a thin plastic shower cap over--especially careful to cover the nape of my neck if I am in the hot tub or pool.

[florenonite]

also, I have another question. This is a bit off the OT but I also love to swim and this seems to be the place to ask. Where I live there is a freshwater lake nearby. I love to go hiking and swimming there with my husband and dogs. Is there any need to use special swimmer's shampoos, club soda, etc after swimming in freshwater sources? Or is hair only damaged from swimming in chlorinated pools and saltwater sources?

I never wash my hair after swimming in a lake - in fact, I use the lake water for WO!


I am a beach person and spend a lot of time in and around the ocean. My hair is wavy/frizzy and after a day at the beach it is knotted, dried out and most likely broken off in parts. Does anyone have any tips for protecting your hair from the wind, sand, saltwater, etc? I have heard some people wet their hair first and coat with conditioner but I have also heard that can burn your scalp. What about braiding, does that help? Any advice appreciated.

DON'T put conditioner on your hair if you're going into the ocean! It's really bad for the environment, even biodegradable stuff is meant to be used at least fifty feet from a body of water.

Braiding definitely helps for me, and wetting it before going in, as that keeps it from absorbing the salt water.

[KC83]

I apply a mixture of rich conditioner or hair mask and coconut oil and braid my hair or put it in an up-do.

[KC83]

DON'T put conditioner on your hair if you're going into the ocean! It's really bad for the environment, even biodegradable stuff is meant to be used at least fifty feet from a body of water.


Thats why I keep it in an up-do and make sure it doesnt touch the water.

[rags]

I keep seeing to shampoo immediately and not let salt water dry in your hair. We will be going to the beach in a couple of months, and we typically spend all day at the beach. I go in and out of the water, my hair gets wet and dries several times in a day. We usually stay for a week and last year, I had to cut off 2" afterwards. I'm not willing to do that this time!

Would it be enough to take some bottled water with me and rinse my hair every time I get out of the water? (along with coconut oil perhaps?)

[florenonite]

Thats why I keep it in an up-do and make sure it doesnt touch the water.

If you keep it out of the water, why do you need to protect it at all?

[twilight]

It seems to me that oil would burn the hair and the scalp, in the same way that the skin burns if you try to tan with baby oil?

i have been wondering the same thing--i realize oil will not "burn" the hair, per se, but won't it intensify the effects of the sun, as it does on skin?

even if it does just a little bit, for people who are out in the sun/beach all the time, the cumulative effect could be lighter hair.

...not that being out in the sun won't give you lighter hair anyway (and at least oiled, it's protected from dryness)... ?

[kdaniels8811]

Ktani - you have such great information. Thank you for taking time to write the article, you answered yet another of my many questions. Club soda - who'd of thought?

[Sissy]

The club soda has a similar pH to most shampoos and conditioners but neutralizes the chlorine. It would IMO be the equivalent to using the products you mention and no, it should not alter natural hair colour. It is reported to remove the green cast to hair that swimming in chorine can as well as brassiness to hair cused by environmental factors.


It would depend on the mineral content of the water you swim in. The club soda helps remove mineral build-up.

Ktani,

Thanks so much for answering my questions. It is very helpful.

[Sissy]

from what i have found - freshwater swimming (unless in a polluted lake or pond, etc.) is actually good for my hair. when i lived very near a lake and went swimming every day - i found that i could go WO much easier. actually salt water isn't too bad for my hair either!!! but my hair doesn't like chlorine very much :(


I never wash my hair after swimming in a lake - in fact, I use the lake water for WO!.

Thanks to you both for the info on your hair and how it reacts to lake water. Interesting that you both have found lake water helpful for WO.

[ktani]

Ktani - you have such great information. Thank you for taking time to write the article, you answered yet another of my many questions. Club soda - who'd of thought?

You are most welcome! It was a surprise to me too but it is not new!

[ktani]

Ktani,

Thanks so much for answering my questions. It is very helpful.

You are most welome!

[ktani]

I keep seeing to shampoo immediately and not let salt water dry in your hair. We will be going to the beach in a couple of months, and we typically spend all day at the beach. I go in and out of the water, my hair gets wet and dries several times in a day. We usually stay for a week and last year, I had to cut off 2" afterwards. I'm not willing to do that this time!

Would it be enough to take some bottled water with me and rinse my hair every time I get out of the water? (along with coconut oil perhaps?)

I would rinse your hair with water, then club soda, then coconut oil, then in about an hour wash and condition.

[Silver Grace]

I live right by the beach and spend a LOT of time there! I oil my hair with coconut oil and braid it before swimming, and wear a sun hat when I'm not in the water. I shower when I'm home again and CWC. If I'm just going to have a quick swim, I don't oil my hair; just rinse the salt off afterwards and do a CO. Yes, this means my hair is wet a lot, but as long as I do regular oiling and slather on my beloved Strawberries and Cream conditioner, it seems to stay healthy and happy.

[allege]

Oh darn how I wish I had my old computer right now. Before it died I had an article I wrote on caring for your hair when you do a lot of swimming. It was wrote from the perspective of an ex competitive swimmer and someone who has had to try to save my sisters hair from swimming issues many times

[marla]

I would caution against putting oil on your hair before going out in the sun. I think it would fry your hair like it would fry your skin.

[ktani]

I would caution against putting oil on your hair before going out in the sun. I think it would fry your hair like it would fry your skin.

That depends on how you define fry, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=436855&postcount=262

If you look at actual frying temperatures, that is not possible without serious personal injury, but you risk skin cancer by sunning in any case.

[ktani]

This is a post I did last year on sun damage and hair, http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=996380&postcount=39

And two more, one here, http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=996388&postcount=40

and another here, http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=996408&postcount=41

[ilovelonghair]

I try not to get my hair wet when swiming in salt water, and otherwise I use oil/condishener and rinse it out immediately after swimming
I have noticed that after swimming in a tea tree lake and rinsing my hair only my hair will dry up being very soft and condishened.

[julya]

I like to go surfing a couple times a month and I just put my hair up in a bun. I don't prewet it or put in oils. I just try to wash or at least rinse it when I get home but the salt water has dried on there a few times. I haven't noticed any damage from it though.

[Friesiangirl]

I'm going to Florida very soon and I plan on keeping my hair up, oiled and out of the way 24/7.
I found a lot of this information enlightening, to say the least.

Hayley

[marla]

I like to go surfing a couple times a month and I just put my hair up in a bun. I don't prewet it or put in oils. I just try to wash or at least rinse it when I get home but the salt water has dried on there a few times. I haven't noticed any damage from it though.

Fellow surfer? Me too. My experience is that surfing can be a violent sport with wipeouts and the like so I like to keep the hair implements to a minimum. I don't want to lose them or get skewered by them.

[marla]

I have a couple questions regarding this club soda treatment:

1) Is it just a matter of rinsing your hair, pouring club soda on and then rinsing it out or do you need to leave it on for a while and scrub or something?

2) Does it have to retain its fizziness or is it OK to buy an economy size and just keep it to use as necessary?

[WritingPrincess]

What I usually do is soak it in tap water, then apply some conditioner or oil, braid or bun, and stuff under a swim cap. I can't swim with it in a plain braid, or I get the most horrible knots. The swim cap doesn't keep the water out, but it keeps the water from running through my hair repetitively and creating knots. The tap water, or so the theory goes, helps the hair to not absorb so much chlorine. I hope this helps!

[ktani]

I have a couple questions regarding this club soda treatment:

1) Is it just a matter of rinsing your hair, pouring club soda on and then rinsing it out or do you need to leave it on for a while and scrub or something?

2) Does it have to retain its fizziness or is it OK to buy an economy size and just keep it to use as necessary?

I somehow missed your post. Sorry about that.

You can leave the club soda rinse on your hair for a minute or two or rinse it off right away. Scrubbing has not been mentioned and I do not think that it is necessary. Getting it completely through the hair would be necessary. See what works best for you. I would leave it on for a bit of time.

It should keep in the fridge, tightly closed (a bottle) and retain its fizz for a good while. The suggested shelf life for an opened bottle is about 2 weeks.