Maybe this a dumb question...

[wahmof9]

but I'll ask anyway. My hair has been great...
I went swimming yesterday in a pool and even though I rinsed my hair, today it is yucky and dry and I noticed a few small split ends. Can swimming ONCE do damage like that????

Any advice?

[SHELIAANN1969]

Chlorine is hideous for hair, yikeys. Maybe the dryness from the chlorine made any splits you had more noticeable? I would make sure to condition it afterwards if you swim again in the near future.

:grouphug: I am sorry your hair feels yucky.

[bunnii]

I don't swim anymore, but i've read that people here use coconut oil to stop the water making their hair icky. I think that maybe you can see the splits frim the chlorine drying your hair like SHELIAANN1969 said :).

[Zéphine]

I don't know if one swim can cause lasting damage, but I had a similar experience recently. My hair looked wretched after a swim and rinse, but once I shampooed and conditioned, it went back to normal.

[Heidi_234]

Did you just rinsed it with water? It might not be enough. Did you used shampoo? With the chlorine it might stripped your hair. Did you used conditioner? If it doesn't contain EDTA it might not be as effective against chlorine. Did you soaked your hair with tap water/herbal infusion/conditioner prior going inside the pool? If not, your hair soaked even more chlorine than you'd like. Did you wore a swim cap? Not every swimcap protects your hair, but some do save your hair, letting less chlorine leak in.
If you didn't prevent chlorine to contact your hair, and then did get it out complete, I think that it can make your hair feel bad, as chlorine crystallized in your hair and roughens the cuticles.
HTH :flower:

[adiapalic]

I coat my hair with coconut oil. It helps mine from getting sticky-dry.

[rogue_psyche]

My hair hates chlorine. If I go swimming it takes a few days for my hair to behave again. I lost a lot of thickness while I was on the swim team back in high school. I think my hair fares better when its not dyed, though.

Swimming with oily hair, whether it is your own oil or oil that you add really seems to help. After swimming make sure to moisturize really well!

[wahmof9]

Thanks for all the great input so off to wash, SMT and baby my hair....will report back later....

[prettigurl]

Chlorine is pretty harsh on hair. Maybe you can try swimmers shampoo and afterwards deep condition it for about 20 mins. I have been avoiding the swimming pool this summer because I'm scared one swim will ruin my hair. I get relaxers so chlorine and my hair don't mix.

[Fiferstone]

I second the recommendation to slather the coconut oil on your hair (length and canopy) to protect it from the harsh effect of chlorine, and then once you get home, straight in the bath/shower, with your usual cleansing routine - treat a swimming day like a wash day, it works for me :).

[wahmof9]

My hair is much happier after a SMT that I kept on for over 1 hour! Thanks for all your help! :)

[cheshire90]

Yes, that's the effect of chlorine

[julierockhead]

A good chelating shampoo can get chlorine out, and it's useful if you have hard water too - minerals can build up in the hair from your local water.

Oil well before getting in the pool!

[MusingFrog]

Try to wet your hair in the showers before you go in so your hair gets at least somewhat saturated with regular water. Then apply some conditioner or oil. Rinse well, shampoo, and apply lots of conditioner (I'll often even apply it to my scalp if I've been swimming). I did this while at a beach where I was in ocean water and pool water all day every day for a week. No damage to my hair at the end, though it did get kinda funky every once in awhile.

[Kelikea]

My hair turned green once from a swim in a pool. It looked like I took a green marker and colored highlights in it. From one swim! If the chemicals or PH is off, the chlorine and metals in the water can stick to your hair. Try to find a chelating or swimmers shampoo. Next time, coat your hair with water and conditioner or oil it before swimming.