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Quixii
March 25th, 2010, 01:10 AM
Hi all! :)
So my plan was to officially go sulfate and cone free when I finished the bottle of conditioner I was on (though I have been sulfate free for a couple months already). I finally got to the ends of it this week, and found some sulfate and cone free shampoo and conditioner.
However, we also started swimming in PE class. While I do wear my hair in a bun while in the pool, I'm concerned that a complete lack of cones with the addition of the highly chlorinated pool water may mean bad things for my hair. What do you think?

*Rose Red*
March 25th, 2010, 01:48 AM
I always put some coconut oil in my braid when I go for a swim, I think it protects my hair the same way as cones. Have you ever tried it?

Quixii
March 25th, 2010, 05:23 PM
I have not tried oiling at all. Wouldn't the school object to getting oil in the pool, though?

teela1978
March 25th, 2010, 05:51 PM
Just wet it in the shower before you get in, and wash it when you get out. It should be fine :)

ETA: a swim cap could be of use if you have one. if you're just swimming for a week or 2 in pe I wouldn't worry though

Anje
March 25th, 2010, 06:26 PM
I'm not sure that cones would help you with the pool, actually.

What you should do is wet it before swimming, wear a swim cap (I think Speedo makes some silicone caps that specifically accommodate long hair), and wash it after. You may not need cones or sulfates, but you may want to look for something to help chelate chlorine from your hair. EDTA is a chelator, but I don't know whether a non-swimmer's product has sufficient extra amounts to help with chlorine. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) might be a possibility, but again, I can't speak to it.

I did find this analysis of what's in Ultra Swim shampoo (http://yarchive.net/chem/shampoo.html). I don't know what authority the author is writing with, but it seems like a chemist's speculations. It could be a bit enlightening in what ingredients to look for.

nycstar
March 25th, 2010, 06:39 PM
Please excuse the ignorance.... what do you mean by "cones?"

Quixii
March 25th, 2010, 11:51 PM
Please excuse the ignorance.... what do you mean by "cones?"
Silicones, noted by their ending of -cone or -none in the ingredients list. They're often discussed on this forum, mentioned as things causing buildup and possibly not letting moisture get in your hair. Here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=13)'s one of the LHC articles about it.


So, as someone mentioned, it is only 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for three weeks. Is the over all consensus that my hair won't be that bad off from going cone-free, and bunning it in the pool? I really doing want to wear a swim cap.

teela1978
March 26th, 2010, 02:49 PM
So, as someone mentioned, it is only 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for three weeks. Is the over all consensus that my hair won't be that bad off from going cone-free, and bunning it in the pool? I really doing want to wear a swim cap.
I think you'll be fine. Definitely wet your hair (in the bun) before getting in though. Its much harder to get chlorine out if its soaked all the way in.

Carrie Ingalls
March 26th, 2010, 03:49 PM
I third the getting it wet (completely soaked) in the shower before getting in the pool. You also want to get it wet before putting on a swim cap, because, contrary to popular belief (at least from what I have encountered) they are really not intended to keep your hair dry.

I oil my hair when I swim, wet it and always wear a swim cap. The cap I use is spandex (the same stuff as a swimsuit), because I could not put a latex or silicone one on by my self and they seemed to be damaging my hair. :(

I think you should be fine without oiling if you wet it and I'd look into a swim cap, they don't cost too much.

Aevra
March 26th, 2010, 03:54 PM
I've had the same question for a while now...but my problem is that I don't use shampoo or conditioner on my hair, and very rarely do I to a water wash. I wash with water after I swim, but it feels like I haven't done anything to get the chlorine out. Is there anything that I can put on my hair to keep the chlorine from bonding to my hair? Or are there any swim caps that don't let water in?