Taking a Trip to the Hot springs

[Aevra]

Okay, so my boyfriend and I are planning a weekend trip to one of the many hot springs here in Colorado and I had a few questions for you guys about my hair and my hair care while we are there.

So, when I"m swimming I love to put my head in the water, I probably should have been born a fish, and well, at the moment my hair is long enough that if I go into the water the there is no doubt that it will get wet even if I don't go under. I was wondering what treatment I should do or if there is anything I should do to protect my hair before I go into the water.

Another question, though it should have been first, would be: Are the hot springs damaging to hair? The ones that I want to go to both don't add anything to their water since all of the natural minerals do the same thing that chemicals do. Would the water damage my hair if I were to just leave it long and not do anything to it?

So yeah...those are my questions for now about this. I looked it up but couldn't find any other threads about this topic, so I"m sorry if there are others. >.<

[atlantaz3]

Not an expert but I don't see how the minerals in the water could hurt hair. I don't think the concentration would be high enough. I'm part fish also! Two suggestions coat up with oil or conditioner prior to going in - or aloe for a sunscreen effect.

[Aevra]

Nifty, thank you. The BF is gunna' look at me funny when he sees me put olive oil in my hair. XDDD

It should be interesting.

[andrea1982]

I go to natural hotsprings too, and never noticed any adverse effect on my hair. Maybe use a chelating shampoo when you get back?

[Aevra]

I go to natural hotsprings too, and never noticed any adverse effect on my hair. Maybe use a chelating shampoo when you get back?

That might work, 'cept I've been in a middle ground between sebum only and water only since November.

[GeoJ]

Maybe you could try an ACV or similar acidic rinse afterwards, if you want to avoid shampoo.

[Aevra]

That might work. ^_^ Nifty. Thank you.

[BrightEyes7]

Wet your hair and put leave-in conditioner or oil in before. That way anything in the water can't penitrate your hair. I don't think it would harm your hair. Maybe cause some build up. I second the ACV rinse.

[Roseate]

Here's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17738) a thread I started a couple years back on this topic; there are links to some other threads about it in there.

I think it depends on the hot spring, the one I went to at that time made my hair quite crunchy afterwards, but others I've been to since have actually had a positive effect on my hair. The crunchiness was easily reversible with a wash and a DT afterwards; it didn't cause any lasting damage.

(Oh, I see you are WO- that's another question. Sorry, I am no help.)

[Lunnafindel]

A month ago I went to the Blue Lagoon - it's a really touristy (overpriced and overmanaged) hotspring in Iceland - and they had basins all around the pools with white silica to rub on your skin. We (my mom and sister and I) saw lots of people rubbing it in their hair, and, being the monkeys that we are, we did too.
IT WAS HORRIBLE. I have never seen my hair in such bad shape. When I got home it was dry and tangled and so brittle I was worried it would break and fall off at any moment. Even with repeated conditionings (not even thinking of washing it out) and literally pouring oil onto it, it took about a week for my hair to forgive me. (it did eventually though, thank god)
Moral of the story: If they offer silica, don't put it on your hair. If the hotsprings have the same kind of black volcanic stone and milky blue water that react to make the silica, be careful. But maybe that's just in Iceland and you're ok.
I agree with the Condition before - I don't know how strict your WO routine is, but maybe you could make an exception? I think it's important to protect your hair, and if you want to put your head under, that's really the only option.
Oh, and have fun! A romantic hotspring trip...I'm so jealous.

[Madame J]

What about club soda for chelating, a la Ktani's swimming article? That's like water, right? I've done club soda followed by a water wash after swimming with no adverse effects.

[walterSCAN]

Heh, the only thing I would worry about with leaving your hair long (I'm assuming you mean loose by this) is tangles! My hair would be/ has been a rat's nest if I left it loose to swim... As in, I once used an entire bottle of cone-y conditioner to detangle and I still ended up breaking a lot of hairs after swimming in a pond without thinking. It took 2 hours to get a comb to run through it. ><

SO, if it were me, I would braid it, but I'm guessing your hair doesn't tangle nearly as badly as mine considering it's M/C.

[Aevra]

Oh so much great advise!

walterSCAN I don't think that my hair tangles too much after a dip...last time I went swimming my hair was a nest, but after letting it dry, I combed it out and it worked pretty well.

Lunnafindel The hot springs here are full of sulfur (or thats what I gather from the smell -I actually like it-) I'm not too strict about it, I shampoo and conditon when I feel a lot of buildup or grease.
Aw, don't be jealous! I'm sure you can find one near where you live...I have to drive 4 hours to get to the ones that I want in Steamboat. (It's so pretty there!)

Roseate Oh, lots of info! Thank you very much!

BrightEyes7 ACV rinse seems like a popular suggestion. I think I'll do that after we get home, I"m sure my hair will still be wet, and so a shower won't hurt anything >.<


Madame J What is chelating?

[Flynn]

I went to natural hot springs in Japan. (Well, the water was from natural springs... the baths had been built by people...) I did get my hair wet. It felt a little dry afterward, but it was nothing that one conditioning didn't fix. I didn't even have vinegar or oil to put in it, and didn't need it anyway. While every spring is different, I wouldn't worry about any lasting problems.

Before you get in with your hair all free-flowing, do check how the water is removed from the bath/spring. If it's pumped out, rather than just flowing out, please put your hair up. There have been too many people trapped by their hair by pumps in spas and the like.

[Aevra]

Ah, the one that I really want to go to just lets the water flow over the edge of the pool into the river below. The Hot Springs are mostly natural pools...with a little man power they got the water to overflow the sides and fall out, so no pumps for me.

Tieing up my hair? T_T If I must. I suppose it's for the best though, Don't want any unnecessary damage.

[countryhopper]

well, I remember reading on another thread of someone doing sulfur treatments for... I forgot :( . Maybe the scalp for growth? Hmmm..... Anyhow, from that little bit of info I'd say that those hot springs may actually be GOOD for your hair! I don't see why you couldn't just do a plain water rinse when you get home. Or maybe just let the sulfur/mineral water stay on there for a few days! I guess it all depends how clean the water is... I've been to some hot springs before where they pipe the water in pools and the ones nearest (and hottest) to the fresh water that comes in is the cleanest. It progressively gets dirtier in the pools farther away where they offer the clay for you to rub all over yourself. Kind of like swimming in mud!

So I'd probably leave my hair soak up the minerals but keep it out of the mud water so it wouldn't get dried out :D

[Aevra]

Mmmm, mud water, that would be delicious to swim in. Like I said before, I should have been born a fish, sometimes I accidentally swallow the water...SOOOO yummy![sarcasm there] hehe.

[Flynn]

Ah, the one that I really want to go to just lets the water flow over the edge of the pool into the river below. The Hot Springs are mostly natural pools...with a little man power they got the water to overflow the sides and fall out, so no pumps for me.

Tieing up my hair? T_T If I must. I suppose it's for the best though, Don't want any unnecessary damage.

Nonono, I mean only if it's not overflowing naturally. If it's being pumped, you want to put it up for your own safety.

[Aevra]

Ah! Okay ^_^ Yeah, it's overflowing on it's own. The pictures are gorgeous. So no pumping for the pools that I want to go to. I'm super excited about it, I could squeal.