Chlorine is applied to water in swimming pools to reduce bacteria buildup and to protect swimmers. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that a pool contaminated with germs may lead to gastrointestinal, skin, ear and other medical problems. Chlorine helps prevent illness but can wreak havoc on your hair. Protecting your hair takes just a few minutes.
Step 1
Apply a thin layer of oil to hair before swimming. Examples of oil that help protect hair include olive oil, baby oil and coconut oil. Pour oil into the palm of one hand, and rub your hands together. Run your hands through your hair, and coat the shafts with the oil.
Step 2
Wet hair with non-chlorinated water before entering the pool; this helps prevent hair from absorbing the chlorinated water of the pool. Use a garden hose, sink or pool-side shower to wet hair.
Step 3
Re-wet hair frequently when swimming to rinse off the chlorine and keep hair saturated with clean water.
Step 4
Shower and wash hair thoroughly after swimming to remove oil and chlorine. It may take two washings to remove the oil completely.
Step 5
Condition hair after shampooing, and leave the conditioner in for 2 minutes to help repair damage.
Things You'll Need
- Oil
- Clean water
- Shampoo
- Hair conditioner
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