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Fitness experts recommend swimming as a nonimpact way to condition your body, but hair pros warn that the pool is a fast track to strands like straw. You should never skip an after-swim shower with your favorite shampoo and conditioner, but that’s just the beginning. As you dive your way toward a hot frame, take some extra pre- and post-care steps to protect that mane.
Pre-Treat
Just like a too-skimpy swimsuit, hair shafts can only hold so much inside. Former competitive swimmer Jessica Ford-Helzer recommends fattening them up by fully saturating the hair with fresh water and you’ll prevent chlorine from getting in.
Use a Protective Barrier
After wetting the hair, fully saturate it with conditioner before your swim. Broke girls take comfort -- any old conditioner does the job, according to master swimmer and fitness trainer Aileene Palm, so your 99-cent brand is right on time for your workout. Twenty-year competitive swimmer Megan Andrus agrees: It’s quantity over quality, so load up before you dive in.
Put a Lid on It
Britt Kimball of SWIMkids USA, a swim academy in Mesa, Arizona, says clients and instructors never fault on using a tight-fitting silicone swim cap to protect their hair from direct contact with chlorinated or salt water when plunging away from the school’s UV system -- which uses a special chemical-free water cleaning process that limits the effects of swimming on the hair. Be careful you don’t do more harm than good when suiting up. To prevent breakage when applying your swim cap, secure the hair by braiding it or clipping it tight to the crown of the head.
Deep Cleaning
In the words of Kermit the Frog, “It’s not easy being green!” and nowhere else is this more true than with your ‘do. Renee Fredrickson, Ph.D., a lap swimmer of more than three decades, uses an aloe-based treatment product readily available from supermarkets and pharmacies. Fredrickson applies the product for a few moments, then rinses it out to naturally rid her hair of unwanted tinting as needed. Ford-Helzer and her fellow teammates applied a tomato paste hair mask for 15 minutes to neutralize signs of green caused by chlorinated water.
Color-Treated Hair Tips
Spa industry expert and former triathlete Sandra LaMorgese recommends pre- and post-care products that swimmers with color-treated hair can use to save the integrity of their hair and color. In lieu of conditioner before a swim, La Morgese suggests applying a light coat of jojoba oil. Jojoba’s liquid wax esters mimic the body’s natural sebum, creating a natural barrier for the hair. Post-dip, apply a rich, leave-in moisturizing balm after shampooing to deep condition the hair.
