Swimming and hair care?

mariethai
mariethai Posts: 85 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I have long hair and have a nightmare keeping it in good condition when I swim regularly. Any tips on how to keep it healthy?

Replies

  • mariethai
    mariethai Posts: 85 Member
    I have long hair and have a nightmare keeping it in good condition when I swim regularly. Any tips on how to keep it healthy?
  • iftcheiaf
    iftcheiaf Posts: 960 Member
    I'm assuming you're swimming in chlorinated water? My sister-in-law is a hairdresser and told me that if you actually wet your hair before you get into a pool, that it won't soak up the chlorine and get all dry and brittle. Great for people who have coloring in their hair. But my naturally blonde daughter was even having problems this summer, so we started doing that and it made all the difference in the world.
  • greeneyes490
    greeneyes490 Posts: 77 Member
    I have long hair and have a nightmare keeping it in good condition when I swim regularly. Any tips on how to keep it healthy?


    Hi mariethai, I am a hairstylist and also have long hair (mine is thick and somewhat coarse) and swimming makes it unbearable.......the advice iftcheiaf gave is the best .......think of one of those dry hard sponges you can buy, when you put it into water it immediately soaks up all the water, but if that same sponge is already soaked in water it is unable to take on much more...the only thing i would add to that solution is if you can to put a conditioner on after wetting it down (either a cream or spray on kind) that should also help. Of coarse the absolute best way is wearing a bathing cap but it sounds like you might have to much hair to fit in it. .........anyways good luck and happy swimming :).....
  • mariethai
    mariethai Posts: 85 Member
    Great advice, I've never heard of that before, makes sense - and it's cheap!

    My hair stylists recomendation was a de-chrlorine special swimming shampoo and conditioner - but the price was way too expensive!

    I have just bought a leave in conditioner 2 days ago so I'll give that a go today.

    Thanks! :flowerforyou:

    (any recomendations for goggle marks around the eyes....)
  • greeneyes490
    greeneyes490 Posts: 77 Member
    Great advice, I've never heard of that before, makes sense - and it's cheap!

    My hair stylists recomendation was a de-chrlorine special swimming shampoo and conditioner - but the price was way too expensive!

    I have just bought a leave in conditioner 2 days ago so I'll give that a go today.

    Thanks! :flowerforyou:

    (any recomendations for goggle marks around the eyes....)

    Yes the cholorine shampoo is expensive and it only works once the damage has been done (not for prevention).....if you use it and you don't have the chlorine in your hair and it isn't a build up then it can really dry out your hair because it is basically stripping the build up off....so for prevention simply pre wet the hair and you should be okay........have fun swimming :).....

    cathy
    p.s-sorry I don't have any solutions for goggle marks :).....i have been trying to find a solution for that wrinkle you get on your face after a massage and no luck yet :).....so if you find one let me know :)....
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    I'm assuming you're swimming in chlorinated water? My sister-in-law is a hairdresser and told me that if you actually wet your hair before you get into a pool, that it won't soak up the chlorine and get all dry and brittle. Great for people who have coloring in their hair. But my naturally blonde daughter was even having problems this summer, so we started doing that and it made all the difference in the world.

    Yes, this works. I color my hair and don't want the chlorine fading or changing the color. So, wet your hair good first and put on a swim cap, then wash your hair as soon as you get out of the pool.
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member


    My hair stylists recomendation was a de-chrlorine special swimming shampoo and conditioner - but the price was way too expensive!

    I have just bought a leave in conditioner 2 days ago so I'll give that a go today.




    I have yet to try the wet my hair down first idea...but I plan to next time I'm in the water as my hair gets wet during class anyway....so what the heck. lol

    Here's what I've found at 'Sallys Beauty Supplies' (much cheaper than at the salon), it was a spray in conditioner to put on either before or after you get in or out of the water....best when your hair is wet to use it........sure changed how my hair was being effected! I used to spray it on my hair before getting in the pool but never wet down my hair first.....gonna try that in a.m for Sat. workout

    Please let us know how your leave in conditioner works for you? That's sorta what the type I bought and use was......it's a spray pump...can't recall the brand now....hmm
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
    Yep, great advice. I have very thick, very curly hair that just will not fit in a swim cap!! (I've tried!) I wet my hair and put a little conditioner in it, then pull it in a bun or braid it to swim. Then rinse & wash immediately after I get out of the pool!

    And I have NO advice on the goggle marks, if I go somewhere after swimming I always want to tell people that I'm not tired, I just got done swimming!! :huh:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member

    Yes the cholorine shampoo is expensive and it only works once the damage has been done (not for prevention).....if you use it and you don't have the chlorine in your hair and it isn't a build up then it can really dry out your hair because it is basically stripping the build up off....so for prevention simply pre wet the hair and you should be okay

    Wow...thanks so much for sharing that with us...I too was told to get like 4 products (but didn't..lol) and it will keep my hair from getting dry and straw like ......

    Well, seemed like when I did finally buy some chlorine shampoo....that's when my hair DID get dry and straw like:sad:

    So now I always use my Organtic shampoo that my hair really seems to do well by....and always try and wash my hair out right away with cold water to get all the chlorine out asap...

    Do you also recommend cold water to rinse it before washing it after water workouts? Or does it really matter if it's cool water or warm? Someone shared something about the hair shaft being closed if you use cold water and also shared that's why you want to wet it down before getting in a clorinated pool

    any truth to that cool water part? Since you're a hairdresser....I imagine you know much more about hair than the average joe:flowerforyou:

    thanks!:flowerforyou:
  • greeneyes490
    greeneyes490 Posts: 77 Member

    Yes the cholorine shampoo is expensive and it only works once the damage has been done (not for prevention).....if you use it and you don't have the chlorine in your hair and it isn't a build up then it can really dry out your hair because it is basically stripping the build up off....so for prevention simply pre wet the hair and you should be okay

    Wow...thanks so much for sharing that with us...I too was told to get like 4 products (but didn't..lol) and it will keep my hair from getting dry and straw like ......

    Well, seemed like when I did finally buy some chlorine shampoo....that's when my hair DID get dry and straw like:sad:

    So now I always use my Organtic shampoo that my hair really seems to do well by....and always try and wash my hair out right away with cold water to get all the chlorine out asap...

    Do you also recommend cold water to rinse it before washing it after water workouts? Or does it really matter if it's cool water or warm? Someone shared something about the hair shaft being closed if you use cold water and also shared that's why you want to wet it down before getting in a clorinated pool

    any truth to that cool water part? Since you're a hairdresser....I imagine you know much more about hair than the average joe:flowerforyou:

    thanks!:flowerforyou:


    Ya you have to be careful with stylists recommendations because usually they get a commission off those sales, so they aren't always looking out for your best interests.

    As for what temperature to use.....cold water shuts down the hair cuticle and hot water opens it......so before swimming I would give it a good shot of cool water (not freezing...just cool)...and make sure your hair is soaking wet.....and then when I do my regular shampooing I do it with warm water (not hot) and then when I rinse out my conditioner I do it with cool water so that it will trap some of that moisture under the cuticle and won't all rinse away.....now if you have very fine hair I wouldn't do that because fine hair can become limp and lifeless with the extra weight of the conditioner.......hope that helps :).....if you have any other questions feel free to ask....have a great weekend :).....
  • mariethai
    mariethai Posts: 85 Member
    The wetting hair down works great, the spray in hair conditioner ok - not overly impressed. I went looking for the one designed for swimming but couldnt find any. I did see "nourishing" cremes etc that I think I will try next time in addition to wetting my hair down.

    What I did do different was plait my hair upside down and then tied it into a bun at the very top of my head, put the swimming cap over that (I looked a little marge simpson like...) and I think it worked in protecting my hair from too much exposure. I couldnt smell any chlorine on my hair anyway.

    I do have a couple of ideas that I think I may try. The first is using an old swim cap like a hair net around my hair bun, securing it with a hair tie, and then putting my regular cap over my whole head as normal (protecting the bulk of my hair)

    and also combining a creme/conditioner with a water proof sunscreen to leave in my hair while I swim. Unsure how the water proof sunscreen would work - what do you think?

    Also re google marks, i just bought a new pair that are a one peice lens with a very wide rubber mould so they sit below that sensitive eye area. They are actually for water sports (underwater hockey perhaps?) and they spread the pressure over a wider area. Also they sit really well so I can have the strap quite loose. I still get marks but they are definitely not so bad! I wonder how vaseline would work? Probably make the goggles slip off?
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member

    Yes the cholorine shampoo is expensive and it only works once the damage has been done (not for prevention).....if you use it and you don't have the chlorine in your hair and it isn't a build up then it can really dry out your hair because it is basically stripping the build up off....so for prevention simply pre wet the hair and you should be okay

    Wow...thanks so much for sharing that with us...I too was told to get like 4 products (but didn't..lol) and it will keep my hair from getting dry and straw like ......

    Well, seemed like when I did finally buy some chlorine shampoo....that's when my hair DID get dry and straw like:sad:

    So now I always use my Organtic shampoo that my hair really seems to do well by....and always try and wash my hair out right away with cold water to get all the chlorine out asap...

    Do you also recommend cold water to rinse it before washing it after water workouts? Or does it really matter if it's cool water or warm? Someone shared something about the hair shaft being closed if you use cold water and also shared that's why you want to wet it down before getting in a clorinated pool

    any truth to that cool water part? Since you're a hairdresser....I imagine you know much more about hair than the average joe:flowerforyou:

    thanks!:flowerforyou:


    Ya you have to be careful with stylists recommendations because usually they get a commission off those sales, so they aren't always looking out for your best interests.

    As for what temperature to use.....cold water shuts down the hair cuticle and hot water opens it......so before swimming I would give it a good shot of cool water (not freezing...just cool)...and make sure your hair is soaking wet.....and then when I do my regular shampooing I do it with warm water (not hot) and then when I rinse out my conditioner I do it with cool water so that it will trap some of that moisture under the cuticle and won't all rinse away.....now if you have very fine hair I wouldn't do that because fine hair can become limp and lifeless with the extra weight of the conditioner.......hope that helps :).....if you have any other questions feel free to ask....have a great weekend :).....

    Very much APPRECIATED!! Thanks so much for the tips....I'll try that tomorrow when I head to my water classes:drinker:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,401 Member
    hey, fitness_chick....

    I just got through my last dive for my SCUBA open water certification.(YAY, me! I hope the nightmares go away now!!) My instructor tells me that the mask should barely rest on your face, that the water will "suction" it to your face. Of course, it is doubtful your swimming classes are at 40 feet under. But since I started leaving my mask on loosely, the face-squish stopped, and so did the water leaking in.

    stroke, stroke...... Or in my case, kick, kick :glasses:
  • mariethai
    mariethai Posts: 85 Member
    My instructor tells me that the mask should barely rest on your face, that the water will "suction" it to your face.

    Interesting.. I'll try loosening my straps a bit more tommorrow
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