When I started I totally thought this would never be a concern for me ...after all I am a dude ...and what's more I'm the sort of dude who prides himself on not priding himself on hair and such. 30 seconds is a long time for me to spend on my hair in the morning. But within a couple of weeks of swimming my hair was like straw, and it was taking 10+ minutes just to get a comb through it because of all the tangles and split ends. So broke down and got me a swim cap. I got a shampoo with a moisturizing conditioner. Before my swim I wet my hair down with non-chlorinated water on the theory that if it is already saturated it will absorb less. Then the swim cap. Then rinse again after the swim to get rid of some of the chlorine.

Obviously this really only addresses the hair, and not the skin. I'm sure others will have good suggestions for lotions an moisturizes an vitamin c sprays. I'm still enough of a dude to not worry so much about dry skin ...yet ..

Hm, I had a problem with dry skin last winter--the first time I was swimming regularly--but hadn't connected it with the pool! I bet you're right, though. I used one of Neutrogena's anti-aging/SPF moisturizers on my face and some kind of oatmeal-containing lotion on my legs (I'm mildly allergic to pool chemicals and I get itchy in addition to scaly). Aveeno, I think.

I dig the smell of chlorine, so I don't usually wash my hair after I swim. (Probably when I start going gray and do highlights/hair dye this will have to change...and I'll be back to ask y'all for advice!)

Good advice by others to wet your hair prior to swimming. All the girls did that for almost every team I was on.

As for me, can't stand having a cap on. I remember high school summers when I could literally break my hair off. I would just shave my head twice a year for the big meets.

Even though I just started swimming again, I know from prior experience that I have to be really proactive about my hair & skin care. My skin can go from "It's just dry" to "OMG, My skin's bleeding" within a few swims once winter arrives.

First of all- if you're not wearing a swim cap, you need to buy a swim cap. You don't want one of the Lycra stretchy ones, those just keep hair out of your face, you need a latex or silicone cap. Personally, I prefer latex because they stay on my head a bit better...but that's just my personal preference. The latex ones wear-out/rip faster though, so you always want to keep a spare or 2 in your bag. (Of note: you can usually find them on clearance at big box stores this time of year, i.e. Target, Meijer, Walmart, etc).

As far as hair products: I like Malibu swim shampoo/conditioner (I'm sensitive to certain ingredients in shampoos, Ultra Swim makes me itchy). BUT, I'm probably different in that I don't use it after every swim. I use it at least once a week, scrub really well (especially along my neck area where the hair hangs out of my cap), rinse, put the conditioner on & let it sit on my hair for several minutes before rinsing it off. The rest of my post-swim showers, I use a clarifying shampoo (Aveda Rosemary Mint) with a heavy conditioner (Aveda Damage Remedy).

As far as skin products, for body wash I use my everyday body wash & a bathpoof. On my Malibu shampooing days, I'll use the shampoo on my skin, too.

For me...Lotion is REALLY IMPORTANT, and it needs to be applied pretty quickly after I towel off. My personal favorite post-swim body lotion right now is L'Occitane's Ultra Rich Shea Butter Body Cream...it's pricey, but a tub lasts me a while. I've also had good luck with the tub-version of Eucerin & Cetaphil in the past, too....that's what I used for years & you can pick those up at any store or pharmacy. I also saw a girl in the locker room using a tub of Coconut Oil the other week...which was smart (although, I'm not a big coconut-smell fan, so not an option for me).

For face lotion, I just use more of what I use everyday on my face, which is one of the Aveda face creams. Again, I apply this as soon as I can post-shower...

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@rosebarnalice I'm not swimming everyday (yet), so I'm not building up a chlorine smell (yet). But I'm excited to try this when I do get back to the everyday point. Stupid question: do you use the kind of Vitamin C tablets you swallow, or the chewable kind? I just wanted to verify.

fishgutzy wrote: »

I'm a guy. That means I don't do anything

stephenrhinton wrote: »

Obviously this really only addresses the hair, and not the skin. I'm sure others will have good suggestions for lotions an moisturizes an vitamin c sprays. I'm still enough of a dude to not worry so much about dry skin ...yet ..

TheFranLover wrote: »

Good advice by others to wet your hair prior to swimming. All the girls did that for almost every team I was on.

As for me, can't stand having a cap on. I remember high school summers when I could literally break my hair off. I would just shave my head twice a year for the big meets.

I love all the guys' comments here. Y'all are the best!

I do a really good rinse off (rubbing water onto my skin) and get my hair totally wet before going in. I use a leave in conditioner on my hair, and this summer, started using a lotion on my skin. The itching is totally gone. I used to get home and think I had bugs on my skin...

I've recently started using coconut oil on my dry skin. It doesn't smell like coconuts, at least the jar I got. It does need to sink in, and is kinda greasy for 15-30 minutes, though. It's doing wonders.

I wet my hair before my swim, then wash and condition after. I like to leave the conditioner in for 5 min while I go into the steam room. Seems to work a treat and hair is looking better than ever. Thing I hate is the daily blow dry and straightening...it takes so long!

I always shower with my Lush products and wash my face with Essence Organics Fresh cleanser. Then I go in the steam room for about 10-15 mins at 105 Fahrenheit. This helps me to get all nice and smooth and clean.

mpeters1965 wrote: »

I swim before work in the morning. I wet my hair pretty thoroughly before putting my swim cap on. It helps to keep the chlorine from soaking into it as much. After swimming, I wash and condition my hair (just my regular stuff) and then put moisturizer on my face and skin. For me, it is usually my legs that dry out more than my face.

I have dry skin and hair and find that if I am diligent about doing exactly what @mpeters1965 does, it works out pretty well.

I do have to blow dry my hair after a swim (dammit) because I go to work right after that. I do find some Marvelous Oil (garnier fructis) also is a help to combat that damage.

I wet my hair before I go in, and I work a little conditioner in as well, then put a swim cap on. I like to think this combination repels the chlorinated water. After a swim, I take a shower and shampoo, then re-condition. I let it sit for a good 3 minutes before rinsing, and I don't rinse very thoroughly so there is actually a little conditioner left in. Then I let it air dry, which might take 3 or more hours. This assumes, of course, I don't have to be anywhere where I can't look like a half-drowned cat.
For moisturizing my skin, I've been using coconut oil, but the thing that really did the trick was when I started eating the coconut oil as well. I use 1 tablespoon a day in my coffee. As soon as I started doing that, all my rough patches (elbows, knees, chapped lips) went away. I buy big tubs of it at Costco.