“With a great pool, comes great responsibility”
So maybe the quote doesn’t go exactly like that, but it’s close enough. Owning a pool is a lot of fun and opens up a lot of possibilities. Sadly like all things in life, there are some downsides to having a pool or even just enjoying a pool. Keeping a pool clean requires the use of chlorine. Chlorine is a disinfectant that fights against harmful bacteria in the pool. It is because of chlorine that we don’t catch any form of the disease when we go swimming in the pool. Without it, the pool turns green and becomes unhealthy to swim in. While chlorine is definitely a good thing to have in the pool, it does have some side effects. While not dangerous, it can irritate our skin and hair when we are in it.
The damage can be even worse if you have any form of hair coloring. Chlorine is a form of bleach and in stronger concentrated than normal household bleach. This means it can literally change the color of your hair if you are using hair products. Without hair coloring, your hair can still become dry and frizzled from the chlorine. Luckily there are steps you can take to reduce the damage that is done to your hair. Read below to find out how to keep your hair healthy and shiny while in the pool.
Wet Your Hair First: Hair acts like a sponge, absorbing water around it. Soaking your hair in pure, clean water without chlorine in it will get it wet and full before entering the pool. This gives less room for your hair to absorb chlorine filled water.
Use Product Before Swimming: Oil and silicone based hair products are good ways to protect your hair in the pool. Oil and silicone are more water resistant than other products. The miracle product Coconut Oil can also help to keep your hair safe.
Use Product After Swimming: Chlorine can tend to stick around and leave that chlorine smell on your hair and skin. It might take more than just soap and water to get rid of it, so find some products that specialize in removing chlorine from hair.
Wear a Swim Cap: The pool can’t ruin your hair if it can’t reach your hair. Swim caps might not be the fashion statement of the century, but they are useful for protecting your hair. Just put on one before going in the pool, and afterwards, might need to brush it out but at least it won’t be damaged.
Of course, you can always combine these techniques for even more protection. The first concern you should have, however, is owning a pool to swim in. Chlorine can’t do much damage to your hair if it doesn’t even have a pool to be in.
