How Swimming Can Be Hard on Your Hair
As it gets closer to summertime, you might be daydreaming about getting back into summer activities and sports. Whether you’re staying close to home or planning a beach vacation, swimming is one of the best ways to indulge in summer fun. However, if you don’t have a solid haircare regime in place, swimming can present some problems for your luscious locks. Here are some haircare facts and tips to keep in mind during the summer months if you think you’ll be spending a lot of time in a pool or lake this season.
Swimming Pools
Swimming pools are a great way to find relief from the summer heat and also get some exercise. Swimming is a wonderful workout because it provides awesome cardio while being easy on your joints, unlike high-impact sports such as running. Unfortunately, swimming pools are filled with chlorine to keep them free of germs, and chlorine is notoriously hard on your hair.
Weakening Hair Follicles
Chlorine is added to swimming pool water to reduce the growth of microorganisms and bacteria. It’s a strong agent that causes chemical changes to the physical properties of your hair. Chlorine removes the natural oils that cover your hair; this can weaken the structure of your hair and make it more prone to breakage. The chemical bonds between the hair shafts weaken, and the structural integrity of the hair is disrupted. The result is damaged hair and loss of shine and flexibility.
Colour Damage
In addition to weakening the structural integrity of your hair, chlorine can also cause damage to your hair colour. Chlorine reacts with the pigments in your hair, causing it to change colour, especially if you have fair or dyed hair. Chlorine can often give hair a greenish tint, which most people would prefer to avoid.
Salt Water
Salt water can also be hard on your hair. Overexposure to salt water can cause a lot of dehydration in your body, the salt leaches water out of your scalp and leaves your hair dry and brittle. Dry hair can become dull, tangled and rough and can be hard to comb or brush out. It’s even worse for coloured hair, which is already dry to begin with.
How to Prevent Hair Damage From Swimming
You don’t have to avoid swimming altogether! It’s possible to avoid or minimize damage to your hair by taking some precautions before and after you swim.
Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Pre-shampoo conditioning treatments can work wonders on your hair. They help to lessen the effects of chlorine and salt water by adding a protective coat to your hair.
Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in conditioners are helpful for keeping your hair moist and soft and for preemptively protecting it from damage. It’s a good idea to bring along spray formulas to the beach and spray on every time you exit the water.
SPF Hair Cream
Your hair needs protection from the sun too. Use a protective hair cream with SPF to keep your scalp and hair protected from the sun.
Hair Mask
After a day of swimming at the pool or beach, apply a hair mask. You can even do a DIY mask that you make at home with honey and buttermilk. This helps restore moisture to your hair and leaves your tresses silky after a long day in the sun.
In addition to some of the aforementioned tips, you can also try using Tricovel supplements with our fortifying shampoo to reinvigorate hair growth for thicker, healthier hair in the long term. For any questions about our products or this blog, leave us a comment below and we’ll chat soon!