Protecting hair while swimming in the pool.

In Vegas pool time is essential to surviving the 115 degree heat.

Seriously.....its the beginning of May and its already in the 90's. I say this every year but I AM NOT READY. How can anyone really ever be ready for that matter?....

Like hey, i'm sooooo ready for this 120 degree summer aren't you? NO. I've lived here all my life and I will never get used to it. 

...........I'm not ready. 

I'm mainly talking about chlorine water here. Salt water doesn't pose the same chemical risks to hair as chlorine water does and typically simply rinsing the salt water out and conditioning as normal is enough to bring moisture back to the hair.

Jordyn has swim practice every Saturday for 45 mins. I take a lot of precautions to make sure her hair doesn't suffer from chlorine damage. Chlorine is VERY drying. It strips away all of the natural oils from your hair leaving your hair dry and prone to breakage. 

WE DO NOT USE SWIM CAPS. While some people do prefer to use swim caps, I don't. Swim caps are often really tight and can snag and break our hair at the edges. They also do not fully protect your hair from getting exposed to chlorine. 

Here is what we do.

1: RINSE YOUR HAIR BEFORE HAND. 

The point of this is to fill your hair up with as much water as possible so that your hair has less room to soak up the chlorine. 

2: ADD COCONUT OIL TO THE HAIR.

coconut oil will penetrate the hair strands giving more moisture to your strands and aiding in minimizing the amount of chlorine the hair soaks up. 

3: COAT THE HAIR WITH A SILICONE BASED OIL.

I use a cheap, silicone based oil on top of the coconut oil the silicones don't penetrate the hair strands and will act as a barrier making it harder for the hair to soak up the chlorine. I use the OGX Coconut milk anti-breakage serum

4: PUT THE HAIR IN A PROTECTIVE STYLE.

Don't let your hair hang free. Putting the hair in a protective style reduces tangling and again, aids in chlorine absorption. I go with 2 simple french braids. 

After swim care is extremely important as well. The most important thing to note is that chlorine DOES NOT RINSE OUT. Don't think that you can just rinse your hair out and your good to go. Chlorine MUST be washed out. 

SHAMPOO THE HAIR.

There are a variety of swimmers shampoos out there but I don't use them. I find that most swimmers shampoos strip Jordyns hair way too much and leaves her hair really dry. I take all of the precautions to reduce the amount of chlorine her hair soaks up so a clarifying shampoo is good enough to get rid of any chlorine her hair has encountered. I use Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow, and Restore shampoo ( say that 5 times fast). The apple cider vinegar helps to clarify and the organic shea butter helps bring moisture back into the hair. I LOVE this shampoo. 

DEEP CONDITION. 

I follow up with a deep condition treatment on her hair and leave it on for about 30-45 mins to restore any moisture that was lost. I use Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor oil masque. 

At this point her hair is chlorine free, shiny, bouncy, fully moisturized, and ready to be styled as usual.

:)

Remember, this is what we do. This process may not be ideal for you. How do you all take care of your hair pre and post swimming? 

Xo, Jeanice