If you’re feeling anything like me this year, it’s a bit shocking (and very exciting) that summer starts next month. For many of us, that means it’s time to get bathing suit ready, plan summer getaways, update the wardrobe, and/or just prepare for all the fun that summer brings. It’s also the perfect time to start thinking about ways to protect your hair in the upcoming months.
Although our weather conditions and activities vary, one thing most of us will be doing this summer is spending time in the pool. Pool time means that your hair will be exposed to chlorine, and while chlorine is completely necessary for sanitary reasons, it’s not so great for your hair.
Effects of chlorine on your hair
Chlorine acts as a drying agent and can strip your hair of sebum, oil that it needs to be moisturized and healthy. This exposure can cause hair to be dry, brittle, and weak.
How to prevent those effects
Thankfully, there are things you can do before, during, and after your swim that will help decrease or prevent chlorine damage.
Before:
- Rinse your hair – Our hair is like a sponge, it absorbs liquid until its “full”. By “filling it up” with clean water, you’re making it less likely to absorb the chlorinated water.
- Apply a conditioner – Using a conditioner on the length of your hair will seal the cuticles and provide a barrier of protection against the chlorine.
During:
- Rinse every hour – If you’re spending a longer amount of time in the pool, get out periodically and rinse your hair. This will rinse away any chlorine that’s been absorbed and will fill the cuticle with clean water again.
After:
- Use a clarifying shampoo to clean the hair and scalp thoroughly.
- Apply the moisturizer/conditioner again – After a day in the pool and sun, re-hydrating your hair is very important.
By taking these simple steps, you can get in all the pool time you need without sacrificing the health of your summer hair. Remember these tips for your family as well, children tend to spend even more time it the water and keeping their hair hydrated is just as important.
Summer is almost here, enjoy!
– Emily
Thanks for the tip regarding chlorine. It does make a different by applying Ovation Creme Rinse/Moisturizer before going in the Pool and it does work, because my hair isn’t dry from the effects of chlorine.
Thanks
Great Pat, glad to hear it!
This topic is completely amazing. I always suffer from dryness of hair in summer because of the chlorine. These tips will really help me to keep my hair healthy. They are easy to do. Thanks for this advice. I’ll use Ovation products to help me more. Thank you.