How Do I Care for My Hair After Swimming?

Nothing beats the heat like taking a dip in a pool or spending the day at the beach. Unfortunately, both can leave your hair looking dry and frizzy by the end of the day. If you’re looking for solutions, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the steps you can take to care for your hair after swimming. 

Wash Your Hair As Soon As Possible

The quicker you wash chlorine and salt from your hair, the less time it’ll have to damage your strands. To prevent this, wash your hair as soon as possible after you take a dip. You should also finish each shampoo session with a moisturizing conditioner or hair mask. That will give you a head start on repairing some of the damage swimming may have caused. 

Clarify Your Hair 

Although regular shampoo can remove salt and chlorine deposits, it might not be doing a thorough enough job. Clarifying treatments and deep cleansing shampoos contain a higher concentration of cleansing ingredients than traditional shampoos. So, they can cut through stubborn chlorine buildup and leave your strands squeaky clean, even after swimming. Clarifying ingredients are drying, so replenish your hair’s moisture with a nourishing deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner. 

Take Preventive Measures

The best way to protect your hair while you swim is to prevent the pool or ocean water from reaching your strands in the first place. You can do this by wearing a swim cap or saturating your hair with fresh water before your dip. Your hair acts like a sponge, so the more fresh water you fill it with, the less ocean or pool water it can absorb. Want to protect your strands even more? Apply some conditioner to your damp hair to protect it against salt and chlorine. 

Protect Your Hair from The Sun

Although it's easy to overlook, sunlight can damage your strands just as much as swimming in chlorinated or salty water. Additionally, water can magnify the damaging effects of the sun. If you plan to go swimming outdoors, keep your hair covered as much as possible, especially when wet. While you can opt for fabric coverings like hats and scarves, you can also protect your hair with a hair sunscreen or UV blocker. 

Use Products That Are Made for Swimmers

From casual beachgoers to competitive swimmers, no one wants the water to wreck their hair. Luckily, there’s a whole category of products specifically formulated to keep your hair safe while you swim! They contain deeply nourishing ingredients and powerful cleansers that help prevent and reverse swimming-related damage. 

No one should have to choose between enjoying the water and having healthy hair. Luckily, you won’t have to! As long as you take the necessary precautions mentioned above, you don’t have to worry about the damaging effects of ocean and pool water. We hope this article was exactly what you needed to keep your hair healthy swim after swim. 

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.