Most of us torture our hair. We bleach it, twist it, tie it, use harsh hair products and intense heat to curl and straighten it…all pretty much on a daily basis. Why would anyone want to do any more damage to their hair? We wouldn’t! That’s why, when you are frolicking in the pool, it’s a great idea to protect your hair from pool chemicals.

Harsh pool chemicals, such as chlorine, can dry hair and leave it more susceptible to the sun’s ultra violet rays which can lighten hair. Chlorine and other pool chemicals can fade color treated hair and, worse yet, turn light color treated hair green!

Here are some things you can do:

Before swimming…

To prevent pool chemical damage to hair, the best method of protection is to use a swim cap. You can also use leave-in conditioner before you take a dip. Another method of protection against pool chemicals is to saturate your hair with unchlorinated water before you enter the pool. Once your hair absorbs the unchlorinated water, it will be difficult for chlorinated water to penetrate hair strands.

After swimming…

Rinse your hair with water from the garden hose. Then cover your head with a can of tomato juice and work it into all of your hair. You can also our lemon juice over your hair after shampooing to strip the green pigment and leave your highlights beautifully blond, but be careful. Lemon juice is highly astringent and if you do this too frequently, you will also strip your highlights.

The moral of this story is to do your best to protect your hair from pool chemicals so that you don’t find yourself in a hairy situation! Happy hair from SE Pools!