Swimming is great for your body, but chlorinated water can be tough on your hair. If you swim often, you may notice your hair becoming dry, brittle, or even thinning over time. Chlorine strips away natural oils, weakens hair strands, and irritates the scalp.
But don’t worry - there are ways to protect your hair and keep it healthy.
How Chlorine Affects Your Hair
To give you an answer in short - it affects your hair mostly negatively. How exactly? Water with chlorine
- dries out hair - chlorine removes moisture, making your hair rough, weak, and easy to break;
- irritates the scalp - chlorinated water can cause itchiness, dandruff, and also production of too much scalp oil;
- slows hair growth - because dry and irritated scalp will weaken hair follicles, and lead to increased hair shedding.
If your Hair is Thinning, be Extra Careful
If you already have thin hair or are locally experiencing slight balding, believe me that chlorine will make the problem worse.
As I explained above, chlorine dries out your scalp and as a consequence slows down your hair growth. You will need to make extra sure to protect your hair ↓
How to Protect Your Hair While Swimming
- Wear a swim cap - a silicone or latex cap prevents hair from soaking up chlorine. And although it will probably not close your hair fully, it will still be making huge difference.
- After swimming make sure to use hydratation - giving your hair extra moisture from the Hair Elixir will make sure your scalp is well hydrated.
Conclusion
Chlorine does damage hair directly and indirectly [through damaged scalp]. And it will show even more, if you already experience hair thinning - your hair was not healthy before you went into the swimming pool, and it will be even worse after it.
The best way to protect your hair is by using a swim cap so that you minimalize the effect of chlorine, and to use a hydration to keep your scalp moisturized.
