Protect your Hair this Summer

     Protecting your beautiful hair in the pool this summer can be as simple as tying up your hair or wetting it with tap water before jumping in and making a splash! All my clients know this one simple fact for the summer.  While you may be tempted to spend as much time in the water as possible during the summer months, chlorine or salt can have damaging effects on your hair. To keep your hair in tip top condition, let me give you some advice for how to protect your hair in the pool this summer. 

  Ok, the first may not be very stylish, and I'd have to admit I've yet to see this trend return, is to wear a swimming cap.... Not always the most stylish option, but probably the most practical one, especially when it comes to ideas on how to protect your hair in the pool. If you’re using the pool to do laps or for other athletic purposes, a swimming cap can also help streamline your technique (I only know of this cause my partner is a swimmer) not to mention that wearing one will prove to be quite a handy trick for keeping your hair dry in the water. 

  Before your swan dive into the pool, remember to give your hair a good soak of tap water.  Wetting your hair before is beneficial as wet hair soaks up fewer chemicals than dry hair, and whatever you do, avoid shampooing your hair prior to swimming. This is an important tip to know when it comes to learning how to protect hair in the pool as shampooing can strip your hair of its natural oils that create a barrier against the chemically treated water in most swimming pools. 

  If your an adamant swimmer, you may want to treat your hair with a natural oil like jojoba or coconut that can protect it from chemicals used in many pools. The oils help seal the hair cuticles and create a physical barrier from the elements. 

Figuring out how to protect hair in the pool is all about understanding the importance of creating a barrier between hair cuticles and chemicals in the water. Much like using natural oils, a leave in conditioner can help seal hair cuticles making them less open to chemicals. So a conditioning treatment is wise before that leap.