new thread
hey i was wondering what it feels like to swim with long hair and also does chlorine damage it alot?
I swim daily with my long hair, though lately, I've begun wearing a swimming cap in hopes of getting some protection. This is because, to answer your question, yes, the chlorine in the pool does damage my hair, which is pretty curly to begin with.
In fact, I suspect that, as long as I continue to swim, my hair isn't going to grow much past the shoulder length I currently have. It's dry and brittle no matter what kind of conditioning goop I put on it. Don't get me wrong, I really like my long hair, but I do like swimming more.
As to how it "feels," it doesn't feel much like anything. I do notice the drag, and when I do a flip turn, I sometimes can feel it brushing on my back. But it's neither a good or a bad feeling. It's pretty minimal.
If you're looking for a nice sensation, I doubt that the aquatic version of "letting your freak flag fly"--to quote Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young--will be something of a "wash."
Frank
I have terminal length hair to near the waist and use a swim cap.
I first tie the hair in a ponytail, wet the hair, then put on the cap, and then stuff all the ponytail ender the cap. I then shampoo the hair and put on conditioner as soon as I finish my swim. While some chlorine gets to the hair, it does not flow past the hair, and so I don't think there is significant damage.
Without a swim cap, the tangling gets to be a real problem if I swim fast. Just playing around in the water doesn't tangle the hair so much.
In my experience, indeed, chlorine does take its toll on your hair. I would say don't let that stop you if you really want to swim though. Just buy appropriate shampoo and conditioner. I used "Ultraswim" shampoo and conditioner. It seemed to minimize the damage. Just make sure to get a shampoo the explicitly says it gets rid of the chlorine and a conditioner that repairs the chlorine damage would probably be good as well.
Enjoy