new thread
Hi guys.
Discovered this forum a week ago or so and been lurking a bit. Really happy to have found some like minded guys - kinda feels like coming home in a sense :p
Used to have long hair and decided now at age 29 to grow it back. So still relatively early in my journey.
Question: do any of you guys spend a Lot of time in the pool? I know the chlorine etc isn't ideal so just curious to hear what you guys do to keep your your hair safe and healthy.
I only wash it twice a week (shampoo and conditioner- no silicone) and since I don't have a blow dryer I let it air dry (usually under a beanie cuz my hair is wavy/curly so the beanie helps keep frizz at bay)
Thanks :)
kinda feels like coming home in a sense :p
Hey Swimfan,
You have come home. Welcome to the tribe, dude.
I like to swim. Unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to do it these days.
For the care of your hair when swimming I suggest that you thoroughly rinse your hair with cool water before you swim and do so again when you get out of the pool.
Keep posting. I like to see your progress.
Again, welcome to the family, bro.
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
Swim cap is preferred to minimize damage to your hair from goggles snagging.
Also, you may want to hit up a warehouse store to get a bulk deal on shampoo/conditioner -- you'll be using it quite a lot in order to get either the salt or the chlorine compounds out of your hair.
I used to be a swimmer too, so I know what a nightmare it is to have hair that will forever smell like chlorine and be crunchier that a bag of potatoe chips. My advice? Wash WAY more than twice a week. If you get in the pool a lot, you'll need to. Be sure to comb it when it is wet, to keep it from getting tangled, and brush it when it is dry. Also, you can use a shampoo called Paul Mitchell (I think that's what it's called). I use it and it makes my hair super soft. Good luck!
WEN cleansing conditioner, and as a leave in after as well. Also , when wet, a few drops of OJON RareBlend Oil, good for dry and frizz. sj
Luckily, I used to be a swimmer, so Icompletely understand the horrors of realizing you will eternally smell of chlorine and have incredibly crusty hair. My advice: wash it more than twice a week. TRUST ME. Run a brush through it when it's dry, and comb it when it is wet, to keep it from getting tangled. I used a shampoo called Paul Mitchell, which made my hair very soft and lovely, so maybe give that a shot? See if that works! Also, how long are you planning or hoping to grow it out?
Thanks very much! I'll check into it all.
Hoping to grow it to about nipple length this time :) But from the picture you can see there's still quite a way to go and since it's curly-ish it doesn't appear that long.
At least your nearly to shoulder length! I'm still in that short hair range, but I'm growing mine to about the same length you want to. :)
Thanks guys! I ended up Googling a bit and the wetting your hair before jumping in the pool came up lots of times so will definitely be doing that.
I guess I should've mentioned atm that I'm doing springboard diving so we don't use goggles or caps :p
Thanks again! :)
One trick I've heard... Get your hair wet with normal water before you go swimming. If your hair is already wet, it won't absorb as much of the chemicals. It helps some.
When dry hair gets wet it soaks up water like a sponge and expands. So if it first gets wet in the pool, it's soaking up chlorine more deeply into the hair than if it was already wet with normal water.
I'm sure you've already looked into swimmers' shampoos and know to wash immediately after swimming. Natural oils also help protect your hair in water, so brushing your hair beforehand helps or adding some conditioner.
You have awesome locks, by the way. Looks like you're about 4-5 inches ahead of me in growth. Getting there!
Thanks Carter! Your hair is beautiful too! :) It'll look amazing when it's long!
Wetting your hair before getting into the pool is about all you can do. There are some shampoos that claim to protect against damage by chlorine, but I'm not sure how effective they are.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.