Reader question: How do I deal with pool hair in the summer time?
This is from reader Deidra:
We’re going on vacation in the summer. Other than braids, what do you suggest we do when swimming in the ocean and the pool to protect our hair and still look good coming out of the water?
This is a great question. What advice do you guys have?
my hubby and i are going on vacation in June and i am planning on wearing bantu knots. they are cute, funky, and low maintenance. also, if your knots are done with two strand twists, you can start off with bantus and evolve to cute curly twists. i have pics of my bantus in my january 2008 fotki folder @ http://www.fotki.com/haitianroots.
have also done yarn braids…
if you have longer hair put conditioner and oil in your hair and put it in a bun, i definetly reccomend coconut. if you have shorter hair same thing and put your hair in your fav protective style i reccomend flat twists.
I absolutely LOVE this picture! Surfing is so much fun
I typically bun it when I swim in the ocean and I make sure my hair is thoroughly cleaned, conditioned and moisturized afterward.
I plan on doing a LOT of swimming, should I be using the clarifying shampoo every time? Should I just cut down on my swimming?
This is the perfect question and I need to know the answer, I am going to Thailand in June and I really need some ideas.
If I were to advise anything, if your a regular swimmer please use hair care products that are for swimmers they are design to give you the results you want and your hair needs. There are conditioners that will give you extra conditioning, and shampoo combats the harsh effects of chlorine. TRISWIM is well known. They even have a lotion that, like the shampoo, erase that easily identifiable chlorine odor.
I really can’t stress this enough, a regular shampoo can’t get inside your cortex. Not even a clarifyer. If you don’t buy anything buy a chelate hair care product. Joico makes a professional one, make it your best friend. ?
I went to Lush before my week long trip to Barbados and used their solid shampoo and Jungle conditioner on my trip. Worked perfectly (choose scents wisely!). I did braid my own hair, however. I didn’t want to repeatedly wash and then de-tangle hair, perhaps more than once a day after salt and/or chlorine! I swam every day, in pools and the beach. Here was my post about it: http://www.itsjusthair.com/2009/07/barbados-and-now-im-back.html
I’ve heard you should rinse your hair in tap water before you go swimming so that it absorbs less ocean or pool water.
Swimming cap!
You should try a nice, classy flat twist and tuck the end in. (Double strand twist flat on the head as if you were doing cornrows) That should keep the hair from shrinking too much for your liking.
I’ve tried putting conditioner in my hair before swimming…I guess it helped but I’m not really sure. I didn’t do it when I went in the ocean though and I didn’t notice a difference. So this summer I don’t plan on putting anything in my hair beforehand. I just give it a good poo and condish wash after pool/ocean time and I haven’t had any bad effects on my hair, but then again I don’t go swimming that often anyway. Becuase it’s so hot and my hair dries fast in the summer, I really prefer to wear it in a wash and go. But due to frequent washing after the pool, I braid the roots and leave the ends free to get the wash and go look, without having to worry about detangling or anything after the post swim washes.
I used to be a synchronized swimmer so I used to be in the pool about three times a week. My routine was to wash and deep condition my hair at least once a week and all the other times I went in the pool I’d just rinse my hair with water apply conditioner, detangle, rinse and put in a leave-in conditioner. Also, protective styling and/or a swim cap help to put less stress on your hair.
Before I swim I rinse my hair and then twist or braid it with some conditioner, a good amount of it. I do big braids, no more than 6. I then put on my swim cap. Because your hair has already absorbed the water and conditioner, it will not absorb the chlorine water.
If I don’t want to do that much work, or if I am more concerned with looking cute than protecting my hair (which sometimes I am lol), I rinse my hair, apply conditioner (not necessarily a leave-in), and then pull it up with a tie. When you swim it will get a little messy, but as soon as you get out of the water you can pull it up again. Looks neat & cute enough, and it’s more protected than doing nothing.
This was one of the main reasons I went natural… my love for & frequent visits to the beach. I may put on a little conditioner before hand (work through to ends). I’ve too heard about wetting hair before swimming. Braids & twists keep well and are pretty much carefree for vacation. If your pool is chlorinated, I would definitely wash afterward. You may want to use a swim cap for the pool (if that is not your style, at least rinse hair very well!) . Just be sure to enjoy your vacation!
If you’re into trying new product. I came across this today: L’Occitane Summer Protection Hair Gel Mask and Conditioner
http://usa.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/Product.aspx?prod=17MC250P0