Before jumping in the water, unprotected, check out our top 6 tips to protecting your hair from chlorinated and salt water. These helpful tips will prevent you from spending fall, recovering from summer beaten hair.
5 TIPS TO HEALTHY SUMMER HAIR
1. Coat your hair with conditioner – Always, Always wet, and coat your hair with a conditioner before entering into the water. The conditioner adds a protective layer on the hair, and wetting the hair before swimming minimizing the amount of chlorine or salt absorbed into the strand.
2. Wash your hair right after leaving the water – Never let your hair dry with chlorine or salt water in it. This makes your hair very dry and brittle, and it will eventually cause breakage if it’s done excessively.
After you’re done swimming, rinse your hair thoroughly to remove chlorine or salt from your hair. This will minimize damage to your hair. You can also rinse several times in between dips in the pool to help minimize absorption of chlorine in the hair.
3. Shampoo with a clarifying or chelating shampoo* – Always shampoo your hair with a shampoo that can remove chemicals such as chlorine followed by a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Look for swimming shampoos, chelating shampoos or clarifying shampoos and make sure to finish up by using a leave-in conditioner*.
4. Minimize heat use – If you’re planning to swim more than twice a week, cut down on the amount of heat used to style your hair, blow drying and flat ironing or curling only adds more stress to the hair. As an alternative, you can experiment with natural styles that don’t require heat.
5. Use products or oil with SPF – Always use products that contain sunscreen to protect your hair from the UV Rays. Make sure you read the label well to determine how much protection you are actually getting before making the purchase.
Bonus Hair Care Tip
Did you know that your hair is weakest when it’s wet? Whenever your hair is wet, the salt and hydrogen bonds are broken, which makes the hair easier to damage.
The “salt bond” is responsible for the elasticity (the ability for hair to stretch and return without breaking) and the strength of hair, while the “hydrogen bond” allows the hair to change shape with the aid of water (drying naturally, roller sets, twists, or bantu knots)
This is why having the right tools is imperative when styling your hair. Always remember to comb your hair from ends to scalp when detangling your hair; it prevents unnecessary shedding or breakage.
To ensure you minimize the damaging affects of chlorine on your hair, consult a hair care professional; they will prescribe the right products for your hair type and situation.
Danielle Herring says
I LOVE this!!
Maybell Lena Killion says
I’m heading to the beach Thurs for 6 days, I will use this AND a sew in, lol! I don’t want to manage my hair much.
Kimberly Bonner says
I wish I’d know this before my vacation and that stupid swimming cap couldn’t even stay on my thick hair, so it got completely soaked in the pool water.
Christine says
How about if you are protective styling – braids? I have been researching but nothing speaks to this. My hair has just reached medium (short medium) length, and i really don’t want to struggle with styling it while on vacation. Help, please.
Ky smith says
Are you asking how to care for your braids while away on vacation after enjoying water activities?