Protect Hair from Chlorine

Female swimmer wearing a swim cap — Photo: New Africa/Shutterstock

Q: Hi. I'm about to start a 30-day intense swimming training course in a couple of weeks, which means I will be in a pool for 10-hrs a day, 5 days a week. As my hair isn't naturally greasy, I only need to wash it twice a week.

Is there any way I can protect my hair from the chlorine so that I do not have to wash my hair at the end of every day?

A: The only real way to do so is to use a bathing cap. Apply a thin strip of petroleum jelly around the edges of the cap to minimize the amount of water penetrating to the hair beneath.

If using a swim cap is unsuitable for you, then you have to accept that your hair will need some treatment to help neutralize the chlorine levels to which it is exposed.

This doesn't mean that you have to shampoo the hair at the end of every day, but you should be using a conditioner on the hair to help neutralize it. Look for a good swimmer's shampoo and conditioner from your local beauty supply shop. This should allow you to neutralize the chlorine without shampooing daily. Simply shampoo every few days.

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See also:

The effect of chlorine on hair

Will chlorine affect the dye in my hair?

A new perm and chlorine

African-American hair and chlorine