5 Tips For How to Protect Hair When Swimming

Pool season is here, so keep your hair healthy through the summer months with our five tips on how to protect hair when swimming. Sometimes treating your hair depends on hair type, where you swim, or the type of water. But some tricks stand the test of time and will help keep your hair healthy regardless of where you choose to swim this summer. 

There are brushes you can use for detangling or for a quick blow dry after swimming. They will help your hair without causing further damage or harming your locks. Spornette has salon-quality brushes that can tackle the task so you can protect your look day in and out. 

Read on for our tips on how you can best protect your hair this summer from chlorinated water, freshwater, or saltwater. Let’s dive in! 

5 Tips for How to Protect Hair When Swimming

1. Consider Decreasing Your Use of Hot Tools

Our first recommendation is a prevention tip to consider this summer. If you can cut back on the number of days you use curling irons, straightening irons, or other hot tools, you will minimize damage to your hair.

Decreasing the use of hot tools is a good idea whether you are swimming a lot or not. You can style naturally using texturizing spray or just pulling hair back with a scrunchie. If you want to use hot tools, always use a heat protectant or a leave-in conditioner to keep your hair healthy and strong. 

 2. Rinse Your Hair Before and After Swimming

Our parents told most of us to rinse out our hair with clean water after swimming as children, but few of us rinse before jumping in the pool. Why is this tip so important? 

Hair is absorbent, just like a sponge. Because of this fact, it will absorb chlorinated water. You can minimize this effect by rinsing with tap water before taking a dip. It makes it more difficult for the hair to soak in the chlorinated water once in the pool. 

To minimize damage and to maintain healthy hair, rinse away before jumping in the pool and wash your hair after with a clarifying shampoo. You don’t need to use a large amount; just a dime size will do the trick.

3. Apply a Chlorine Protectant

If you will frequently be swimming, it is wise to invest in a chlorine protectant. They are many leave-in treatments that also offer UV protection and provide much-needed lubrication to protect against chemicals. 

There are also conditioners specially formulated for swimmers. The conditioners often contain dimethicone which coats the strands, offering a barrier against chlorine damage. 

You can even apply coconut oil or jojoba oil to hair strands to offer protection against chlorine, saltwater, and freshwater. The natural oils provide an added layer of protection against the chemicals. If you don’t like the mess, pull hair back into a braid and then apply. 

It is not a bad idea to consider applying a deep conditioning mask or leave-in conditioner after swimming for additional protection against damage for the long term.

4. Wear a Swim Cap

Even occasional swimmers should consider wearing a swimming cap to protect their hair against the elements. There are many options available now with cute designs so you can make it personal to you! 

There are some tricks to wearing a swim cap: 

• Tie back your hair high on the head into a ponytail or bun
• Wet hair with water from the shower (consider applying a little conditioner). It will make the cap easier to put on
• Open the cap with two hands, wet the inside, pull the cap onto the head
• Tilt the head down. Adjust onto the head, placing along forehead in between hairline and eyebrows
• Use hands to pull the cap down and cover the rest of the head

Swim caps offer the very best protection because your hair will not come into contact with chlorine, salt, or lake water. If you can not find a swim cap, you like then wear your hair in a ponytail or braid to minimize contact with chemicals in the water. 

5. Care for Your Hair After the Pool

It is best to towel dry softly to get as much pool or element water out of your hair. You want to remove chlorine with a t-shirt or microfiber towel. Try to let your hair dry naturally for a little while before brushing. 

Wet hair can easily break, especially when exposed to chlorine in the pool. Once it has dried about 50%, it is okay to detangle with a brush specifically designed for the task, such as The Swizzle Detangling Brush. This brush is made to detangle wet hair without the risk of breaking hair vulnerable to chemicals. 

If you blow-dry after, use a vented brush such as The 9000- MF Anti-Static Vent Brush. Who is this brush for specifically? Women who love to style with a blow-dryer.

It is vented and is fantastic for all hair types and lengths. It is a recommended brush for after swimming because of the anti-static and anti-frizz properties. 

Where Can You Learn More About the Best Brushes for Your Hair?

Spornette has brushes for every occasion and every season. Whether it is summer, winter, spring, or fall, each season brings a new style. 

You need to have a range of brushes to create any style under the sun! Whatever your look, we have you covered with Spornette styling brushes. 

Plus, we have an up-to-date style blog to keep you in the know on how to best care for your locks so you can maintain the look you desire day after day. Now that you know ways to protect your hair from the elements of swimming add one of our fantastic brushes to your cart today! Our brushes are at the heart of every style.