Summer is in full swing. There’s nothing like cooling off at the lake, on a beach, or by the local pool. But all of that water can be hard on your hair. Lakes and oceans have minerals that can break down your hair, no matter where you vacation. Poolwater also has chlorine and other harsh chemicals. If you want to keep swimming throughout the summer routine, take the right steps to nourish your hair and protect it from damage. At Deseo Salon & BlowDry, our professionals know how to manage hair care for swimmers.
What Makes Hair Care for Swimmers So Important?
When you’re swimming in a pool, your hair is constantly submerged in chemically treated water. Chlorine is tough on hair and begins doing damage even after a single swim. Even worse, it’s difficult to remove chlorine once it’s in your hair. Over time, you’ll experience damage to your hair and scalp including drying, irritation, and breakage.
At the beach, salt water pulls moisture from hair. This makes your hair turn dry and brittle. Even freshwater lakes have environmental acids and chemical runoff. This leaves hair more susceptible to further damage from your everyday styling routine, too.
Swimmers need a proactive hair care routine. This includes:
- Protecting your hair before you swim.
- Cleaning your hair after you swim.
- Talking to your stylist about long-term hair care.
Before You Swim
The good news is that there are myriad ways to protect your locks from damage. The best way to keep your hair safe from chemical damage is to proactively treat it with moisturizing oils. Hair care for swimmers starts before you even dip a toe in the water. So build a routine that fits your daily lifestyle with these key elements:
- Take a shower: When your hair is saturated with water, it cannot absorb as much of the damaging pool or ocean water. Make sure to thoroughly rinse and saturate your hair before taking the plunge.
- Protect your hair with leave-in treatments: If your swimming facility allows it, adding an oil or leave-in conditioner will provide your hair with a waterproof barrier. Fully coat your hair with an oil such as Oribe’s Côte d’Azur Luminous Hair & Body Oil or a leave-in conditioner like Kevin Murphy’s Leave-In.Repair. This creates a strong shield against damaging chemicals.
- Consider a swim cap: If you’re logging serious laps in the pool, consider wearing a latex or silicone swim cap. While it isn’t completely watertight, your hair will not be exposed to as much water during your swim. This also helps prevent tangles.
After You Swim
Don’t let chemicals sit in your hair if you can avoid it. Many pools and lakes have showers where you can rinse out your hair. Even a quick rinse without any other treatments helps prevent salt and chlorine from lingering and damaging the hair shafts.
Once you get home from the pool or your day on the beach, thoroughly wash your hair with professional products. Washing and conditioning your hair after your swim is of the utmost importance. This is not the time to use watered-down drugstore styling products. Using a quality shampoo, conditioner and hair masque including those from Oribe’s Gold Lust line will remove damaging elements and help maintain your locks.
Then gently comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb. Chlorine, sea salt, and playing in the water can cause hair to become a tangled mess. By combing carefully, and starting from the ends and working upward, you release the tangles and prevent breakage.
Professional Maintenance Is Key
Even when you follow all the tips of summertime hair care for swimmers, your hair still requires regular upkeep. Going to a professional salon keeps your hair healthy and looking its best. By regularly visiting your salon, your hairdresser can spot damage before it becomes extensive. Also, while using salon products at home will keep your hair healthy between cuts, your stylist can offer you several in-salon treatments. This will help combat long-term chemical damage and give you more options for styling your hair.
To keep hair in top form, see your stylist regularly for trims and color when you’re spending a lot of time in the water. When you stop by Deseo Salon & BlowDry, ask about our in-salon treatments to repair and transform damaged hair, including our keratin treatment, deep conditioning treatment, and the revolutionary Olaplex series.
Taking care of your hair doesn’t have to mean spending summer on the sidelines. With an ounce of prevention and a little extra follow-up, your hair will stay in peak condition while you enjoy the season. Book an appointment here so you can keep swimming without worries.
Frequently Asked Questions: Hair Care for Swimmers
How does chlorine damage hair, and how quickly does it happen?
Chlorine begins damaging hair after even a single swim. Because it’s a chemical oxidizer, it strips the hair of its natural oils, opens up the hair cuticle, and causes the shaft to become dry, brittle, and more prone to breakage. Over time, repeated chlorine exposure leads to significant dryness, scalp irritation, and cumulative structural damage that becomes harder to reverse. The damage compounds quickly when swimmers don’t use a proactive protection and aftercare routine.
Does saltwater from the ocean damage hair differently than pool chlorine?
Yes, saltwater and chlorine damage hair through different mechanisms. Saltwater pulls moisture directly out of the hair shaft through osmosis, leaving hair dry and brittle. Chlorine is a chemical oxidizer that strips oils and opens the cuticle. Both are damaging, but the effects feel different, chlorine tends to make hair feel straw-like and brittle, while saltwater causes more of a rough, dehydrated texture. Freshwater lakes also carry environmental acids and chemical runoff that can leave hair vulnerable to further damage.
What’s the best way to protect your hair before swimming?
The most effective pre-swim protection involves two steps: saturating your hair with fresh water before entering the pool or ocean (wet hair absorbs less chlorine or salt water), and applying a leave-in protective oil or conditioner to create a waterproof barrier. Products like Oribe’s Côte d’Azur Luminous Hair & Body Oil or Kevin Murphy’s Leave-In.Repair are excellent choices that coat the hair with a shield against chemical damage. For serious lap swimmers, a latex or silicone swim cap adds another layer of defense.
What should you do immediately after swimming to protect your hair?
Rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as possible after swimming, even a quick poolside rinse prevents chlorine and salt from lingering in the hair shaft. Once home, wash thoroughly with a quality shampoo and conditioner. This is not the time for drugstore products, professional formulas like those from Oribe’s Gold Lust line are specifically designed to remove damaging chemical residue while nourishing and restoring the hair. Follow with a wide-toothed comb, working from ends to roots to gently release tangles without causing breakage.
How do you detangle hair after swimming without causing breakage?
Swimming, whether in chlorinated pools or saltwater, causes hair to tangle significantly. The key to detangling without breakage is to use a wide-toothed comb and always start from the ends, working upward toward the roots. Never start at the roots and drag downward, as this forces tangles into knots and causes strands to snap. Applying a detangling or leave-in conditioner before combing makes the process much gentler and helps preserve hair’s integrity.
Do swimmers need to visit the salon more frequently during summer?
Yes, regular professional salon visits are especially important for active swimmers. A professional stylist can spot cumulative chemical damage early, before it becomes extensive and harder to repair. In-salon treatments like keratin treatments, deep conditioning, and Olaplex can actively combat the chemical damage that builds up over a summer of regular swimming. Regular trims are also essential to remove split ends before they spread further up the hair shaft.
What in-salon treatments help repair swimmer’s hair damage?
Several professional in-salon treatments are highly effective for repairing hair damaged by swimming. Keratin treatments smooth and strengthen chemically compromised hair. Deep conditioning treatments restore moisture and elasticity lost to chlorine and saltwater exposure. The Olaplex series rebuilds the internal disulfide bonds that chemicals break down, restoring structural integrity from within. These treatments are far more intensive than anything available in a home care routine and deliver results that standard products can’t achieve.
Where can Denver swimmers get professional hair care and treatment for chlorine damage?
Deseo Salon & BlowDry in Denver specializes in repairing and protecting hair for active swimmers. They offer keratin treatments, deep conditioning treatments, and the Olaplex series, all highly effective for combating chlorine and saltwater damage. Their stylists can also recommend the right pre- and post-swim product routine for your hair type. Located in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood, Deseo serves clients from across the Denver metro who want to keep swimming without sacrificing their hair’s health.
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