How to Protect Hair from Chlorine Damage in Pools and at Home

Warm weather is perfect weather for swimming in the pool. While swimming in chlorinated water, chlorine begins damaging hair follicles. Follicles dry out. Hair follicles become brittle and start to dull. Learning how to protect hair from chlorine means:

• Understanding how chlorine damages hair.

• Proactively focusing on hair protection from chlorine.

At Yao Secret, we want you to enjoy the pool all spring and summer long but still step out of the pool with a head of healthy hair. 

How Does Chlorine Damage Your Hair?

Chlorine is a great disinfectant forpools. But it interacts with hair follicles in ways that aren't so great. By understanding how chlorine affects hair, you can protect hair in pool water this summer. Chlorine can:

• Strip away natural oils: Imagine your hair as a bunch of tiny straws. Those straws have a natural coating that helps them stay strong and shiny. That coating is made up of oils your body produces. Chlorine is like a super-powered cleaner. When it comes into contact with your hair, it's really good at its job – cleaning. Unfortunately, it's too good. It strips away that protective oil coating on your hair, leaving those tiny straws feeling dry and brittle.

• Change hair colour: Pools often have a small amount of copper in them. Chlorine mixed with copper creates a green substance that sticks to your hair, causing your hair to have a green tint. Chlorine can also react with hair colour, especially treated or dyed hair. Bleached hair often turns green. Black hair can fade.

• Make hair more fragile: Chlorineweakensthe hair shaft, especiallywhen natural oils are being stripped away from the hair, making follicles more prone to breakage and split ends.

Swimmers can learn to prevent chlorine damage to hair. But first, it’s imperative to know how chlorine affects your specific hair type.

Does Chlorine Affect All Hair Types Equally?

Dyed, straight and permed hair reacts differently to chlorine. All hair types are susceptible to damage from chlorine. The following are especially at risk of damage:

• Thin hair that is already brittle.

• Blonde, red and brunette colors are all at risk of potential hair color changes.

• Straightened hair, through procedures such as hair relaxers, can weaken the hair follicles and cause them to become brittle.

• Darker hair can be made dull. If the dark hair is from colouring, chlorine can strip the color to make the hair look dull and have a brassiness to it.

All hair types should protect hair from pool water - especially chlorinated vs salt water pools.

 

6 Tips on How to Protect Your Hair from Chlorine Damage

Protecting hair from potential damage after going in the pool is easy once you know the tips below.

1. Create a Conditioning Shield

Leave-in conditioners protect hair from chlorine and stop damage to the cuticle. Apply a conditioner before going into the pool. The additional moisture from the conditioner will prevent excess drying - a main concern with chlorine.

2. Rinse and Wet Hair Before Swimming

Chlorine oxidizes with hair that is dehydrated. Rinse the hair prior to going into the water with tap water to soak the hair and reduce the amount of chlorine that absorbs into the hair. Use an outdoor shower at the pool, if available.

3. Rinse and Wet Hair After Swimming

A good five-minute rinse after exiting the pool will remove most of the chlorine. Use a rice water conditioner and a gentle conditioner after the initial rinse. Harsh hair products can amplify hair damage.

4. Gently Cleanse the Hair With a Mild Shampoo

Mild shampoo should be used for the next few showers. Chlorine buildup in the hair won’t come out with one shower. A mild shampoo will remove the buildup and avoid stripping the hair of natural oils.

5. Wear a Swim Cap

Swim caps protect hair by blocking it from chlorine. Caps keep hair neatly protected and add an additional protective layer between chlorine and hair. Avoid swimming underwater when possible.

6. Use YaoSecret Products

YaoSecret knows how to protect hair in pool and formulates every product with natural ingredients that strengthen hair and moisturize it.Rice water conditioner and aFermented Rice Water Treatment Mask both help restore damaged hair.

Use these products in the shower before and after swimming.

How to Fix Chlorine-Damaged Hair?

Hair damage is not permanent. You can fix damaged hair by:

• Applying a mild shampoo to the hair to rid it of excess chlorine buildup. 

• Conditioning again and again. 

• Deep condition the hair if a regular conditioner does not work. A deep conditioner will restore moisture to the hair and reduce long-term damage.

• Consider a professional protein treatment to add vital proteins back to the hair.

Hair that is extremely damaged from extensive chlorine exposure may take months to return to its vibrant pre-pool exposure. A stylist can recommend strategic hair care treatments to fix your chlorine-damaged hair.

Takeaway

Chlorinated water isnot the same as tap water. Learning how to protect hair from chlorine water and its impact on different types of hair is a step in the right direction. Anyone swimming in pools should wash their hair immediately when they get out of the water and use a quality shampoo and condition.

Proactive measures, including wearing a cap and conditioning hair before going into a pool, reduce potential damage from chlorine.

YaoSecret’s products are formulated to revitalize damaged hair and can help fix chlorine-damaged hair.

FAQs

What are the signs of chlorine damage to hair?

Protecting hair from chlorine is possible. Swimming in the pool once or twice a year is unlikely to cause severe damage to a person’s hair, but chlorine hair protection for frequent swimmers is recommended.

Signs of chlorine damage to your hair include:

• Turning coloured or blonde hair green 

• Hair breakage

• Split ends

• Brittle hair

Can I use natural remedies to mitigate chlorine damage?

Focusing on how to protect hair from chlorine damage will help increase hair health and allow for a carefree time in the pool this spring and summer. Yao Secret’srice water shampoo bar helps protect hair from chlorine by gently cleaning the hair and removing harmful chlorine.

A natural conditioning treatment will restore moisture lost in hair-drying chlorine.

How often should I wash my hair after swimming to remove chlorine?

The best way to protect hair from chlorine is to not go in chlorinated water. But sometimes, a day in the pool is in order. Wash your hair immediately when you come out of the pool. 

Follow all of the tips on how to protect your hair from pool water in the guide above and use a deep conditioner.