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A while back I joined the gym just to use their pool. I’m on a mission to lose weight and swimming is great exercise. I go 5-6 times a week and sometimes twice in a day (a 20min swim can be great in the afternoon to release tension and stress). The problem with swimming so much is the potential damage it can do to your hair. If you don’t take steps to take better care of your hair, you’ll find it drying out very quickly which isn’t a nice look at all. Even with the amount of swimming I do, my hair is doing just fine. Granted, it could do with a trim, but that was before I began swimming again. Anyway…

A few tips for anyone who wants to get in the pool and keep their hair soft and shiny:

1. Wear a swim cap. This is one of the easiest and best ways to protect your hair. My gym requires a swimcap so it’s an easy answer for me, but I know some folks battle with the idea of wearing a cap. Trust me, anyone who does a lot of swimming wears a swimcap. Yes, it’s not an entirely flattering accessory, but you are there to swim, not flirt.
2. Wet your hair before putting the cap on.This was a new one to me and it is amazing how well it works. Your hair is very absorbent so wetting it in the shower before you put your cap on will allow it to absorb natural water before it has a chance to absorb any chlorinated water. I didn’t really think this would make much of a difference since I had the swimcap on anyway, but boy did it! Don’t miss this step.
3. Condition well. If you are not already using a good conditioner, get your hands on one.  Also consider trying some leave-in conditioners. I would recommend the Amlika Leave In Conditioner from The Body Shop or try the Brazil Nut Moisture Mask. (FYI, The Body Shop does not test on animals so these are great options for anyone concerned about animal testing).
4. Deeper conditioning. Every so often, do a deep conditioning treatment on your hair to help it along.

Posted by Lorissa in Sound Advice |

This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm and is filed under Sound Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.