Pool Hair

Chlorine buildup in your hair can cause it to be less manageable.

Is your hair feeling thick and sticky? Does it have a green tint? Is it hard to brush and feeling heavy and less manageable?

If you have spent much time in the pool this summer, your hair most likely has chlorine buildup. The chlorine and other pool chemicals stick to the hair and sometimes enter the cuticle of the hair where it gets trapped. I see this every year about this time.

While there are things you can do to help avoid this, most people don't realize there is a problem until it's too late. Once you can feel the changes to your hair, it's time to get serious and do some detox on your hair.

The first thing you need to do is cleanse the hair with a clarifying shampoo. Be sure to use professional, high quality products to avoid any more damage. Sometimes a good wash with a quality clarifying shampoo is all it needs, especially if you have been vigilant about prevention and clarify often to avoid heavy buildup. If you are like most people, and wait until you know there is a problem, you most likely need to leave the clarifying shampoo on for several minutes.

Once you have clarified the hair well, you will need a deep conditioning treatment. The clarifying shampoo strips away needed moisture and oils from the hair along with the buildup. For best results, leave the deep conditioner on your hair as long as possible to allow it penetrate the hair as deep as it can. You can find more tips about deep conditioners in the previous blog post.

After these steps, your hair should feel much softer and more manageable. If it still feels like there is buildup left in the hair, it's time to make an appointment and get professional help. Be sure to check your children's hair also. I most commonly see buildup in the older children's hair, due to the fact that they are shampooing their hair themselves, are not as experienced and often times skip a few more days between shampoos.

Tips for Preventing Pool Hair

Use a swim cap.

Fill the hair with leave-in conditioner or clean water before getting in the pool.

Shampoo hair after swimming.

Use clarifying shampoo occasionally to remove buildup before it becomes a problem.

Avoid over processing hair during chemical services.

Keep your hair well hydrated and moisturized.