Whether you enjoy a seasonal frolick at a pool party or you’re in the pool year-round, an unfortunate truth of this much-loved pastime means your hair is probably being ravaged by the damaging side effects caused by chlorine.
In short, it is stressing out strands and wreaking havoc on your hair.
Most commonly swimmers notice this in the form of smell - immediately after they leave the pool and the feel/texture of their hair. But what we can’t see immediately is the damage to colour-treated hair and also the damage to the hair follicles.
WHAT IS CHLORINE DOING TO YOUR HAIR?
First and foremost, chlorine is a powerful disinfectant that allows it to quickly and effectively break down bacteria and substances it comes into contact with. This is exactly what it is doing to the natural oils in your hair, stripping them. These oils are important to keep hair flexible, glossy and supple, but also to keep your scalp and hair strands conditioned and hydrated.
So now your locks are void of their natural oils and are becoming more and more dehydrated with every swim. The result of the ongoing dehydration of your hair is looking and feeling dry and brittle, leaving it more susceptible to split ends and broken strands. The health and resilience of your hair are compromised.
Just like your skin, your hair also has a pH balance that needs to be maintained for scalp and hair health. The pH levels of chlorine water can disrupt your hair's pH levels and causes dandruff. Whether caused by chlorine water or not, dandruff is a large contributor to hair loss.
For colour-treated hair, the outlook can be bleak… not only do you have to combat the aforementioned side effects of your daily dip but you will also have that fresh colour fade at a faster rate. Chlorine bonds itself with the artificial colour to draw it out quickly for frequent swimmers.
Have light-coloured hair? It’s not great for you either…. Chlorine is a disinfectant but it is also a bleach that draws out the melanin, which is the element in your hair, skin, and eyes that gives it its natural colour.
In addition to this, chlorine also loves to bond with copper, which is often found in water. When copper and chlorine bond they create a chemical compound with a bright blue-green colour, which will create a green tinge to light-coloured locks.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Before you go swimming give your hair a quick rinse under fresh water and put on a swimming cap this will help to minimise the absorption of chlorine into your hair strands while you’re in the pool, but let’s face it you’re probably not doing this sort of pre-swim maintenance sitting poolside at your mates BBQ. 
So, the next line of defence is post-swim, when your leave the pool rinse off immediately or as soon as possible, this will remove the excess pool water and chlorine. Following this, you need to be using a clarifying shampoo formulated for swimmers to instantly deactivate the chlorine molecules and remove other chemical elements such as copper and remove the lingering chemical smell.
Now the hair is clean it needs to be nourished, hydrated and protected. This is where investing in quality-made, specially formulated hair care products make all the difference. A rich hair conditioner boosted with vitamins, natural oils and potent compounds like zinc that penetrate the cortex of the hair to moisturise, strengthen, smooth and actively increase the thickness of each hair follicle.
To find out more about how a specialised swimmers hair care range can improve the quality and quantity of your hair, along with boosting your scalp health explore our HAIR CARE RANGE here