Anyone here swim a lot? My wife and I have started going to the local pool on a daily basis, and our hair is really getting beat up, where it constantly feels sticky, and gets tangled easily. Our normal shampoo just doesn't cut it anymore. Can anyone recommend a really high quality shampoo that helps fix pool hair? My wife has fine hair, and I have to get something that fights oily hair.
I was a swimmer in high school and I swear by the Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three. At least that's what it was called when I used it. It just had a big "3" on the bottle. Available only in salons. It can be used daily without damaging your hair and takes the chlorine right out. Edit: I found the stuff on Paul Mitchell's web site. Shampoo Three.
As a cheaper alternative, rinsing your hair in a 5% solution of citric acid is also supposed to work. You do this the last thing after washing and you don't rinse it out. In addition, doing this is supposed to be good for your hair and scalp. You should be able to find citric acid at better drug stores. It is completely safe. You can even drink the stuff, which is why some drug stores have it.
The thing that will really help is rinsing your hair in plain shower water a couple of minutes before you enter the pool, and use a good conditioner after you swim. Bill, a three times a week swimmer.
I had forgotten about what Bill recommends. Some years ago I went swimming several times a week and soaking my hair with tap water first made a big difference.
They actually sell Paul Mitchell at Walgreens now, so its not limited to salons. There are also numerous "anti-chlorine" shampoos out there and most should work fairly decently.
After I'm done swimming I go to the showers and rinse my hair out. You should do the same to your swim suits and goggles to make them last longer. I've gone through about 8 speedos/suits that literally fall apart and fade to white after usage. Goggles just get lost or stolen so I don't really take care of them. A swim cap can keep hair dry. I don't see anything wrong with wearing a cap, especially for girls. At every meet a team cap is encouraged. Some more advice is to stretch and warm up and cool down. Also try zoomer swim fins to strengthen the lower body. One of my favorite sets was called a waterpolo 75. First butterfly across then go the next 25 underwater, and freestyle sprint to finish. Those got tiring, especially when we had to do 20 or more as punishment. Another drill for breath control is to breath every 3 strokes then every 5 strokes, then every 7 strokes. Sorry, got carried away.. there's a special shampoo designed for swimmers formulated for chlorine removal but that was too expensive for my wirey hair.
I don't think chlorine actually gets into your hair... the deal is that water in general and especially chlorinated water will dry out your hair, so you just have to re-moisturize it, so to speak. Here's a description and suggestions. When I was on swim team, I rinsed my hair before swimming and washed it right afterward with the soap at the pool, and my hair was ok.
Two words: Aubrey Organics They make the best shampoo, and trust me, I've tried them all. You can order directly from their site and they make a Swimmers Shampoo as well. Best of all, there is NO SLS in their shampoos which is a harsh ingredient 99% of all shampoos have, even the fancy salon brands. http://www.aubrey-organics.com/produ...product_id=072 Jeff
