Water, Chlorine, and Pools - OH MY!

[BEAUTYU2U]

I have had a few conversations about the effects of swimming on AA hair in the past week. I work with kids in a summer program.

Convo #1
Kid 1 - Girl, don't you know pool water will eat at your hair?
Me - It's the chlorine that dries it out.
Kid 2 - But my hair is braided up (with extensions) Ms. BeautyU2U, will I be alright?
Me - Um...should be but make sure you rinse your hair really good afterwards. erplexed

Is braids just a good style to keep hair intact before, during, after swimming and/or does it truly protect from the damaging pool water and direct sun?

Convo #2
CoWorker - Aw, you got your hair all wet. It was so pretty before.
Kid - I have to get it washed, get a perm anyway.
CoWorker - Don't you know if you go swimming too many times, it'll take your perm out?
Me -

Can chlorine really take out a permanent (perm) or relaxer? Where did this idea come from in the first place? Thoughts?

 

[arosieworld]

I have know idea but those are good questions. I was on swim team as a child and we went to the beach for the summers so my mother would have my hair braided. After I took the braids out it would be curlier and dry. Now that I have seen my real natural hair I can say that the chlorine didn't take the perm out, but it does do some awful stuff to your hair. The kind of stuff that takes intensive conditioning to get it healthy again. I do know my mother always rises her hair with neutralizing shampoo after chlorine but I don't know if that is wise. She did have hip length hair for 50 years of her life thou.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

A neutralizing shampoo? Hmmm...interesting. :scratchch

 

[starfish]

I have relaxed BSL hair and I swim 2-3x/week and my hair is fine. The chlorine is awful for my colored grays though!!! I use a rinse and will be doing semi-perm to see if it helps.

I use AO Swimmer's shampoo every time after I swim and always condition. I use a DC (Shescentit's banana brulee with bringhaj oil mixed in) 1-2x/week.

I use Aryuvedic powders to strengthen when I get moisture overload from my hair being wet all the time.

My hair is always in a wet bun, year-round and I rarely use heat, air dry and rollers when I want to wear it down.

HTH

 

[healthyhair2]

I swim also. You must rinse the hair VERY well after getting out of the pool. I also use Abba Molasses Purifier which is for removing chlorine and other mineral deposits and stuff. After shampooing 2 times with that I use a Moisturizing deep conditioner. I use haircolor also. I prefer permanent color since I stopped relaxing.

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

Thanks for your insight, ladies!

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

 

[justicefighter1913]

I'm an avid swimmer as well. I've been a water baby all of my life. I know that when I was a young relaxed head, mom would slather Cholesterol (I think it's made by Lustersilk) on my hair before we entered the pool. She would then place a swimming cap over my head and I'd go on in the pool. Afterwards, she would rinse my hair out with swimmer's shampoo (several companies make it). Now as an adult natural head, I pretty much follow the same procedure. The only exception is that I now slather the Cholesterol on my hair and then braid the hair before I put the swimming cap on. HTH

 

[BEAUTYU2U]

^ That sounds like a fabulous idea.