Swimming: Hair Routine

Titom asks, 'Could you please do a post on your regimen when you go swimming? I am currently taking swimming lessons(hair is in braids) and in spite of putting conditoner in the hair before swimming, washing it with the kiehl swimmers shampoo and AO white camellia shampoo and then gererously using some HEHH as leave in, my hair still feels so dry, and I have 9 lessons to go!'



Before swim routine

1. Hair is always braided (own hair, no extensions - because hair needs to fit in the swim cap)

2. Thoroughly coat my hair in coconut oil the night before.

3. Wake up in the morning and apply some more coconut oil.

4. Get to the pool, wet hair with normal water before wearing a swim cap

5. Swim




After swim routine

1. Wash hair with shampoo (SLS is a must for me)

2. Condition hair, leave for 5 minutes and rinse out

3. Apply leave in, a smidgeon of shea butter and coconut oil, wrap hair in scarf to smush down the fluffy bits. Take scarf off after 10 minutes or so.



Why I do what I do

1. Coconut oil is absorbed by hair and prevents it from swelling excessively when wet.

2. Wetting hair with normal water before swimming allows that water to absorb into the hair instead of the more chlorinated swimming pool water.

3. The swim cap prevents the hair from moving around and protects it from the onslaught as you move through the water. It does not prevent water getting in.

4. I do not coat my hair in hair conditoner before swimming because the conditioner simply ends up in the pool. It is a pet hate of mine to swim in pantene .....swimmers seem to always use pantene - I can smell it and taste it in the water! I know plenty of hair people recommend this but I do not think it is useful in any way.



For an alternative routine - read the two cap and swim band combination and a la Kcurly. (I am still waiting for my lycra cap in the post!) She has great tips featured on both her blogs, so check them both out. She does do the hair conditoner thing and here is her swimming routine