Swimming and Chlorine: How to Protect Your Skin, Hair, and Health

Water in its most natural and purest form is one of the most important things for our bodies. In it's most natural and purest form that is. With that in mind, one could think that swimming -- immersing oneself in a pool of water-- is a healthy thing. The health benefits of swimming are wonderful. However, the very things put in water to protect us from infection are responsible for some adverse effects on our skin, hair and even teeth. The name of that very enemy against us is – Chlorine.

Chlorine is a gaseous greenish yellow element used for its disinfecting power. One of its most common and obvious problems is that chlorine affects the blondes. Blonde hair is known to turn green because of the exposure to copper (pipes) and chlorine. Skin problems can also occur in frequent swimmers. If you think about it, the skin is the largest organ in the body. While technically water-proof, the skin can absorb contaminants from water. Although long term exposure to chlorine may cause cancer and other ailments, problems to skin and hair are usually not life-threatening. Irritation can occur on the skin and scalp, making for a dry, itchy body and head. Additionally, the Pacific Center for Health says that chlorine can also destroy much-needed proteins in our bodies. Depleted of protein, skin and hair can become very dry. Hair can become unmanageable and color-treated hair can be ruined. Thankfully there are several ways to protect ourselves from chlorine.

For Hair

• Apply a thin layer of oil to your hair before swimming. You can pour olive oil, baby oil or coconut oil onto your hands and just rub it through your hair to protect it.
• Wet your hair with non-chlorinated water prior to swimming will lessen the amount of the element that can be absorbed.
• Purchase shampoos such as Ultraswim and other pre-swim conditioning treatments that can keep hair healthy when swimming.
• Re-wet your hair frequently to rinse off the chlorine and keep it saturated with clean non-chlorinated water.
• Use a bathing cap to keep water from contacting your hair.
• Add a post-swim routine of deep shampooing, not using the high setting on the blow dryer and using a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush.