Found: A Post-Swim Hair Care Routine To Prevent Breakage

If you frequent pool days or spend hours in the ocean, you're likely familiar with the dry, crunchy texture your hair takes on post-swim. You may find your hair is more difficult to detangle or feels extra dry after taking a dip. If this sounds like you, here's a hard truth: That pool or ocean water isn't doing anything good for your strands. 

While aftercare is essential, you may be able to prevent some of the dryness by prepping your hair correctly. Anderson recommends finding a hair oil you love and lathering that on your strands before diving in. If you don't have a hair oil on hand, you can rinse your hair with fresh water instead. 

Because chlorine and saltwater have the power to strip your strands of hydration, it's best to rinse out that water as soon as you can. The longer it sits in the hair, the more harm it will do. Plus, it'll be easier to brush out later on, if you choose to detangle. Beyond drying out your strands, salt and chlorine can also steal your hair's shine, resulting in a dull, lifeless look.

When you do wash your hair, you'll want to be mindful of the products you''re reaching for. If you have blond hair, you can benefit from using a purple shampoo post-swim (our favorites here). "Chlorine can definitely tint your color, especially for blondes and those with highlighted hair," Anderson says. "So I recommend using a purple shampoo to pull out any unwanted brassy tones that may have been a result of the chlorine."

So you've rinsed the chlorine or saltwater out of your hair, cleansed, and conditioned. Now, you'll want to follow up with hydrating leave-in products. Run a leave-in conditioner through your strands after stepping out of the shower (here's a list of our top picks). Then reach for a hydrating hair oil like the Legendary Amazon Oil from Rahua. If you want to give your scalp some extra TLC, you can add a scalp serum as well. 

Diving into a body of water on an extra-hot day feels delightful, but you may be exposing your hair to more harm than you think. This doesn't mean you should avoid swimming altogether; it's just a reminder to take the time to care for your strands both pre- and post-swim.