Tips on child drying hair after school swimming (prep age)

[FlorenceCraye]

Would anyone have good tips on how a child with long hair (prep school age) can quickly dry their hair themselves after swimming lessons at school?

Aim is to minimise sickness and days off school that may be caused by spending the remainder of the day with wet hair in cold temperatures.

Any tips, including special towels, techniques or tools greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

Swimming hat?

Swimming hat and hair tightly braided back?

That sounds like I'm being sarcastic, but seems an easy solution

If it's plaited up with a rubber swim cap on it shouldn't get too wet. Colds are caused by viruses, having damp hair in a warm classroom shouldn't make her ill.

I can solve this for you. Wet hair doesn’t make you sick- you can stop worrying.

Thanks so much for ideas, unfortunately we tried swim cap / tight braids in a number of versions and don't work (not as ridiculous as it seems, purpose of hat is to protect pool from hair and streamline swimming not keep hair dry).

Also unfortunately, wet hair in cold temperatures compromises immune system both per scientific studies and per practical experience (PM for details if you find it of interest). As result makes it much more likely that a virus/ bacteria/ pathogen takes hold rather than being fought off by immune system, as it would be without the the weakening of the system.

So, still looking for any tips :) thank you very much in advance.

Shorter hair?

No idea what age prep school is.

But as a long time swimmer the only thing you can do to dry hair quickly is cut it short.

Long hair takes time. Even with access to hairdryers etc.

So weigh up the benefits of cutting her hair and if you think the reduction in sick days is worth it then go get it cut. Shorter the better.

There are no other “tips and tricks”.

Don’t sit on radiators, will you- that definitely gives you piles.

Plait up over head. Hold in place with a soft elastic Alice band. Put swim cap over. Won’t keep it bone dry but nothing will.

Turbie towel helps take the immediate wetness off but nothing will make it 100% dry other than a thorough blow dry

I would tie it back in a low tight plait for swimming to keep it as untangled as possible then get her to squeeze as much water out as she can before undoing the plait and leaving it loose. If she’s allowed it loose. It should dry in an hr or so u less it’s very thick?

But in all honesty thousands of children come back from swimming with wet hair and seem to survive.

And if you cut your child’s hair against her will because you think having we hair gives you colds she will be justifiably pissed off
with you.

Try some different swimming hats, they work for my dd. Needs a v high bun on top of head to work. You can some shaped for long hair & a big bun.
Also blue - surely you’ve heard of prep schools?

Some form of diving helmet, keeps hair dry and minimises the chance of child coming into contact with germs.

As you are paying for a prep school why not ask the school to use some of your hard earned cash to provide hair dryers. It’s what I would do..

Ridiculous. Been leaving the house with wet hair every day since I was 15 (long curly thick hair). Never get colds!!! 35 yrs tried and tested!!

Plaits from pig tails pinned up over her head (like a Dutch stereotype) or a high top knot bun should keep it out of the water.

If not the micro fibre towels are brilliant at drawing water out of hair

A proper waterproof swim cap.

Or shorter hair.

I can’t dry my hair with a towel. I guess a primary school age (?) child can’t either.
Extra vest on swimming days?

You don't get ill from wet hair FFS

"Also unfortunately, wet hair in cold temperatures compromises immune system both per scientific studies" - no it doesn't. Occasional marginal effect, that is all, and not good quality evidence for that either.

But I suspect you are not interested in the overwhelming body of evidence.

The proper advice is to teach DC to tie it out of the way and then crack on with their day. As you probably won't go for that, and as this school is a prep which will have reasonable or good nurse cover, then I recommend you supply the medical room with a hairdryer and insist your DC goes to blow dry during first break after swimming.

(please DNA I be a fly on the wall when you ask?)

I've just done a little googling. There seems to be naff all proper evidence on wet hair and catching infections.

But quite a good paper about being outdoor with wet hair on cold, windy days leading to split ends (or 'fragilitis' as Classic Corrie was calling it, in a pisstake)

Wet hair on a cold day is most unpleasant but that’s about as far as it goes surely.

How do the other girls in the class manage to dry their hair? Does the class have unusually high levels of children off sick around swimming lessons in the winter?

A microfibre turban type thing was all the range amongst the girls at my DD's school to help dry their hair a bit more quickly.

I'm very at the idea of wet hair causing illness though, I'd love to see the scientific studies you refer to.

I’ve heard of prep schools but don’t know if they are 4-7 or 7-13, for example. It makes a difference to the answer.

Prep is 7-13. Preprep js 4-7

Oh! That’s funny, I made the age boundaries up. I thought I did anyway.