Cure for swimming pool hair

[Cineraria]

I have very long hair and although I don't produce much oil naturally, it's never been dry as I don't really use any heat or chemicals on it or wash it more than it needs.

I've been taking DS swimming weekly since March and now my hair is awful. It's really tangly and matts terribly when wet, even when it has loads of conditioner on it. When it's dry, it looks very shiny (more than usual) but feels extremely brittle.

Can anyone suggest a product or treatment that might help? Thank you.

Phillip Kingsley Swimcap - it's a product, not an actual Swimcap

This sounds weird but try washing it in fairy liquid to strip all the chlorine off it then use a swim protector product every time you swim.

Make sure your hair is soaking wet with clean water before putting on your swimming hat, means it has absorbed clean water and so doesn't absorb so much chlorine. I sometimes comb conditioner through before putting on swim hat too. The Speedo web site has some good tips:www.speedo.co.uk/news-tips-techniques/swim-proof-your-hair

Ooh, interesting suggestions. Thanks for all of them! Funny, I was expecting more suggestions of conditioning treatments to moisturise it but preventing the dryness sounds even better.

The Fairy liquid idea is certainly unexpected, Neeko; I'm a bit nervous that I'll never get a comb through it again if I do that but I'll give it a try next week after swimming.

Boots do a hair range called Sun, Swim and Gym which might be worth trying? You need to get the chlorine washed off as soon as you can after swimming.

My other advice would be to get the dry ends trimmed off and then use a deep conditioner on towel dried hair, in a shower cap with towel on top for an hour as an at home treatment.
I also love Elvive Extraordinary Oil used on damp hair before drying. You only need a tiny bit.

A clarifying shampoo would rid your hair of chemical build up just as well as washing up liquid but wouldn't be so drying.

I'd suggest wearing a swim hat to be honest - save all the hassle

Another vote for PK Swimcap then I often follow up with PK Polishing Balm I've a bit of a PK addiction though.

Can you avoid getting your hair wet? So just bun it as high as possible and don't dunk under? Prevention is better than cure

I also second the suggestions above to wet it first with clean water or conditioner, or even a bit of oil might act as a barrier.

Don't use washing up liquid on it though!!! It'll strip any natural oils you have left and leave it like straw!! I imagine most standard shampoos will remove chlorine, no need to go overboard.

I have long hair and swim a lot. i use the Boots 4 in 1 Swim and Gym stuff, plus have my hair under a swim hat (TYR long hair), and my hairs in great condition

Thanks so much for all the advice. It's been really helpful.

I think I'm going to get some of the Boots swimming hair protection product, and maybe the dry hair shampoo and conditioner from the same range, initially (I'm in the unpaid part of my maternity leave so not wanting to spend more than needed) and if that doesn't work for my hair, I'll fork out for the Phillip Kingsley one.

The Speedo website's tips were useful too, lilybunch. Thanks for the link.

A swimming cap is probably the best way to prevent damage but I think it wouldn't be ideal for me, I'm afraid, jellie and CMOT as DS thinks that I need to be rescued from anything on my head. He'd spend the entire session growling and attacking it! He is also really, really splashy, so I don't think I could keep it dry either, Aurora. It's quite funny when I hear the other mums there pointing him out and telling their older children to be careful not to splash the baby and then he starts whirling and flapping his arms ferociously like some kind of wild drummer. Today he drenched me from the bust down when he was just in the paddling pool!

I should probably get some kind of conditioning treatment too and I'm interested to hear about the Elvive Extraordinary Oil, ILostIt. I'd need to check if it is useful/ok to use without blowdrying though as I generally just let my hair dry by itself.