POLOKWANE – It’s that time of the year when the temperatures begin rising and all you want to do is jump into the swimming pool to cool off. However, it’s best to take care of your hair as the chemicals in a pool can cause damage. Hairstylist, Kgothatso Koma provides tips on how to take care of our hair after enjoying a good swim.
“Before going to the pool, always use a hair conditioner that contains sun protection factor of SPF as this will prevent your hair from ‘bleaching out’ in the pool due to a mixture of chemicals and sun exposure,” she said.
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Kgothatso adds that when your hair is dry, it soaks up the chemicals in the water as it behaves like a ‘sponge’ in water. “I would advise you to rinse your hair with tap water before taking a dip in the pool so that it becomes wet. This helps in keeping chlorine from dis-colouring your hair,” she advises.
She tells Review that when we swim, chlorine strips our hair of its natural protective oils and it is important to protect the hair and prevent it from becoming brittle. “With that being said, you can choose to wear a swimming cap, making sure it covers your whole head, otherwise there’s no point in wearing it. Alternatively, when you swim with bare-hair, make sure you rinse your hair with lots of clean tap water,” she said.
“If you’re swimming away from home, make sure you keep a spray bottle filled with water so that you can rinse your hair before going back home. This way, it will not absorb a lot of chlorinated water. Just after swimming you can shampoo your hair as this will prevent buildup of chlorine,” she said.
If you do not have special hair treatment products, Kgothatso suggests using home remedies such as honey, avocado, mayonnaise and egg yolk. “Mix them together, massage them into your scalp, wrap your head in a towel and rinse your hair after 10 to 15 minutes,” she concluded.
