Written by Melodie Garcia, Hairdresser at Golden Ocala.

With school out and the hot weather among us, many people venture out to the pool to enjoy their summer days. Some do not realize that chlorinated pools can be very damaging to your hair. Chlorine can be so damaging that it can change the color of your hair! No worries- with the right information and tools, you can protect your hair this summer. There are many ways to prevent chlorinated water from damaging your beautiful locks.

What Chlorine Actually Does

Don’t let chlorine ruin your hair

If I had to describe what chlorine does to your hair, I would compare it to pouring acid on your car’s brand new paint job. Chlorine strips the sebum, the natural protective oils, from the outer layer of the hair. Once chlorinated water has coated the hair, it eats away the sebum like a Pac-Man, breaking the cuticle down and causing it to crack. Chlorine can give your hair an artificial shine at first, but once the outer layer is broken down, the hair begins to peel and split. Once your hair begins to split, cutting off the ends or treating your hair with a fiberceutic treatment is the only way to repair your hair.

Chlorine and Your Hair Color

Since chlorine causes the hair to be very dry and brittle, this can create extreme color fading. If you have darker hair, chlorine can fade your hair to an orange color. If  you have lighter hair, chlorine can make your hair a greenish shade. Also, when you expose your hair to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, your hair can turn up two to three shades lighter.

How to Reverse the Effects of Chlorine

Treat your hair every time you swim!

The old fashioned way to treat the effects of chlorine on your hair is with baking soda and water. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a little water until it becomes a paste. Rinse your hair right after leaving the pool and apply the baking soda and water mixture. Massage it into the hair for a few minutes and rinse the hair. Follow this treatment with shampoo and conditioner.

Swimmers Wellness by Malibu

The other method is using labeled clarifying hair care products. These products will remove all the chlorine build up from your hair. A favorite line of mine, which can be found at Golden Ocala Salon & Spa,  is Swimmers Wellness by Malibu.  Every time you swim in a chlorinated pool, wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and follow with your regular shampoo and conditioner.

To give your hair extra protection when swimming, coat your hair with conditioner before entering the pool. You can use this method with either the baking soda treatment or the clarifying shampoo treatment.

For all the committed swimmers out there, a swimmers cap can be a very helpful way to prevent chlorine from damaging your hair.

Enjoy the summer poolside by keeping your hair looking its best! Take a look back at our blog for more helpful hair care tips!