swimming

Warmer temperatures are great for spending time outdoors and taking the kids to the pool for a swim. We usually sign our toddler up for swimming lessons during the summer and that means exposure to chlorine every other day.

Chlorine build-up can really damage hair and make it brittle, sticky and even green! Children’s fine hair is especially vulnerable so being proactive and preventing hair damage is important.

When my son was a lot younger he wouldn’t get his head in the water so his hair was almost dry after being in the pool, but now he spends a lot of time with his head under water!  Here are a few tips to help prevent damage, it’s SO easy:

  • Get their hair WET before they jump in the pool: Soak their hair with fresh water before swimming, that way the hairs are saturated with fresh water and they aren’t going to absorb as much chlorinated water. This is very important.
  • Buy a swim cap:  Swim caps won’t keep the hair dry but they can decrease the amount of chlorine the hair absorbs. Make sure you get their hair thoroughly wet before putting it on. If your child doesn’t want to wear a cap then skip it but ensure they at least have wet hair before their swim.
  • Style their hair before a swim (if long): Braid their hair or pull it into a ponytail or loose bun.  Wearing the hair up will lessen the amount of hair that the chlorine in the water is able to penetrate through.
  • Rinse, rinse, rinse: Rinse the chlorine from their hair immediately after swimming. Rinse their hair with fresh water for about 3-5 minutes to help remove some of the chlorine.
  • Cleanse the hair: Wash the hair with children’s shampoo afterward. We use tear free, hypoallergenic Kandoo 2 in 1 Shampoo, it doesn’t have parabens or SLS and it leaves his hair soft and clean.

shampoo

What do you do to protect your little one’s hair from Chlorine build-up? Have you heard of leaving conditioner in their hair before going into the pool? Does that work?

Disclosure: I received a sample of a product to facilitate my post. All views and opinions stated on this post are 100% my own.