Putting a cap on swimmers hair

You’ve probably heard about it, possibly seen it or you may have experienced it yourself; that strange cast of green that reflects from the hair. It can happen anyone, at any age, any texture and with or without an artificial hair colour. The only common factor is swimming in a chlorinated pool or in the sea. Yes, ‘SWIMMER’S HAIR’ is real and in this blog, I take a closer look at the causes and offer some advice on minimising the impact of a favourite pastime on our crowning glory.

Blonde hair, natural or artificial that is regularly exposed to a chlorinated pool or sea water can over time change its appearance by taking on a strange green cast. Dark hair is also going through the same changes but the depth of the hair colour is masking the green although the hair can take on a cool/flat character. The colour is not the only change, swimmer’s hair can also lose its shine, feel rough to the touch and tangle or break more easily. But it is not all doom and gloom, when I was competing in Triathlons my hair was regularly wet from all kinds of different water sources and with a little knowledge and some TLC I was able to keep it long and looking healthy.  

So why green? Copper is the main culprit behind the green hair. Copper compounds are used to prevent the growth of algae, microorganisms, and invertebrates in pool water, though it can be found naturally in some water too. The bleach that is added to a pool may be responsible for oxidizing the metal, but it’s not the cause of the colour. Aside from copper, other metals may be present in water that can colour your hair, including manganese and iron.

Other chemicals that cause damage include bromine, chlorine, and salt (NaCl). Bromine and chlorine (including chlorine from salt) can react with our hair, breaking bonds in its protein, keratin. If you want to know more about the hair structure click here. Salt removes oils from hair, making it dry and then there is the water itself, every time we wet our hair it is placed into a weaker state and this can cause our hair colour to fade and delicate hair more prone to damage. Don’t forget your hair also becomes more susceptible to damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet radiation breaks the bonds in keratin causing roughness and split ends, so do take care of your hair as well as your skin while on vacation, enjoying the sunny days or on wild swimming trips.

You could decide to make a trend statement with the green colour, after all the Statue of Liberty has green hair for the same reason and wears it well, but if green is not your thing here are a few tips to minimise the risk.  

Wet your hair first with clean water; the theory behind this advice is that you cannot fill something that is already full. Ok, the pool or sea water will eventually exchange with the water in the hair but it does help to reduce the length of contact.

Wear a tight-fitting swimming cap, I noticed my silicone caps did a pretty good job slowing down the pool water progress, even after 30mins the bulk of my hair was barely damp after swimming free-style. Again, the water will eventually work its way throughout the hair but the cap will slow down the progress reducing contact time.

Apply some conditioning onto the hair before entering the pool/sea. You can use a spray-on leave in conditioner for a quicker pre-swim-preparation or my favourite was to dampen my hair slightly and apply a regular conditioning followed by my swimming cap. You could also go one step further and invest in a pre-swim barrier product like Philip Kingsley’s Swimcap Water Resistant Mask. The theory behind applying the conditioner is that it creates a temporary barrier reducing the time exposed to the chemically infused water.

Shampoo and condition your hair immediately, or a soon as possible after your swim. This will help to remove any excess copper that has not had enough time to bind itself to the keratin. It also helps to remove any salt or chemical residue that can dry out the hair.

The Fix

• If your hair turns green, you can remove the discoloration by using a shampoo specifically designed to counteract the effects such as a swimmer’s shampoo. You might like to check out this blog assessing different swimming shampoos. Please note these are commercial sites. Or invest in shampoos that claim to have a chelating action such as Hairprint Chelating shampoo or my personal favourite Malibu C Swimmers Wellness. What all of these products have in common is they all contain high concentrations of Chelating agents such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic) that bind copper and other metals so that they cannot do any more harm and can potentially be removed altogether from the hair.
• Glucose crystals, yes that powdery white substance often found in our favourite confectionary. Try mixing with a conditioner and massage gently into the hair. This is a gentle way to exfoliate the hair and scalp. This is my go-to alternative when I cannot get my hands on Wella’s Color Renew or Malibu C Crystals, two very effective anti-oxidative products in the battle against various residues our hair picks up over time.
• A gentle toning or glossing with a warm tone, yes hair Professionals we have the knowledge to counteract the unwanted greenish tones using gentle colouring products. Where the hair has a strong greenish tone, it may be necessary to pre-cleanse the hair with something like Wella’s Color Renew as mentioned above. This is using colour circle theory, placing the opposite tone of red into the hair neutralises the matt. You do need a Professional for this to get the balance right.

• Tomato Ketchup is a home remedy often recommended to counteract swimmer’s hair. The theory behind this is to eliminate the bound metals through acidity and then counteract the green with its red colouring. The theory is sound but in practice it is not great. I tried this myself (I do love a good test) and not only was the experience not pleasant, my hair stank for days, it left the lighten sections of my hair looking very patchy with an interesting mix of red, matt and blonde. It may work for some as I keep seeing it as a recommendation with some great before and after images, so if you fancy a go maybe just test on a small part of your hair first.

A word on clarifying and chelating shampoos

Clarifying shampoo removes build-up that collects on the surface of the hair over time, like hairsprays, styling/care products and some surface pollutants from the environment. They work by exfoliating the cuticle and breaking down the surface residues. On the other hand, chelating shampoos have a different action in that they remove minerals, metals, and chlorine that can cause damage hair, influence our hair colouring process and potentially change our hair colour.

Happy swimming and stay safe

Caroline

PS, I have mentioned a lot of products in this blog, these are either products I have used myself, used on others or I have researched for the blog. I am not paid by any of the manufacturers to mention their products although I am occasionally contracted by Wella Professionals as a Master Color Expert Coach.