Hair Loss From Swimming

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Hair Loss From Swimming

October 10, 2007

I have heard many excuses for avoiding swimming. Since it is one of my favorite workouts, I defend it vigorously. One excuse I have heard over and over is that swimming in chlorine makes your hair fall out.

If this is the reason you talk yourself out of swimming laps, just take the quiz and see if it is a legitimate excuse or not.

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13 Comments

mlmoreno47 5 years 31 weeks

My dr won't let me go in a pool with chlorine because of my dry skin! :( I was on the swim team all through my childhood and in high school! I feel like I've lost a good friend!

Soniabonya 5 years 32 weeks

I have a lot of hair and it falls out naturally, with or without the chlorine. Just wear a swim cap if you don't want to get your hair wet, but what's the point of being in the pool if you don't get your whole body enveloped in the water. feels so good. I like swimming in salt pools tho. I think they're safer, no? It's funny, back in community college when other teams came to our pool, they'd complain about the salt and when we'd go to their pools we would compalin about the chlorine.

Soniabonya 5 years 32 weeks

pixelhaze 5 years 32 weeks

I was swim team manager in highschool, so while I didn't compete, I still had to swim in practices. I would always wash my hair beforehand with a Kerastase hair mask and then braid my hair in french pigtails before putting my cap on. That way my hair didn't tangle and the mask protected it really well. Practice was every morning and we had class right after, at 7:30, so we didn't have time for a full shower (just soap), but the mask kept my hair silky even though I didn't wash it. On our team we had African American girls, Asian girls, Hispanic girls. . . . we all had our own tricks.

pixelhaze 5 years 32 weeks

trackstar 5 years 32 weeks

Well, I have to say it's different when your hair is very weak to begin with. As a woman of color, the damage would result in MASSIVE breakage, which is basically hair loss. Probably why a lot of African American/Black women aren't avid swimmers :)

georgie 5 years 32 weeks

People don't really use that as an excuse do they? Damage, yeah, I had pretty dry hair, but... nope, definitely have a full head of hair. Too funny.

anned 5 years 32 weeks

if it were true, wouldn't all olympic swimmers be bald?!!I am an avid swimmer since 4 and now I have highlights that I have to protect. I not only wet my hair, but lightly condition it (without rinsing) to help prevent breakage and protect my color. If you can't get your hair wet prior to swimming, you can dust the inside of the cap with baby powder to help.

anned 5 years 32 weeks

if it were true, wouldn't all olympic swimmers be bald?!! I am an avid swimmer since 4 and now I have highlights that I have to protect. I not only wet my hair, but lightly condition it (without rinsing) to help prevent breakage and protect my color. If you can't get your hair wet prior to swimming, you can dust the inside of the cap with baby powder to help.

esk4 5 years 32 weeks

the only thing that can really hurt your hair is if you use a latex, or sillicone swim cap... it can cause breakage, plus they aren't ment to keep your hair dry... you're actually supposed to wet the hair then put the cap on... I would recoomend a cap made from spandex/ lycra instead