Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Answering Your Questions: Natural Hair and Swimming






Kenesha Bentley-Mair asks "What are some tips that you have for taking care of natural hair after spending time in the pool?"

With NC having record heat this summer topping in the triple digits, a dip in the pool may be just what the doctor ordered for cooling down and having some fun!  As you can imagine, many of us are taking a dip & we definitely want to treat our hair with tender loving care.

Care for natural hair actually begins before you get in the pool.  According to Nicole Harmon, a cosmetic chemist, your first step should be to rinse your hair thoroughly before entering the pool.  Doing so will fill your strands with the tap water, lessening the opportunity for the chlorinated water to attach to your hair.

Secondly, coat your hair with an inexpensive conditioner and seal with an oil either coconut or olive oil.  Then loosely twist your hair and either pull  back in a ponytail or pin up.  This will prevent your hair from tangling while swimming and minimize those dreaded single strand knots.

Immediately after swimming, shampoo your hair thoroughly and deep condition your hair to replenish the moisture and style as usual.  One recommended product is Aubrey Organics Normalizing Shampoo and Conditioner for an Active Lifestyle.

One of the many freedoms of having natural hair is the joy of being able to spend time in the pool without your hair "reverting" when being relaxed.  Even so, be sure to care for it so that it remains healthy after your plunge!

Have any other questions about this topic?  Feel free to leave any comments or additional questions below!

 Submitted by NaturallyNita

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