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Naturally curly hair can take a hit while swimming. The chlorine of pools and salt of the ocean can wreak havoc on strands. However, there are things you can do to protect your curls this summer. Here’s our guide on protecting naturally curly hair while swimming. Give these suggestions a try to have beautiful curls all summer long.
Protecting Naturally Curly Hair While Swimming
Protective styles:
When curls are put back into a protective style, it keeps the strands locked inside. This prevents the interior from being penetrated and damaged by chemicals, or sun. It also makes it easier to lock moisture in, which will help protect strands. Make sure not to pull too tight, and remove curls from protective styles regularly to let them rest.
Condition before swimming:
If you’re not going to tuck curls under a swimming cap, consider conditioning or oiling strands before swimming. This will provide a protective barrier between curls and the elements. Do this before jumping in to keep curls safe. However, a swim cap is your best best for fully protecting your curls. Fortunately, there are some cute ones out there!
Clarify:
While we usually tell you to avoid sulfates, in this case it will be occasionally ok to use one. The sulfates will remove chlorine and other build up from your curls, resulting in curls that have been cleansed of chemicals. After washing your curls, shampoo again. Follow up with a thick,moisturizing conditioner.
Avoid heat:
Since curls will be exposed to a lot of chemicals during this process, so try to avoid sticking your curls under a dryer during the summer months. Fortunately, it’s warm enough that strands should dry fairly easily if allowed to air dry. This will give curls time to rest between swimming sessions and keep them from being overly dried out by heat.