A Guide to Swimming (With Natural Hair)
SUMMER IS HERE!
So, the British summer is here in its full glory. You've probably booked a holiday (or two); you've visited ASOS and bought yourself a new bikini; you're at the gym three or four times a week in search of that perfect beach body, but for what? All of that effort simply so you can dip your toes in the water? Why not jump in the sea? Well, it's obvious isn't it, 'black girls don't swim'.
The thing is, there are a few misconceptions around afro-caribbean hair and water that we need to iron out. Granted, if you regularly straighten or relax your hair, swimming can be a tedious (but not impossible). But if you're natural, there really is no reason to avoid water. In this article, I'll walk you through the science of black hair and water, and offer some practical steps you can take to protect your hair.
THE SCIENCE (AND THE MISCONCEPTIONS).
Technically, it's true. Pool and sea water are bad for your hair. Pool water includes Chlorine, a type of bleach that dissolves the oils that keep your hair cuticles together. Sea water includes Salt, which tends to dry out your hair. The thing is, neither is anywhere near as harmful as you perceive them to be.
Let's put this in perspective. Yes, pool water includes Chlorine, but so does the tap water you use to maintain your hair. The perception, however, is that pool water includes significantly more Chlorine, so much so that it will damage your hair. In actual fact, the difference between pool water and tap water is minimal, both contain less than 1% Chlorine (tap water ~0.1%, pool water ~0.3%). Unless you're an Olympic swimmer who spends 6 hours+ in a swimming pool every day, you really don't have much to worry about. Go ahead and enjoy the water!
Ocean water includes a greater concentration of salt (about 3.5%), but Salt isn't anywhere near as harmful as Chlorine. In most cases, simply rinsing out the sea water after a swim will do the job (more on that later).
PRE SWIM: STYLING AND PROTECTING YOUR HAIR
We've established Chlorine and Salt will only have a limited impact on hair, however, you should still aim to limit contact with them. There are a few ways you can do this:
Swimming Caps – Unless you swim regularly (i.e. a few times a week), forget swimming caps. They're a waste of time. They never fit properly, they don't keep out the water, they pull at your roots, and they tear your at your edges.
Rinse First – One of the most under-appreciated methods of protecting your natural hair is rinsing before a swim. The principle here is simple: your hair will absorb the shower water, leaving little room left for the chlorinated pool water to be absorbed. Dive in with dry hair and your hair will instead absorb the more harmful pool water.
I've also heard of women lathering their head with conditioner before a swim but this is a waste of time. Most hair conditioners are highly soluble and will wash away as soon as you get in the water. More water resistant oils like Coconut oil will do a better job of limiting contact with harmful chemicals.
Styling - Styling only serves the purpose of making your hair easier to manage once your swimming session has ended. How you style your hair really depends on what type of hair your have. If you have loose curls that require little maintenance, you may chose not to style your hair at all. If, on the other hand, you have dense coarse curls that are prone to knotting, you may want to twist or braid your tresses into sections to make them easier to detangle once you get out.
POST SWIM: RINSING AND CONDITIONING
Rinse, rinse, rinse. Some suggest you should shampoo after each swim, however, this is only a necessity if you let your hair dry out without rinsing it. Let me explain:
If your hair drys out before you've had a chance to rinse, the saltwater or chlorine will dry into your hair and bind to it. The only way to fix this is to shampoo it out. The problem is, if you swim often, shampooing after each swim is going to dry out your hair anyway.
On the other hand, if you take some time out to rinse after each swim, neither the Chlorine or Saltwater has the chance to settle and bind to your hair. Rinsing straight away will remove the vast majority of harmful chemicals from your hair.
After a rinse, a deep condition is a must (although not necessarily straight away – this can wait till you get home). Ideally, use a moisturising deep condition (as opposed to a protein deep conditioner) which will help to restore lost nutrients.
Don't let your hair hold you back. Enjoy life, enjoy your holiday, enjoy swimming.