How to Protect Your Hair Before You Jump in the Pool This Summer

Summers are meant to be spent by the pool, soaking in the sun, not worrying about whether you’re damaging your hair in the process.

Hair that looks and feels destroyed after a summer of swimming isn’t uncommon. Most people blame the pool, but your post-swim shower matters just as much.

Chlorine, mineral buildup, and moisture loss in pool and tap water are the culprits behind your damaged locks.

A simple pre- and post-pool routine to protect your hair when swimming will keep your hair shiny and healthy all summer long.

Pool water is treated with chlorine to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms that cause waterborne illnesses. You’ll find chlorine in pretty much every pool you’ll swim in this summer.

While chlorine is effective at disinfecting, it can damage your hair. Chlorine strips hair of its natural oils and weakens the cuticle, leading to frizziness, dryness, and breakage.

If you spend a lot of time in the pool during the summer, you might also notice your hair develop a greenish tint. That’s a combination of copper and mineral deposits and chlorine.

Dry or color-treated hair is especially vulnerable because the cuticle is already open. It’s prone to soaking in the pool water and chemicals, leading to further damage.

And chlorine isn't only in pools. Municipal tap water contains it, too, meaning the rinse-off shower after a swim can continue the damage cycle if left unfiltered.

Yes. If your tap water is high in minerals (known as hard water), rinsing off after a swim can deposit calcium and magnesium on top of whatever chlorine and copper the pool left behind. This is where water quality at home starts to factor into hair health, not just what happens in the pool.

Protecting your hair before a swim doesn't require a 12-step routine or a bag full of products. A few intentional steps before you get in the water go a long way toward keeping your hair damage-free all summer long.

Hair is like a sponge. Whatever it soaks up first acts as a barrier. Make sure that isn’t chlorine-filled pool water!

Shower before you swim, even briefly, and ideally with filtered water to avoid pre-loading hair with chlorine before it hits the pool.

The signs at the pool to shower before you swim aren’t just to protect water quality!

Leave-in conditioner or hair oil creates a barrier between the hair shaft and chlorinated water. It helps the water slide right off the strand instead of being absorbed.

Best ingredients to look for:

• Coconut oil

• Argan oil

• Silicone-based leave-ins

Focus application on mid-lengths to ends, where hair is the most damaged and fragile.

While not the sexiest option, swim caps are the most effective to protect hair when swimming. You’ll probably choose to take the risk if you swim every once in a while, but serious swimmers should always use a swim cap to prevent hair damage.

There are dedicated pre-swim hair sprays and creams formulated for prolonged chlorine exposure.

Here’s what they do:

• Bond to the hair shaft more aggressively, creating a stronger barrier against chlorine and mineral absorption.

• Repel water rather than just moisturize.

• Chelate metals like copper, which is the main culprit behind green-tinted or brassy hair after swimming.

It’s different from a regular leave-in conditioner. A pre-swim treatment is best for color-treated or chemically processed hair that’s already more compromised.

Putting your hair up into a braid, bun, or French twist minimizes the surface area exposed to pool water. Just make sure to avoid using elastics that break wet hair.

Color-treated or bleached hair: Prioritize barrier products and a swim cap; rinse immediately after swimming.

Curly or coily hair: Deep condition the night before; avoid going in without some protective product.

Fine hair: Lighter oils or water-based leave-ins to avoid weighing strands down.

Natural / locs: Seal with oil, pin up or wrap tightly, consider a silicone cap.

Now that you’ve had your fun splashing in the water, with your hair adequately protected, keep the momentum going.

Follow these tips after a day at the pool:

• Rinse with filtered water as soon as possible — don't let chlorine sit.

• Use a clarifying or swimmer's shampoo to remove mineral and chlorine buildup.

• Follow with a deeply moisturizing conditioner.

• Avoid heat styling on the same day if possible.

Rinsing hair with unfiltered tap water can reintroduce chlorine just when you're trying to remove it from the pool. A shower filter certified to remove chlorine will keep your hair chlorine-free.

Air drying is gentler than heat, but letting chlorine-saturated hair sit wet for extended periods can weaken the hair shaft over time. Rinsing thoroughly as soon as possible after swimming is more important than how you dry it.

Saltwater and chlorine cause different kinds of damage. Salt dehydrates the hair shaft, causing dryness and brittleness, while chlorine strips oils and weakens the cuticle.

Ocean swimmers aren't off the hook from protecting their hair when swimming. The pre-pool steps we mentioned apply just as much before a beach session.

Protecting your hair doesn't mean skipping the pool — it means building a before-and-after routine that covers both ends of the chlorine exposure.

Shop the Weddell Duo shower filter and follow the pre-pool and after-care routines to keep your hair healthy and shiny all summer long.