Saltwater: Hair Dehydration and Breakage!

Salts are used to cure or "dehydrate" meats as well as to de-ice in the winter.

So as you are enjoying scuba diving, snorkeling, and other water sports at the ocean, please pre-treat your hair!  Those with permanent hair coloring definitely should be on extra alert!

Try to pre-condition the hair with coconut oil before going into the ocean.  Swim caps may also be an option for those with relaxers and permanent haircolor.  A spray leave-in conditioner like the Hawaiian Silky 14 in 1 Miracle worker can also be beneficial to spray throughout the day.

Last year, I definitely saw some breakage from those clients returning from saltwater activities while on vacation.  I just made the connection this year after reviewing one of my clients' profile to trace back where we saw a drastic change in her hair.   Then in my notes, I realized that we relaxed her hair right after her return from a vacation full of water sports.  I only wrote down the "vacation" trip, but I asked her recently if she remembered much saltwater getting into her hair.  The more she pondered, the more she realized that the areas of her hair that we saw the most drastic change was where the hair probably absorbed the most saltwater.

Swim caps may not protect the hair line from the saltwater, but I really encourage extra care with your hair if you are enjoying the ocean.

Have a Great Summer!!!!

Neoprene Swim Cap

These Neoprene Swim caps are basically a "synthetic rubber" head covering that seals out water.  They come in different sizes to accommodate all the modern day big hair.

The Neoprene material alone according to online research is used to make everything from a laptop sleeve to a dive suit.

According to the testamonies on the flyers, this swimming cap seems to protect the hair from wetness very well. I do not know how to swim yet, and I look forward to wearing my locks without a swim cap when I do go swimming.

However, for those who do not want to deal with hair maintenance immediately after a swim, I believe that this swimming cap will do the trick.

My only concern is that because it is a synthetic rubber, it acts like a supersized rubber band. I did not try the cap on at the Bronner Brothers hair show but it looked snug yet comfortable.  Rubber historically has been taboo for breakage when it comes to hair so just be careful trying to keep your hair dry.

The cost was about $20 at the hair show to purchase.  They look like the picture in the flyer with the neoprene material inside of it.  The brand is "myswimcap."