With summer in full swing, most of us can be found lounging by the pool and taking frequent dips to cool down. However, these attempts to stay refreshed may have left your hair discolored, dry and have you wondering if chlorine will eventually lead to permanent hair loss.
Does Chlorine Cause Hair Loss?
Chlorine is commonly used in low concentrations to keep swimming pools clean. The chemical can also be found in your shower water, as it is used in the process of desalination in many countries where clean water is scarce.
Fortunately, if you spend your summers at the pool, you don’t have to worry much about going bald. Research debunks the myth that swimming in chlorinated water can lead to hair loss. While too much chlorine can turn your hair green and leave it dry and tangled, it doesn’t cause balding.
However, it’s important to note that slight shedding might result from scalp irritation, flaking, and dryness that are all common causes of too much exposure to chlorine.
What Chlorine Does to Your Hair
While chlorinated water wont necessarily make your hair fall out, excessive contact with chlorine, has a number of negative side effects.
Dryness & Irritation
Chlorine is a chemical that strips your hair of its natural oils, leaving your scalp dry and easily irritated. As soon as your hair is in contact with chlorinated water, it starts to lose its natural shine, starts to weaken, and becomes visibly dry. Have you realized how difficult it is to comb through your hair after going for a swim? That’s because the chlorine caused your hair’s proteins to weaken.
Breakage & Split Ends
Since chlorine weakens your hair, and removes the oils that help maintain its natural shine and smoothness, hair strands are easily damaged. By simply brushing or combing your hair, you’ll notice unwanted dryness and excessive split ends.
How to Protect Your Hair From Chlorine
While chlorine doesn’t lead to balding, it still has negative side effects on your hair and skin.
Surprisingly, the simplest way to alleviate the negative side effects of chlorine is by wetting your hair with clean water just before getting into a chlorinated pool. Your hair will absorb the clean water, keeping it moisturized before it gets in contact with the chlorinated water. The barrier of clean water helps block and reduce the damage done.
Make sure to wash your hair immediately after swimming in chlorinated water and shower in clean water by installing a shower filter that eliminates 98% of the chlorine in your shower water.
Luckily for you, you can minimize the damage done and still enjoy a good swim and healthy hair and skin!
