Are you feeling upset about your skin damage? If you have no idea what and how to solve it, this article can help you how to prevent chlorine damage to your hair and skin.
Summer is another reason to throw big pool parties and go swimming. Swimming is a great way to work out your whole body, and it also helps clear your mind.
But swimming in public pools can be hard on your hair and skin, and it can even make your skin flaky and itchy.
Some pools don’t have their pH levels checked at all during the day. It’s something that needs to be done every two hours to keep skin and hair from getting hurt.
Because of this, you need to take care of your skin and hair so they don’t get dull or damaged.
Here Are The Some Tips For How To Prevent Chlorine Damage To Your Hair And Skin
This is how chlorine in water can hurt your skin and hair:
1. Causes Sun Damage And Darkening
When your skin is exposed directly to the sun, it speeds up the rate at which melanin is made. Skin already has melanin in it. But being in the sun speeds up this process, which makes the skin darker. Since chlorine water breaks down the barrier on your skin, nothing can protect it from damage from the sun. This makes you get sunburns and tan very quickly.
2. Causes Dryness
Chlorine is a natural irritant. It makes pores bigger and takes away the skin’s natural oils, which keep it moist and healthy. If you get too much chlorine on your skin, it will dry out and become red and itchy. When you’re exposed to chlorine over a long period, it can speed up the aging process and have a huge effect on the health of your skin.
3. Causes of Premature Aging
Have you ever noticed that the tips of your fingers get wrinkled after you wash them? If you stay in a chlorinated pool for a long time, it can be bad for your skin.
As chlorine water gets rid of your skin’s protective barrier, its deeper layers become vulnerable to damage from the outside world. This can break down the protein in your skin that keeps it firm and flexible, which can make fine lines and wrinkles appear.
4. Causes Itching And Rashes
If you have sensitive skin, chlorinated water can make it worse and cause itching, rashes, or swelling.
5. Causes too much sebum to be made, which leads to breakouts
A broken barrier can cause your skin to make too much sebum because it doesn’t get enough water. This is what your skin does to make up for the lack of essential oils it needs. Too much oil may contribute to acne.
6. Good bacteria can be killed by chlorine
The bad bacteria that make us sick can be killed by chlorine. At the same time, it kills the good bacteria and helpful microorganisms that our skin needs to stay healthy. Some studies suggest chlorinated water can destroy vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
7. Conditions got worse
If you already have a skin condition like eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis that makes your skin sensitive, chlorine can make it even worse. When chlorine is mixed with water, it makes hypochlorous acid, which irritates the skin even more. This makes the skin even more dry, flaky, itchy, or rashy than it already is.
8. Burns
If the water has too much chlorine, it can cause chlorine burns. If you are exposed to a lot of the chemicals, it can cause painful blisters and burns.
Tips To Prevent Skin & Hair Damage Caused By Chlorinated Water
Below are some tips that can help you to avoid skin and hair damage by chlorinated water.
1. Wet Yourself Before Getting Into The Pool
No matter if you took a shower that morning or not, you should wet yourself right before getting into a chlorine-treated pool. Not sure why? This is because chlorinated water is quickly soaked up by dry skin. This water gets deeper into the layers of the skin and does more harm.
Organic compounds are also found in perfumes, sweat, soaps, shampoos, and other cosmetics. When these things mix with water that has been treated with chlorine, they can make harmful byproducts and tonic glasses. Chloramines, which are by-products, can be bad for your skin and body.
Taking a quick shower will keep your skin from absorbing chlorine-treated water and stop other problems from happening.
2. Keep your hair and eyes covered
Your eyes have a tear film that keeps them moist and clear, just like your skin has a barrier that keeps germs out. This thin film can be torn off by chlorine in water, which can dry out your eyes and make them feel uncomfortable and burn. So put on your goggles before you jump into the pool.
Your hair is also directly exposed to the chlorine in the pool water, just like your skin and eyes. This can make the skin too dry. So, the best way to protect your hair would be to wear a swimming cap.
3. Befriend Vitamin C
Dr. Dadu says that you should add Vitamin C to your routine. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that keeps UV damage from hurting the skin. Vitamin C applied to the skin can help reduce sun tan by stopping an enzyme in the skin called tyrosinase from making melanin.
4. Use a water-proof sunscreen with a wide range of protection
A lot of people get sunburned when they swim. Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays of the sun. Not only that, but sunscreen also acts as a barrier that keeps the chlorine-treated pool water from touching your skin directly.
Make sure that your sunscreen can’t be washed off by water. Put on sunscreen for at least 15 to 20 minutes before swimming. Every two hours put more on.
5. Moisturize Well
When your skin is exposed to chlorine and other chemicals, it can feel very dry. To keep the moisture in your skin after swimming, you should moisturize it right after you take a shower. Use a gentle cleanser on your face to keep the pH level of your skin stable.
6. Use Lip Balm
Cracked lips can be caused by spending a lot of time in chlorine-treated water. Use lip balm so your lips don’t bleed when you get out of the pool.
7. Keep an eye on the time.
Unless you are in a tournament, you should only spend an hour in the pool. Between 10 am and 2 pm in India, the sun is at its brightest. Don’t go swimming at these times. It’s best to swim between 7 and 9 in the morning or after 4 in the afternoon.
8. Protect your skin’s protection with oil.
Water and oil do not mix well. Before entering the pool, applying a coating of oil can serve as a barrier, preventing chlorinated water from penetrating your skin.
9. Exfoliate Regularly
Once every two weeks, exfoliating your skin can help eliminate dead skin cells that are colored. This can make dark and dull-looking skin look better.
If you swim often, chemical exfoliators with hydroxy acids are a good choice because they dissolve dead skin cells. It can also be found in tomatoes and other plants. They also make your skin barrier stronger and increase the rate at which your skin cells turn over.
10. Rinse Your Skin
It’s crucial to quickly rinse the chemicals off your skin after swimming. You can get rid of chlorine deposits and avoid any skin harm by using an after-swim body wash shortly after exiting the pool or by taking a shower after swimming.
11. Swim Outdoor
Try to stay away from indoor swimming areas. Swimming pools indoors are improperly ventilated and chemical fumes are trapped. This causes additional epidermis issues. Pick a location with a swimming area outside.
12. Maintain Your Hydration
Dehydrated skin will probably feel rough and stiff. However, the hydrated epidermis maintains its suppleness. While swimming, drink some water to keep your epidermis properly hydrated. Additionally, it restores moisture that has been lost to your face and flushes out toxins like chlorine.
Conclusion
Swimming is a wonderful physical exercise and a life skill, but many people are concerned about the chlorine used to disinfect swimming pools. You must have gained enough knowledge by this point about the harm that chlorine can do to the epidermis. Make it a point to follow these guidelines if you regularly swim to avoid having dull, dark, or dry skin. Once you’ve established your routine, you’re ready to go!
FAQs For How To Prevent Chlorine Damage To Your Hair And Skin
There are a lot of questions that come to mind about how to prevent chlorine damage to your hair and skin, some of the commonly asked questions are answered below.
Q.1 How do you save chlorine-damaged hair?
After swimming, you should immediately rinse your hair thoroughly with fresh water and gentle shampoo to get rid of any chlorine buildup. To restore the moisture that chlorine has drained from your hair, use a leave-in conditioner or hair serum.
Q.2 Does chlorine damage hair and skin?
How chlorine affects your skin and hair. Your skin and hair become dry, damaged, and stripped of their natural oils as a result of chlorine exposure. Chlorine eliminates the natural oils that your hair needs to be supple and healthy.
q.3 How can I protect my skin after swimming?
Shower before and after you swim
A brief shower will help to reduce the amount of chlorinated water that the skin absorbs. Take a brief shower after swimming to avoid having your skin dried up by the chlorine water.
Q.4 Does coconut oil protect hair from chlorine?
Coconut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil are examples of natural oils that serve as a barrier to stop chlorine and other pool pollutants from penetrating your hair strands. Use a deep conditioning mask or leave-in conditioner as well for further protection.
Tell Us In The Comment As per your Experience which one is the Best Tip For How To Prevent Chlorine Damage To Your Hair And Skin?
Also, don’t forget to check other articles on World Sports Gear. Enhance your knowledge about swimming and other related sports.
