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Every swimmer remembers their first case of swimmer hair.
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Morning practices outdoors followed by indoor competition, her days were spent mostly in chlorinated water.
My school friends thought it was cool because I basically got my hair bleached without going to the salon.
However, in reality, it was just completely dead.
It didnt bother me at the time, but the majority of my ends were dried up and straw-like.
Whether youre an Olympian or complete novice, pool water can be very harsh on strands.
What Is Swimmer Hair?
Causes of Swimmer Hair
Swimmers hair is pretty easy to spot.
Another dead giveaway is discolorationoften a green tint, especially on blonde hairto colored hair.
Chlorine can cause color to fade and change, explains Williams.
Both Garshick and Williams stress the importance of finding products that will infuse moisture into strands.
My curls love moisture and my hair is very long and thin so it gets weighed down easily.
All of the hairs are a mess in the back of my head because of my swim cap.
Garshick explains that a big part of treating swimmers hair involves removing that chlorine build-up and restoring moisture.
I attempt to stick to my same routine while Im traveling for meets [and] the Olympics.
My hair always struggles when I change up my routine so I gotta stay consistent, says Smith.
Her favorite brands include Kristen Ess, Dae, Aveda, Olaplex, and Ouai.
I bounce between these brands a lot, but they have never done me wrong, she says.
My biggest tip is to rinse off immediately after getting out of the pool and putting aleave-in productin.
Aveda
Rosemary Mint Purifying Shampoo
AVEDA
Olaplex
No.
She always brought a blowdryer and leave-in conditioner to my training sessions, he says.
He rinses his hair post-swim, after every workout and always conditions whenever he showers.
The product he swears by:Pantenes Curl Perfection Conditioner.
[The conditioner] is good for my curly hair; it maintains a healthy level of moisture.
For her moderately wavy hair, she focuses on combating the constant dryness she experiences from the chlorine.
Her holy grail go-to is Moroccanoil.
I ensure to always pack the frizz shield spray and a hydration mask, she says.
Thehydrating shampooandconditionerare two of my faves.
Another pro tip: wear a soft silicone cap.
I attempt to stop wearing latex swim caps as much, she says.
They can be rougher on your hairline.
I also found that keeping it at a shorter length makes it easier to maintain and keep hydrated.
This ensures that I can keep my hair healthy while traveling, practicing, and competing, she says.
So daily hair washing is a must.
She then finishes with a spritz of thePantene Miracle Rescue 10-in-1 Multitasking Sprayto detangle hair.
