The Not-So-Dirty Facts About Chlorine: Part Two
Last week, we sunk the “chlorine burns my eyes” myth. This week, we want to continue with the chlorine theme and discuss how it affects your hair.
As we noted in Part One, chlorine is a cleaning agent and a chemical bleach. It’s a great disinfect of harmful bacteria in the water, but it’s so powerful that it strips the natural oils from your hair AND it has the strength to change your hair color! According to Hairfinder.com, a brighter or bolder hair dye color, with a blue base (ask your hairdresser!), can possibly tint hair green because of the bleach.
However, it’s not just the bleach in the chlorine that’s dying hair. Scientifically, SwimUniversity.com explains that when a pool is overloaded with metals in the purification system (specifically copper), chlorine works to oxidize those metals. This process also binds proteins in the hair strands, producing a green tint in the hair whether it’s dyed or not.
In order to prevent chlorine from damaging your hair color, here are some simple solutions:
- Shower as soon as your get out of the pool. There are shampoos and conditioners that are specifically designed to remove chlorine from your hair, but any immediate rinsing should help.
- Wear a swimming cap. If you intend on staying in the pool and/or swimming under water for longer periods of time, the easiest way to prevent chlorine damage is to keep your hair covered.
- If you own a pool, always test your pool water for metals. Check out our full list of services to learn more about our water testing program. Additionally, Rising Sun Pools also sells water purification products that do not use metals, such as copper, to kill algae.
Give our team of highly-trained pool experts a call at 919-851-9700 today and ask about our cleaning products or our pool maintenance services!