Salt Water Pools & Hair
Swimming pools can be a fun addition to any home, offering a space to cool down during the summer. Salt water systems eliminate bacteria, algae and viruses from your swimming pool, due to the high salt concentration, but swimming in a salt water pool may put your hair at risk for some negative effects. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
About Salt Water Pool Systems
-
The salt content of the water in salt water pools is approximately 2,800 to 4,000 parts per million, much less than salt levels in the ocean. Salt water systems operate by sending an electric current through salt water in a chlorinator cell that separates the water's sodium from chloride. The system releases and dissolves chlorine gas, sterilizing the water.
Salt Water Pools Dehydrate Hair
-
Like chlorine, salt water extracts moisture from your hair, according to the website Longhair, transforming healthy hair into brittle, damaged hair. The salt water suffocates the hair, and in response the hair's cuticle expands to let more air inside. However, once the cuticle expands, more salt water enters the hair shaft through the cuticle, dehydrating the hair from inside and resulting in split ends.
-
Protecting Hair
-
Before entering a salt water pool, saturate your hair with a conditioner, oil treatment or nonchlorinated water. Instead of penetrating the surface, salt water will collect only on the outside of the hair, from which it may be rinsed away.
Alternatively, wear a swimming cap.
-
References
- Photo Credit Water, pool. image by petrovit from Fotolia.com
