Can swimming in chlorinated pools damage or bleach my hair?
Swimming in chlorinated pools can severely damage hair, and damage can be cumulative. The longer or more frequently you swim, the more damage. Chlorine is a bleach and it will cause hair pigment to lighten. Color-treated hair may fade, and darker hair may become less shiny. Permed hair — which is already porous and protein-damaged as a result of chemical treatment — will tend to absorb chlorine, becoming further damaged and overprocessed. Chlorine bonds with hair protein and causes the cuticle, the protective scaly outer protein layer that covers the inner cortex and central medulla of each visible hair shaft, to be eaten away resulting in dry, brittle, straw-like, damaged hair. Chlorine will make the hair shaft weak and easily damaged by brushing or combing, and hair breakage and split ends may result. Some long distance and competitive swimmers have even reported losing their hair in patches. Q: What can I do to protect my hair from damage caused by swimming in chlorinated pools? R
