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[Article Title]Swimming/chlorine: protecting your skin and hair
[Artical Suimmary] Water Article
[Article Contect]
Water is one of the most important things for our bodies. In it's most natural form that is. That in mind, one could think that swimming -- immersing oneself in a pool of water-- is a healthy thing. The health benefits of swimming are wonderful. However, the very things put in water to protect us from infection are responsible for some adverse effects on our skin, hair and even teeth. The primary enemy? Chlorine, a gaseous greenish-yellow element used for its disinfecting power. There are ways to combat this, as explained below.
One of the most common-- and obvious-- problems affects blondes. Blonde hair is known to turn green because of the exposure to copper (pipes) and chlorine. Skin problems can also occur in frequent swimmers. If you think about it, skin is the largest organ in the body. While technically water-proof, the skin can absorb contaminants from water. While chlorine is said to cause cancer and other ailments, problems to skin and hair are usually not life-threatening. Irritation can occur on the skin and scalp, making for a dry, itchy body and head. Additionally, the Pacific Center for Health says that chlorine can also destroy much-needed proteins in our bodies. Depleted of protein, skin and hair can become very dry. Hair can become unmanageable and color-treated hair can be ruined.
While swimming in a chlorinated pool can heighten the chances of these affects, showering with a filter that remove the chemical can greatly lower the effects of it. (This type of filter also helps in general for households who also may have chlorine.) Also, wetting the hair with non-chlorinated water prior to swimming will lessen that amount of the element that can be absorbed. Also, there are several types of shampoo on the market, such as UltraSwim, and pre-swim conditioning treatments that can help keep hair healthy when swimming. Finally, although not the most attractive accessory, bathing caps are well-suited from totally protecting hair- and as noted above- can help protect blondes from becoming greens. For those with long hair, caps can also help hair from dragging along during laps! Post-swim, keeping up with hair can include shampooing, not using the high setting on the blow dryer and using a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush.
Chlorine isn't the only pool culprit. Water itself (ironically) removes moisture from the skin. There is a layer of oil present on all of our bodies, but once immersed in water, it disappears. This allows for the dryness to set in. To combat this, after showering (following the swim), apply a moisturizer- either a lotion or cream.
And a final tip about swimming and chlorine- don't swallow the water! That could be a whole other article on the effects of that!
