UrbanUpdate

At some point this season, you’re going to find yourself at the beach. Or the lake. Or the pool. Or some other aqueous body, seeking sweet relief from the oppressive heat by way of a long, lazy swim in the cool, refreshing water. Hopefully, you already have. Besides, what’s summer for if not to float for a bit?

Unfortunately, though, swimming can come with a whole host of unwanted side effects for your locks, including bleaching and dryness. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re taking a dip in the ocean or swimming laps at the pool, either—if you’re not careful, chlorine and saltwater can both damage that mane you’ve gone to such great lengths to maintain. And so, we’ve rounded up five tips to help you enjoy the water, without your hair having to pay the price.

Use a Pre-Water Treatment

Chlorine may be great at killing germs, in turn keeping pools from turning into cesspools of bacteria and disease, but it can really take a toll on hair, turning it dry and brittle with repeated exposure. That is, unless you first treat your locks with a product designed to keep those symptoms at bay, like Philip Kingsley Swimcap. Originally crafted at the request of the 1st American Olympic synchronized swim team, it’ll protect your hair from salt and chlorine, as well as condition it while you swim. For a more cost-effective option, you can try rubbing coconut oil in your hair before swimming, which’ll help to lock-in moisture and repel pool water.

Rinse Before Swimming

Want to keep potentially damaging agents such as salt and chlorine from making their way into your hair? Then be sure to douse your locks with fresh water the moment before you go swimming. Think of it like this: with your strands already thoroughly saturated, they won’t be able to absorb nearly as much pool or sea water than they would have otherwise.

Try Out a Swim Cap

Admittedly, this isn’t the sexiest option by any means. But if you’re doing laps every day, then there’s no better way to keep your hair from seeing the consequences than to put a physical barrier between it and the water. Probably best not to break it out at the beach, though.

Wash With Purpose

Once your out of the water, the most important thing to do to keep hair looking it’s finest is rinse off immediately. Because, while salt may provide your hair with a lustworthy touch of texture, leaving it to bake into your hair is likely to cause bleaching and split ends, especially for guys with longer locks. And allowing chlorine to sit in your hair all day? Well, that’s just a disaster waiting to happen. So make sure nothing’s left behind by washing your locks with a clarifying shampoo, like Ultra Swim.

Leave-In Your Conditioner

After you’ve rid your hair of anything the water may have left behind, what you’ve got to do next is restore the moisture and shine that it lost by using a deep, moisturizing conditioner. Your best bet? A leave-in conditioner with built-in UV protection. That way, you can leave the beach with just as good a head of hair as when you got there.

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