My swimming hair regimen...Revised January 2014

I love swimming it’s my keep fit regimen, it’s what I do when I want to relax, clear my mind or just chill out. For the past year or so I have been an almost frequent swimmer. I went regularly once a week sometimes twice in the first half of 2012 then did not swim from early June only getting back into the pool in late September 2012. Life happened I just couldn’t find time to go and when I did something else cropped up and swimming was pushed to the back. But since diving back I have picked it up regularly and gone every month not as often as I would have liked to but I keep a mental swim diary of how often I go. At the moment I try to go once a week sometimes once every other week. I am hoping to get a regular regimen that I can stick to if my schedule allows it but for the moment I go whenever I feel like it I don’t exactly have strict days or times when I go like I used to a few years back.

Took this photo a few years ago by the poolside at the Safari Park Hotel and Casino, Nairobi, Kenya

This is my revised swimming regimen as at January 2014 and I will keep making changes to this page accordingly should I incorporate or change anything in my swimming  regimen.

When my hair is out;

1. Wet hair with tap water
2. Apply a little coconut oil (I do the reverse sometimes; oil first then water)
3. Tie hair into a tucked pony tail or braid the ponytail and tuck it (the ends are tucked into the pony tail I don't like hair all over my face when swimming) before getting into the water
4. Rinse immediately after coming out of the water – several rinses
5. Shampoo wash with a chelating shampoo if swimming on shampoo wash days and deep condition or deep condition then co wash on co wash days. I always do my wash routine either shampoo or co wash at home when my hair is out the only thing I do at the pool changing room is step 4.

When I have hair extensions;

1. Wet hair with tap water and tie into a ponytail before getting into the water (Truth be told I forget to pre-wet my hair sometimes when in extensions)
2. Follow steps 4 – 5 above.  Depending on my schedule and type of extensions on my head at the time I either finish my wash routine at the pool changing room or wait until I get home, this is usually planned ahead so I know what to bring in case I will be washing at the pool.
   
3. I don’t normally co wash in extensions whether I am swimming or not because I use a homemade leave in braid spray which is filled with about 70% distilled water/Aloe Vera Juice give or take about three times a week and that is like a mini wash in itself. I rinse with water on non shampoo wash days and use my conditioning homemade braid spray after. 

Wetting the hair, applying oil beforehand ensures that my hair is saturated and doesn’t absorb as much chlorine as it would had I gone into the pool with dry hair. I would choose overall health over hair any day and will not let my hair get in the way of my swimming instead I let the two complement each other by following a swimming regimen that allows me to swim as often as I want and still take good care of my hair.  I don’t use swimming caps because the few times I have used one water still seeps in and I find them tight and uncomfortable to wear as well.

Questions, suggestions, tips on this regimen and swimming hair care in general are highly welcome just leave them in the comment section below thanks.