Hair stretching when wet

[louiser]

Good Afternoon,

I have naturally dark brown hair which I have had blonde for years before without any problems. After a break of being brunette for a few years I have gone back to being blonde, so far I have had highlights twice.

I went swimming yesterday and washed and conditioned my hair at the pool. My hair was partly dried and clipped in a bun.

Yesterday evening I took a clip out to let my hair dry but found the ends were 'stretching' and looked pumped up?! I have not seen this before but it frightened me no end!

What should I do?! I have never seen my hair do this. I even remember my hairdresser a few years ago whilst bleaching my hair which was red at the time trying to 'stretch' my hair to check it wasn't being damaged and commented on how well it was doing.

Was it the chlorine that did this or is something wrong?!

Thank you for reading x

 

[user 71008]

Do you swim regularly?

You hair is at the minute porous and bleach highlights will have damaged your hair but the chlorine isn't helping Either you need buy specific shampoo to get rid of chlorine for when you do swim or wear swimming hat, you will also need to invest in reconstructing shampoo and condition or hair masks.

Hope this has helped you x

 

[louiser]

Thank you for your reply

I don't swim regularly, yesterday was the first time in ages! I had never noticed the problem before, could it have been the problem even though it was only once?

I was thinking of trying coconut oil, hopefully that could help?

 

[AcidPerm]

Wet hair is stretchy. Assuming that it contracts back without breaking, then that's normal.

Try putting conditioner on your hair (anything will do) before swimming. It will help to protect it from the chlorine in the water.

 

[louiser]

Thank you for your reply,

Some of the hairs broke off, some of them stretched and then were sort of curly?! Some of the hair looked as though it had swelled a bit.

 

[Dnx]

Does putting an oil on your hair before swimming help to protect it?

 

[AcidPerm]

Putting conditioner on before swimming helps create a barrier between the hair and the water.

 

[Dnx]

Okay, but does oil work better? - asking because my 11 yo daughter goes swimming every week, wears a hat and always gets her hair soaked.

 

[AcidPerm]

Yes, oil should do the same job.

It's about creating a bit of a barrier between the hair and the chlorinated pool. If she's diving under the water, it won't be a watertight seal obviously, but it will help.

However, I suggested conditioner because you only need to apply the cheap stuff. You would still wash it out afterwards to remove any slight chlorine residue and prevent build up.

Might be worth experimenting to see which product works best? I'd be interested to know if you discover any significant difference between them.

 

[louiser]

Could the chlorine have caused all of this? I had never noticed this before and the only thing different is the swimming?

 

[vividamnesia]

Chlorine is not good for freshly stripped & toned hair with fragile ends. A decent cut after color services especially for red removal or dark color stripping for lighter target shades need a decent cut after.... meaning a good 2+" off ends for best health results.Chances are your hair will do the same thing when you wash it too.

Coconut oil works well & is light enough to shampoo out easily after.....emulsify if in your hands & apply mid shaft through ends avoid scalp to avoid oily scalp/flat roots.