My Hair is Not Afraid of Water

Yesterday was independence day and I knew that there would be a lot of water fun involved so I had to prepare my hair. I have come across a lot of African American women who shy away from water activities because of the 'hot mess' of hair that usually follows. However, I know exactly what works for me to prevent my hair from damage if I know I am going to go swimming, go to water parks, or go for a dip in the lake (yesterday I went kayaking for the first time!...it was hard) Here's what I do...

Before entering water I always get my hair really wet in a shower or I just toss bottled water on it. This fills my hair follicles with clean water. If the follicle is already filled with water, this makes it harder for chlorine or any other things in pool water or lake water to get in.

I then seal the water in with an oil. I carry a little 4oz bottle of oil around with me when I know that I'll be doing water activities. Yesterday I used grapeseed oil (picture below). Oil will act as a protective barrier to things in the water that may dry out or damage your hair.

 

I like to put my hair in a bun after this to prevent tangles, but sometimes the bun comes out on its own depending on how much activity is going on in the water. Lol

After all the water fun, I make sure to wet my hair with clean water again and seal with oil. When I get home I will find the closest available time to shampoo wash (if i was in chlorine water i will clarify) and deep condition my hair.

It works for me! How do you protect your hair for water activities?