Why does my hair feel like straw after swimming

Q: Why is my hair crunchy after the pool?

Swimmers hair, crunchy hair, or dry, brittle straw-like hair is hair damage caused by the chemicals used to sanitize pools, especially bromine and chlorine. These chemicals react with your hairs natural sebum and oils that help nourish and protect hair.

When your hair feels like straw, it’s usually due to a lack of moisture. Treatment typically depends on what’s causing the lack of moisture in your hair.

Table of Contents Show

How do I get rid of the straw feeling in my hair?
How do I keep my hair soft after showering?
Why does my hair feel weird after I swim?
How do you fix a straw feeling in your hair?
Why is my hair crunchy after the pool?

In this article, we’ll review the common causes of dry, brittle hair, and what you can do to fix the problem.

Straw-like hair is often the result of common hair care oversights, such as these:

using drying and styling tools (dryers, curling irons, electric rollers, flat irons) at too high a heat setting
using heat-based drying and styling tools too frequently
shampooing too often
using a shampoo with harsh ingredients, such as sulfates, that are drying for your type of hair
not using a conditioner often enough or one that’s designed for your type of hair
not including a moisturizing hair mask in your hair care routine
not being gentle enough when you detangle wet hair
not eating a diet that has enough of the vitamins and minerals necessary to support hair health
having your hair dyed or touched up too frequently
not having your hair trimmed often enough, resulting in split ends
not protecting your hair from the sun with a hat or using product that protects against UV rays
exposing your hair to certain environments, such as a hot, dry climate or the cold, dry air that can occur with a change of seasons
overexposing your hair to chemicals, such as by spending a lot of time in a swimming pool

Dry and brittle hair could be an indication of a medical issue, such as:

Hypothyroidism: When your thyroid gland isn’t producing enough thyroid hormone, one of the first symptoms can be dry and brittle hair.
Hypoparathyroidism: When your body doesn’t produce enough parathyroid hormone, you might have a calcium deficiency, resulting in dry and brittle hair.
An eating disorder: Many eating disorders result in malnutrition, which can lead to dry and brittle hair.

The first step in repairing straw-like hair is to address your hair care routine. Consider adjusting your behavior and the products you’re using. For example:

try lowering the heat setting on your hair drying and styling tools and using them less frequently
select a shampoo that’s appropriate for your hair type and reduce your shampooing frequency
choose a conditioner that’s appropriate for your hair type and use it often
protect your hair from the sun’s UV rays and other environmental factors by wearing a hat, scarf, or other head covering
adjust your diet to include nutritional foods that support healthy hair

If you don’t see results from lifestyle and product changes, make an appointment to see a primary care doctor or dermatologist. They may have other suggestions regarding your hair care. They might also test for underlying medical conditions.

If your hair feels like straw, it’s most likely a problem with moisture. This can typically be repaired by changing your usual hair products and your hair care routine.

If product and lifestyle changes don’t fix the problem, see your doctor or dermatologist. They may test for potential medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or hyperparathyroidism.

When your hair feels dry, brittle, and strawlike, the common culprit is usually a lack of moisture. And the treatment depends on exactly what is causing that lack of moisture in the first place. Here are some of the common reasons for straw hair:

Blow Dryers: Excessive use of dryers and heat styling tools such as curling irons, electric rollers, straighteners will damage your hair and cause split ends.
Washing your hair too often: Shampooing too often means that you don't give your heads natural oils enough time to nourish your hair follicles
Chemical Ingredients: Using a shampoo with harsh ingredients, such as alcohol and sulfates, will dry out your scalp and hair follicles
Wrong Conditioner: Not using a conditioner often enough or one that’s designed for your type of hair
Missing A Step: It can be easy to just shampoo, condition, and then call it a day. Hair, like any other part of your body, needs to be taken care of, and that means including a deep conditioning hair mask into your hair care routine at lease once a week.
Friction: Not being gentle enough when you detangle wet hair will cause breakages and split ends
Diet: Not eating a nutrient-rich diet that has enough of the vitamins and minerals necessary to support hair health will decrease hair growht
Over Processed: Having your hair dyed, bleached or touched up too frequently will cause straw-like hair
Hair Cut: Not having your hair cut often enough will resulting in split ends
Sun: Not protecting your hair from the sun with a hat or using a product that protects your scalp against UV rays
Changing Conditions: Exposing your hair to extreme environments such as a hot, dry climate or the cold, dry air
Chlorine: Overexposing your hair to chemicals from the pool will dry out your hair's natural moisture

Water is classified as hard or soft depending on its mineral content, mainly calcium and magnesium About 85% of us live in hard water territory in Canada, meaning there are large amounts of calcium or magnesium.

More often then not, the root cause of the problem can be the water you use when washing your hair. The water in your very own household can be the true problem making your hair feel unbearable. The problem at hand is the hard water coming through your pipes. Hard water can cause hair to be dry and straw-like which result in split ends that cannot be easily repaired. The process is vicious and you will have to wash your hair more often making it less manageable.

Hard water has a high mineral content, usually containing calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates and sulfates. As the mineral increases, so does the degree of hardness. Each hair is made up of little scales. The hard water tends to make the scales stand up. Creating a rough and tangled feeling. A healthy and cost-efficient way to solving the problem is simply switching from hard water to softer water.

How do I get rid of the straw feeling in my hair?

How do I get my hair soft and silky? The first step in reversing straw-like hair may be as simple as addressing your hair care routine. Consider adjusting your hair habits and switching the products you've been using to something more gentle. If you really want to makeover your current look, you could even trim your hair of all the split ends and start over.

In Addition, try these:

Lowering the heat setting on your hair drying and styling tools, and using them less frequently
Select a shampoo that’s appropriate for your hair type and without harmful chemicals
Use microfibre towels instead of cotton ones when drying your hair, as to reduce friction damage.
Switch to a all-natural deep conditioner that’s appropriate for your hair type and use it often
Protect your hair from the sun’s UV rays by wearing a hat, scarf, or other head covering
Adjust your diet to include nutritional foods that support healthy hair growth

How do I keep my hair soft after showering?

For a long term solution, install a high-quality water softener. Water softening can remove the minerals that cause all dry and straw-like hair. Washing your hair in soft water will leave fewer scale deposits on the hair, getting rid of the constant itchinesss and dead ends. As mentioned above, there are many solutions to temporarily alleviate flat or oily hair caused by hard water, but for long-lasting, continual results, installing a water softener is the way to go.

Soft water requires less soap and fewer rinses to achieve optimal results, meaning your hair will maintain its color and life for much longer. Soft water also balances your hair’s pH level, so you’re left with silky smooth hair after every wash. And, as an added bonus, soft water can help to reduce topical issues such as eczema and dry skin.

This is an investment and long-term solution to solving the effects of hard water on your hair. If you want to keep washing your hair with your water supply, you can easily install a water softener in your home to soften the water before it gets to the house. There are a lot of great water softeners you can buy, and a lot of them are also affordable and easy to install.

Visit Aquatell Today to learn more about the best water softener for you!

Why does my hair feel weird after I swim?

It is actually what is in the water: The pool chemicals (especially bromine and chlorine). These chemicals react with the sebum and oils that protect your hair to leave your hair's cuticle exposed. That sounds pretty scientific because it is. The damaged is caused from a series of chemical reactions.

How do you fix a straw feeling in your hair?

try lowering the heat setting on your hair drying and styling tools and using them less frequently. select a shampoo that's appropriate for your hair type and reduce your shampooing frequency. choose a conditioner that's appropriate for your hair type and use it often.

Why is my hair crunchy after the pool?

Swimmer's hair, crunchy hair, or dry, brittle straw-like hair is hair damage caused by the chemicals used to sanitize pools, especially bromine and chlorine. These chemicals react with your hair's natural sebum and oils that help nourish and protect hair.