Long gone are the days when we had to fear the pool or the ocean. You can swim, enjoy the summer and have a neat hair do' in the morning. Here are five easy tips for a happy day at the beach!1. Before heading out, apply a dime size amount of leave-in conditioner (preferably ones with sunscreen built in) to your hair in small sections. A liquid leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle might be the easiest to apply.
2. Try and keep your hair up and under a hat or scarf for as long as possible. This will help protect your hair and scalp from the sun.
3. Go for a swim!
4. If possible, at least try to rinse out the chlorine or sea water. If not possible, cover hair with hat or scarf until your return home. Then, wash and condition with a super moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. If you can leave the conditioner on for 20 minutes, that would be great!
5. Apply a moisturizer. Braid hair is small, uniform sections and let air dry overnight. In the morning, undo braids, separate curls for a nice textured look! Here is a picture of what my hair looks like the next morning.
Hope this help! For more tips and techniques, join me at www.healthytextures.com and on my social network at www.healthytextures.ning.com.
Comments: (10)
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By: Ashley on 7/06/2008 2:32PM
I love this idea
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By: jenny on 7/12/2008 9:48AM
My daughter and I spent a week at the beach and we had our hair braided. My daughter spent a great deal of time in the hotel pool and the water at the beach. We did not wash the hair every night because her hair was braided. When we returned home from our trip. I washed and conditioned her hair and it started to fall out. She had a relaxer in her hair 2 weeks before we went to the beach. I do not think the chlorine and the relaxed hair were good for the pool or the beach. My daughter had to have her hair cut off very short. It is very hard for african americans to enjoy the pools and the beaches because some of our hair textures.
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By: Nichelle Greaves on 7/12/2008 10:54AM
My daughter has a perm in her hair and she goes into the pool every day, what i've learnt from personal experience is that as soon as you're finished bathing in the pool/sea you must wash your hair and deep condition regardless if it permed/braided or natural. The salt from the ocean and cholrine from the pool will destroy your hair if it's not rinse out.
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By: Velynda on 7/12/2008 2:20PM
I am 24 and have been getting relaxers since I was 5. I began swimming competitively when I was about 8 or 9. I still love the water, salt and chlorine. I have always had a full head of long hair. I have even swam in chlorine pools the very next day after receiving a relaxer. I wouldn't suggest this to anyone, but I know it was ok for my two sisters and I because our mom always made sure we would wash and condition our hair everytime it got wet. With swim practice 5 days a week in the summer, blowdrying was not a smart idea, so we would air dry and braid our hair to get different looks and keep our hair healthy! My hair was very strong. I still use the wash and braid technique. I actually had my hair that way for about 2 straight weeks in June! I love it. I too, am about 10 weeks post-relaxer. I find that I do not need to get relaxers every 6 weeks anymore, as long as I am willing to go with the "natural look" (as natural as I can get since I have relaxed hair) every once in a while. I encourage black people to use the braid and air dry technique. It gives your hair a break from the heat and straightening! Good luck to those of you who haven't been using it previously!
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By: woman on 7/13/2008 10:38AM
To #2 Jenny, my apologies to you and your daughter for her hair falling out but, you have to know just because you have braids does not mean you do not have to wash your hair immediately after swimming. Being black does not mean that you can non enjoy swimming you have to make sure you take care of your hair that is all. Wash it condition it braid it up and let it air dry. If you already have braids (extensions) you still have to wash them.
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By: Nicole on 7/14/2008 12:34AM
As a child I went to summer camp and the beach where I swam as much as possible. I am now a adult and continue to do so and have never applied any deep
conditioners or washed my hair right after swimming, and my hair is very healthy. I vacationed at the beach for a week with freshly relaxed hair and did not wash or condition my hair until i got home a week later. If your hair is damaged I reccomend Aphogees treatment for damaged hair.
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By: Taelor on 7/14/2008 6:00AM
I have braids (extensions) and I am going on a trip on Thursday and I know that I will be swimming atleast once a day. I have been on previous trips like the one that I am on going on and I know that when I wash my hair everday my scalp begins to get really itchy and I begin to get dandruff. Is there somthing I can do to stop the dandruff and itching and still put the nutrients back into my hair that it needs? I have also do not have a relaxer and I never have had one either.
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By: GOOD407 on 7/23/2008 1:01PM
Oiling your hair every two or 3 days is good for Braids and Extension. Just dont use any oils with PETROLEUM OR MINERAL OIL. Once u come from swimming you must wash your her out very good, the salt water and clorine drys out black hair. Also try going on a oil treatment once you come from swimming for about 3 days. Especially in the summer its good to wash hair 3- 5 days instead of every 2 weeks.
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By: joie on 7/23/2008 6:35PM
So..you say, conditioner and moisterizer! I wonder why we people of color need so much extra water in our system...must be our diets...I have so many questions about this. But thanks for the tips...just add moisture!! I'll remember that!!
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By: Elisha on 7/31/2008 2:11AM
That information was fine when I had longer hair but now I have short hair. What is the best option for people with short, relaxed hair to enjoy the water?
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