How to protect hair from chlorine, sun and salt water

Why is Los Angeles hard on hair?

Sun, pool water, ocean salt, hard tap water and heat styling all work on the same strand, and in Los Angeles most of them are in play all year. Each one dries the hair or roughens its outer layer.

Together they show up as frizz, dullness, rough lengths and split ends: the sun weakens the protein in the strand, chlorine lifts the outer layer, salt pulls moisture out and hot tools finish the job. Hard water has its own guide.

Is chlorine bad for your hair, and what does it do?

Chlorine is hard on hair because it strips the natural oils and roughens the outer layer of the strand, so hair that swims often turns dry, rough and prone to snapping. Hair that has been lightened or heat styled is more porous and takes it harder.

Healthy hair that is rinsed quickly copes with an occasional swim; the damage comes from frequent swims with no rinse and no conditioner. The diagnosis guide lists the signs of damage.

How do I protect my hair from chlorine before and after swimming?

Wet your hair with fresh water before you get in, because hair that is already full of clean water takes up less pool water, then rinse and condition as soon as you are out.

• Wet the hair with fresh water first.
• Wear a swim cap if you swim often.
• Rinse in the shower straight after, not later in the day.
• Use a conditioner after and leave it in for the time on the label.
• Let the hair air-dry or use low heat.

How do I get chlorine out of my hair?

Rinse with plenty of fresh water straight after swimming, wash with a gentle shampoo and follow with conditioner; a clarifying shampoo now and then takes off the build-up that regular washing leaves behind.

Do not scrub: hair that chlorine has dried is already rough, and rubbing it when wet breaks it. If it still feels coated or like straw after washing, the damage is in the strand and needs repair, covered below.

Does salt water from the ocean damage hair?

Yes, over time: salt water pulls moisture out of the strand, and with sun on top, hair left to dry with the salt in it turns rough and tangled.

Rinse with fresh water after the beach, before the salt dries, and condition. A beach day with a rinse is much easier on hair than a beach day without one. Swimming after a smoothing treatment is covered in living with keratin.

Does the sun damage hair, and how do I protect it?

Yes: the sun's UV light weakens the protein in the strand and dries it out, so hair that spends hours in the sun turns dull, rough and more likely to snap. Hair that has been lightened is more porous and shows it sooner.

A hat or a scarf covers the hair best, and a leave-in protectant made for hair helps on the lengths and ends. The dry, frizzy and heat-damaged hair guide shows how sun damage differs from heat damage.

How do I fix chlorine- or sun-damaged hair?

Cut or dust the ends that have split, then restore moisture and strength with a repair treatment; which one depends on how far the damage goes.

At kruLA hair dusting removes only the split ends, cold hair recovery restores moisture without straightening, and reconstruction repairs and smooths severely damaged hair. The consultation, $0 for 20 min, shows which one your hair needs. Breaking hair has its own guide: how to prevent hair breakage.

What drives the price of repairing chlorine- or sun-damaged hair? Hair length and thickness set the price: at kruLA hair dusting is $120, cold hair recovery is $150 to $300 and reconstruction is $270 to $650, and thick hair adds $30 to $90.

Every length step is on the prices page.