When you’re new to hair replacement, it’s common to wonder if you can swim in a bonded hair system. Yes, you can still swim in your hair system, but it’s important to follow these simple preventative measures before getting in the water so you don’t damage your hair.
If you swim frequently, we strongly advise you to wear a swim cap.
Be sure your bond has completely cured before swimming
After bonding, wait at least 24 hours for the bond to cure completely before exposing yourself to water of any kind, including excessive sweating. This is very important.
Protect your hair from the sun
While outdoors, we recommend you wear a hat or headscarf to protect your hair from the sun when you’re not in the water.
Before swimming or sun exposure, use a leave-in conditioner that has a UV filter built in. This will help protect your hair from oxidizing to a reddish color and help prevent increased dryness from sun exposure.
Protect your hair from salt and chlorine
Chlorine and saltwater are very hard on processed hair. If you’re willing, best practice is to wear a swim cap.
If a swim cap is not for you, complete these steps before swimming to saturate your hair with “good” water so it doesn’t absorb as much chlorine or salt:
- Wet your hair system with filtered water to saturate the hair.
- Liberally apply a leave-in conditioner on your wet hair.
If you are willing, braid your hair, or wear a tightly-fitted headscarf to keep the hair from tangling in the water.
These are important steps to follow after you go swimming:
- Spray on leave-in conditioner and comb through your hair, gently removing tangles.
- Rinse and condition your hair with filtered water (shampoo as well, if appropriate) as soon as possible.
- Deep-condition your hair system the next time you remove it from your head.
- If your bond feels loose due to the heat outside, jump in the pool or surf to cool down your body temperature and allow your bond to re-cure a bit.
Be careful when combing wet hair! Hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet. Take care of your investment — be patient with tangles. Always start at the end when combing out tangles and work up towards the base. Treat yourself to a seamless “bone” comb for extra protection.