I color my hair too and have had good luck with the following tips (from my hairdresser):

- when you first color, wait as long as possible before washing, this allows the color to 'set' better. I try to color on Thursday, then make it through until Sunday before washing the first time (tough when you're training a lot)

- use high quantity, sulfate-free shampoos. It's amazing how many products that claim to be for colored hair actually strip color themselves. My favorites are Pureology and Tigi S Works Color Savvy. They are expensive, but really make a difference. I also use styling products from Pureology b/c it's not just shampoo than strips your color, but harsh styling products can as well.

- shampoo as little as possible. Try just rinsing with water if you need to restyle but your hair isn't really dirty. (I have a hard time with this one and often shampoo 2x/day)

- Apply a color protecting conditioner before swimming, and always shampoo afterwards to get the chlorine out.

- Use a sunscreen spray (Aveda makes one) to protect your color during time in the sun.

These have all worked well for me, and my color does surprisingly well given as much as I wash it :)

Thanks for the tips Elsa. I love my red but it fades quickly enough as it is. <sigh> The price of beauty.

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Sabrina

I have red hair (colored) and have had my hair either colored or high-lighted forever. I have always been told to wet my hair (in the shower) and apply conditioner before swimming. Next, to wear a cap or even 2 caps....my pool has colder water so I wear a nylon cap (from Keifer) and then a regular swim cap. Do not rinse out the conditioner. This has really helped extend my color as well as keep my hair softer. I don't do this routine when I am swimming open water....probably no access to a shower plus it is the chlorine products in a swimming pool that trash your hair.

KK
Meow

Rinse your hair thoroughly with fresh water before you get in the pool. When I started doing this I no longer heard my hair dresser tell me how terrible my hair was.

I just pretend chlorinated green is fashionable

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

LOL you may abe on to something there

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Sabrina

I wet my hair before swimming and after I use BES Colour Lock Purifying Shampoo and Conditioner which claims to remove chlorine while maintaining hair color. I get my hair highlighted blond about every 3-4 months and find myself needing less color touch-ups since using this.

Now if we could prevent goggle marks around the eyes, we would be in business!

Cheers!

That's just crazy talk Erika. If we didn't have google marks people wouldn't ask us if we'd been swimming and therefore open up the perfect opportunity to bore them w/training details.

Seriously though I would love it If I could get the Cholorine smell out of my pores. When I have clients at the gym and we start to sweat I smell like the pool.

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Sabrina

Erika-

Swedish goggles. No eye marks. Takes a while to get used to, but once you do, and have figured out how to fit them, you'll love them. And they are a lot cheaper.

Rising with fresh water before getting into the pool helps the hair absorb less of the chlorine, i tried the leave-in conditioner but my swim cap kept sliding off (and i tried both the silicone & latex caps), wash w/ shampoo & conditioner immediately after swimming.

Also, don't forget the sun & sweat from training/racing. Use a conditioner spray with SPF for riding, running or just being outdoors in the spring/summer. Also, a leave-in conditioner heps for afterwards, Garnier nutriesse has a color-shield leave in conditioner.

Wash with shampoo/conditioner will protect color-treated hair. My colorist said all of the brands ($-$$$) work equally well.

Best of luck :)

>>Now if we could prevent goggle marks around the eyes, we would be in business! <<

Oy, wait till your on the back side of your 40s, no matter how loose I wear my googles, and get no leaking, I still have the tell tale signs.

>>>>>>>>>Hair color, I echo most everything: the biggest, wash hair sparingly. I only wash my hair on "pool" days.

I also use a heavy duty swim cap, and the #1 most important, per my hairdresser, drench your hair with water before swimming.

I also use Redken's Color Extend Shampoo. But I believe any brand in this category will work.

Yep- I agree with rinsing prior to entering the pool and also put conditioner on it as it coats the hair, protecting it from the chlorine. I think you should actually shampoo as quickly as possible to remove all of the chlorine and use a clarifying shampoo - I use Aveda Rosemary-Mint.

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Tracy M. De Soto
Femme Designer/CFO/Attorney
De Soto Sport

I would say have you ever tried the TriSwim shampoo/conditioner line?
The stuff is miracle in a tube.
I swam in college and wish that that stuff had been around.

Give it a go.... i bet if you contacted them and asked for a sample, they'd send you some....just not sure if the sample sizes will help out for long-term.
I put the conditioner on wet hair before I put my cap on (always wet your hair before you put your cap on!).... then double up after my swim.
It's miracle stuff... plus they are so in love with supporting women in tri, the CEO is giving girls products in their goody bags for the GOTRIbal Fest day long event on October 17. YIPPPEEEE!!
(if you're intersted, it's gotribalnowevents.com)


Love it.
Tanya

I also wanted to add that my hairstylist repeatedly tells me that your hair color is affected by the SUN - and UV rays. The sun will fade your dark color, and lighten your highlights (yikes!). Since I am outside nearly every day training, I was really interested in a possible solution.

She gave me some Pureology UV protectant spray - a trial size bottle and says she uses it for her own (dark colored) hair and believes it helps slow down the fading process. The bottle says to spray on and brush through towel-dried hair, but my stylist says you can spritz it on dry hair as well.

I saw a Loreal version in Walgreens the other day, too.