If you notice your hair tends to feel drier after swimming in a pool, chlorine is likely to blame.

Chlorine helps cut down bacteria in pools, but it can also strip your hair of natural oils, making it brittle.

A dermatologist for the Cleveland Clinic suggests getting your hair and skin wet before going in the water. This way, they won’t absorb as much of the chemical.

When you’re done swimming, take a shower right away.

“All that chlorine is on you, you don’t want it to sit and continue to cause irritation. You want to get in, take a shower, use a gentle cleanser to get that pool water off of you,” said Dr. Jennifer Lucas.

“And then moisturizing is really important. All of that oil you’ve just stripped off your skin, you want to put it back on. So, especially with products that have ceramides in them or alpha-hydroxy acids. These are good products to put back on your skin to minimize the irritation and the dryness,” Lucas added.
Applying sunscreen to your skin can act as a barrier against the chlorine, dermatologists said.