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Thursday's Health Report: Chlorine to blame for dry skin, hair after a day of swimming
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BATON ROUGE — if you notice your hair or skin tends to feel more dry after swimming at the pool, chlorine is likely to blame. Experts say it is a very common problem.
"Chlorine is a great product for your pool because it helps disinfect it, right? So, it keeps bacterial counts down, it keeps it looking, you know, clear and better for when you swim in it and keeping it more sanitary. The problem is that it's also very drying, and so the biggest thing with your hair and your skin is that they're going to get dried out from going into the pool,” dermatologist Jennifer Lucas said.
Dryness can also cause irritant contact dermatitis, which is a type of rash on the skin. As for your hair, chlorine can strip it of natural oils, making it more brittle. The same goes for your nails and eyes, too. Experts suggest getting your hair and skin wet before going in the water, so they won't absorb as much of the chlorine.
You could also use a protective hair mask, swimming cap, and goggles. It is also a good idea to take a shower right after you get out.
"All that chlorine is on you, you don't want it to sit and continue to cause irritation. So, you want to get in, take a shower, use a gentler cleanser to, you know, get that pool water off of you. And then moisturizing is really important. So 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 said.
Sunscreen is also important before you go swimming. Not only will it protect your skin from the sun, but it can help keep it moisturized and act as a barrier against the chlorine
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