Can You Go Swimming With Dyed Hair?

After spending time and money to get your hair freshly dyed and colored to perfection, many people avoid swimming to keep the hair color vibrant.

But is it really necessary to avoid swimming after dyeing your hair or you can go swimming without damaging the hair color?

Can I Go Swimming After Dyeing My Hair?

Yes, you can swim with your dyed hair after a few days but not immediately after dyeing. You have to wait at least 48 hours to swim after coloring your hair.

Fresh or salt water is safe for dyed hair, so waiting 48 hours is enough for swimming in the ocean or a non-chlorinated pool after coloring color.

However, you should wait at least a week before dipping your hair in a chlorinated pool after using permanent hair dye on your hair.

When chlorine interacts with hair dye, it can damage the coloring of your hair. It can rinse out your hair dye or cause it to change to an entirely different color. 

What Does Chlorine Do to Your Dyed Hair?

When chlorinated water touches your dyed hair, the chemicals react with each other. As a result, color can’t ‘stick’ to your hair follicles. Exposure to chlorine will weaken your hair color, either dulling or fading it completely. 

It can also cause a chemical reaction that changes the color of the dye. For example, if you dye your hair blonde, swimming in chlorinated will turn it into a greenish color.

Even if you have dyed your hair black, brown, or red swimming in a chlorinated pool might make your hair color brassy. 

Permanent hair dyes contain chemicals like ammonia. Using one of these dyes increases your risk of color degradation when it interacts with chlorine.

How to Swim With Dyed Hair Without Damaging Hair Color?

Here are three ways you can protect your dyed hair if you plan to swim.

Protect Your Hair from Water and Sun

The best way to protect your hair color while swimming is to protect it with a swimming cap. Not dipping your hair in pool water means no damage to your hair color!

But if you have long hair you might find it difficult to keep all your hair inside the cap. In that case, use hair oil to protect your hair.

If you are swimming in the ocean, hair sunscreen will protect your hair color from being faded by UV rays. 

Rinse Hair Before and After Swimming

Before entering the pool, wet your hair with clean, fresh water. This saturates your hair with non-chlorinated water, reducing the amount of chlorine or saltwater it can absorb.

Once you are done in the water (chlorinated or not), you should immediately rinse it out with fresh water.

You can use shower water or a bottle of water. Ensure the water is cold, otherwise, it may cause your hair dye to fade. 

Shampoo as Soon as Possible

Once you get home after spending the day at a public pool, take a shower. Use color-safe shampoo on your hair, and do not forget to use conditioner.

Doing so will remove any remaining chlorine from your hair. If you let chlorine sit in your hair for too long, it can cause prolonged damage to your hair and its coloring.

So, you should wait at least 7 days before swimming in a chlorinated pool. If you try to go swimming early, the coloring can seep out of your hair and into the water. Additionally, chlorine can cause a chemical reaction that changes the dye color.

FAQs

Before we wrap up, we want to answer a few extra questions you might have.