What causes "swimmer's hair?"

Swimmer's hair can be the result of such factors as acidic water (low pH), iron or manganese in the water, and electrolysis from water moving through recirculation pipes at excessive velocities. It is seldom caused by the water treatment chemicals in a properly maintained pool. It is always a good idea to wet hair with tap water before entering any pool or spa to minimize the absorption of chemicals by your hair. It is also important to rinse hair after swimming.

Health and beauty experts recommend using a leave-in conditioner on chemically treated hair before entering a pool or spa. The best preventative for swimmer's hair is keeping the pH in the 7.2 - 7.6 range, avoiding over-treatment with PristineBlue® and using PristineClean on a regular basis. Refer to the Pool & Spa Care Guide for complete instructions. There are commercial products available should hair discoloration occur. Below is a list of some of these products. Discoloration can also be removed by washing the hair in a mild vinegar solution followed with a mild baking soda solution to neutralize the vinegar, or rinse hair with warm water containing dissolved aspirin.

Alared (manufactured by Redken)
Baby shampoo
Shampoo containing chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediamene tetracetic acid)