Hair care

Back in high school, my hair got so damaged from swimming that I could sculpt it into a mohawk with water alone - no gel or mousse needed.  And I didn't wear it particularly short.

It's not that bad now, but it is definitely taking a toll.  You can still get UltraSwim, at least I found some online, and I remember that working well for me in those days.  But surely there are more and better options now than there were in the late 80s.

So I started looking online.  I didn't find a VAST array of products tailor made for swimming, but there are a handful besides UltraSwim.  I also found message board posts asking what shampoos and conditioners are the best for dealing with the effects of chlorinated pools.  Some responders suggested products made for swimmers, while others reported good luck with other types of shampoo and conditioners not made with the pool in mind.  In fact, a lot of reviews of products specifically for swimming said that they were no better than a good regular shampoo.

Naturally I started making notes of these suggestions and looking them up on Amazon to read user reviews.  It was at that point that I noticed my shampoo decision was reaching OCD levels of research, so why not put it here.

Here is what I am starting with at home.

John Allan's Thick shampoo
(giggedy)

When my old shampoo ran out recently, my wife got me some of this stuff for thin hair.  She is not a fan of shampoos with a lot of bad chemicals.  I find the name both humorous and confusing.  Instead of saying "for thin hair," I suppose the name means what you want your hair to be.  It still sounds like a porno name though.

Teatree Mint shampoo

I really like the smell of this one, so I bought it even though I didn't need shampoo at the time.  I'll probably pick up the matching conditioner at some point too.

Rusk Calm conditioner

And finally I have some of my outgoing conditioner.  It and the Calm shampoo have worked fine for me for years, but they are not up to the task of swimming four or more times a week.  Plus I found that their quality has declined lately, with the shampoo in particular getting more watery.

So here is a short list of products I have compiled for consideration.

• Paul Mitchell Three Shampoo
• Aveeno Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner
• Reflect Sports H2O Swim Conditioner
• Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner
• UltraSwim Shampoo/Conditioner

I might start with the Paul Mitchell Shampoo.  That one is a clarifying shampoo that promotes its ability to remove chlorine.  I would probably only use this shampoo right after the pool, if that often.  Whatever ingredients are in there to remove chlorine are probably strong and best used in moderation.  Some people online had good success using shampoo like this once a week, and continuing to use regular shampoo the rest of the week.

I hope using clarifying shampoo once a week works out so I can keep using my thick and minty shampoos the rest of the time.  I'll need to figure out a good conditioner though.  To the user reviews!