Effects of Chlorine ?

The pool water really affects my hair. mo one can tell if I am going gray or bleached blonde. Only my hair dresser knows for sure. And my hair is always like straw. It looks like I over do the gel. I have used shampoo and conditioner after swims but they do not seem to help with the brittleness. Thoroughly wetting my hair before I get into the pool seems to be the best defense. With short spiky hair I look like an old dude trying to look like a 20 something stud. Although I doubt anyone would still card me at the liquor store. Evan here in Utah. A side effect is always having my sheets smell like they do at a Holiday Inn.

Thanks for the diverse and helpful replies! I'm going to try and fit em all in. Keep the thoughts coming, please.

I use Derma swim pro on my skin as a pre-swim lotion which works really well for me. I used to get itchy shins really badly to the point of a rash until I started using this. Plus I could always smell the chlorine off-gassing at night in bed, it was aweful! I sometimes use a small amount of conditioner after wetting my hair which helps a lot. (I used to also have the straw hair issue as well as the 'green hair' issue! LOL) :) J

The main problem chlorine poses for me is my hair. It has become a bit unmanageable. So I deal with it with hair gel. Maximum hold hair gel. It can feel like I've used some form of epoxy resin on my hair, but I like knowing it is going to stay where it is supposed to be.

Bag Balm. I know the concept of it is gross, but it works like a charm on really dry patches, hands, feet, and elbows. http://www.bagbalm.com/

I find that showering helps... And then when I get there: Tri Swim - Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Lotion! That's all I need, that stuff is the best!

My hair has always been dry and horrible looking till I went to a new hairdresser. She had me use Eufora product, I used the urgent repair shampoo and cream rinse. After 40 yrs of swimming my hair looks wonderful.

I use Derma swim pro on my skin as a pre-swim lotion which works really well for me. I used to get itchy shins really badly to the point of a rash until I started using this. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who gets crazy itchy shins.

I have no problems in the summer, when I run around in shorts and tank tops, getting lots of fresh air and the sunshine vitamin D. It starts in the winter, when I can't go our without covering up and I spend less time outside anyway. By March, my skin is a mess. Vitamin D supplements help, but are not enough. Do people who live in warmer climates have the same skin issues that we in the north have?

I've tried many different products over the years. However, what seems to work the best is showering and lotioning up right after getting out of the pool. It doesn't seem to matter what I use as long as I use it right away. If I don't shower right away (which happens occasionally when I swim on the weekends), I find that my skin gets painfully dry and it takes a lot of work to get it feeling back to normal. I don't have as much problem with my hair. It is thick, so I've always had to use separate shampoo and conditioner at baseline. I definitely think having a separate conditioner helps with the chlorine, though. Oh, and like someone said, I love the smell of chlorine on my skin. Sometimes later in the day after I swam in the morning I'll lick my skin just to smell it again. It's my second favorite smell (falling shortly behind that organic smell in the air at dusk on a crisp fall evening). I find that no matter what lotion I put on, I can still smell the chlorine. :)