Since I have a self-imposed ban on returning to the ESPY discussion and going insane battling Ion Beza, I have a new post. Warning - this post is odd but I have been contemplating asking the panel of experts for a few months now.
Here's my problem (one among many), I'm losing my body hair. Does anyone else have this problem who swims a lot? I'm not a nutty swimmer, probably swimming around 7-8 hours per week. mostly indoors. But, I'm telling you, I am disturbed by what has happened to me. My wife is disturbed by the neighborhood women asking her if her husband shaves his legs and dyes his hair (neither of which I do).
I really didn't notice anything until I went to a party with some co-workers and was wearing shorts. The remarks have been unlimited since then. Most commonly I am now referred to as Mr. Bigglesworth, that hairless cat from the Austin Powers movie.
In all seriousness, is this a common problem? Any tips on what I can do to reverse this or mitigate it?
Dear Aquageek -
Phil hit the nail on the head. The alkalinity in your pool is too high. I swim at a YMCA and a couple of times each year the alkalinity climbs too high and I loss all the hair on my arms, legs, chest, and other areas (i.e. pubic hair). All gone.
You can generally tell if the alkalinity is too high because your mouth will feel very chalky after you have been in the water for awhile.
Look on the bright side - sure beats shaving nicks and cuts. :)
Paul Windrath
Your pool is too alkaline. Perhaps you can get some help from the pool manager, but don't count on it. He/she will probably say it tests fine.
A bathing cap will do wonders to keep the hair on your head looking fresh and lustrous - until it starts falling out like mine and Fisch's. Does your skin itch? a moisturizing cream will help.
I seem to have lots less hair on my arms and legs in the past, oh, four or five years. Plus the hair on my head doesn't seem to grow as fast as it used to. Maybe it's age, but the more I learn about pool chemicals...I believe it's the akalinity. I'm an asst aquatic director at a Y where we have two pools to maintain. It is SO HARD to keep chemicals balanced. They are always changing; you have to stay on top of them, all the time.
Regardless of what anyone says, TELL your pool manager. They should do something about it. We listen to our patrons and keep close watch on the chemical levels.
I think Phil was referring to the pH being too alkaline (high) rather than alkalinity. If your pool is chlorinated with liquid chlorine (which raises pH) then the management needs to add muriatic acid (which lowers pH). A high pH will cause the hair loss and cottonmouth/chaulky teeth.
Alkalinity, on the other hand, is a measure of the resistance to pH change and is controlled by adding a different chemical, sodium bicarb, once the pH is balanced to a proper level. Sodium bicard has a negligible effect on current pH.
I know a lot of triathletes and cyclists who intentionally shave their legs. They run around with shorts at all our summer league swim meets and I don't think anyone is too disturbed. But they are pretty buff. Hope you've got that alkalinity problem fixed.
