Hi,
I swim about 5X a week for an hour each time, have long hair and wear a swim cap. I am finding that the hair all along the edge of my face including what used to be sideburns is getting pulled out...Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas on how to prevent this?
Thanks!
Former Member
Is it a latex or silicon cap? You may find the silicon caps are easier on your hair.
There are three types of caps: silicone, latex, and lycra.
SILICONE caps are the thickest and the warmest of the three types. They also last the longest. One of their big advantages is that their texture is slicker and they tend not to pull your hair. They are more expensive than latex caps, but they last so much longer that they may be cheaper in the long run.
LATEX caps are thinner than the silicone caps, so they tend to be slightly cooler. They are also cheap; if you attend a meet, open water swim, or triathlon where they supply the caps, they're most likely latex. Their disadvantage is that when wadded up in a swim bag they tend to "stick shut" and tend to pull hair. This can be avoided by sprinkling a little baby powder inside the cap before putting it on.
LYCRA caps are made of swimsuit fabric. Because water goes through the fabric, they're the coolest of the three types. A lycra cap won't keep your hair dry, obviously, but it will keep it out of your eyes. They're good for swimming in hot pools in the middle of July (here in the Midwest, anyway). They last about as long as a lycra swim suit, which is only a few months for me.
If a different type of cap doesn't solve your problem, you might try putting a little bit of hair conditioner on your hair (at least the hair where you're having the problem) before pulling on the cap.
Anna Lea
