How to deal with chlorine's negative effects

[Winged Mermaid]

Although we'd prefer saltwater or other non chlorine pools, chlorinated pools let us swim when weather or location prevents us from swimming in natural bodies of water. Yet there are SO many reasons to hate the stuff. It hurts the yes, wreaks havoc with our hair, irritates our skin, even damages our tails and accessories. So what's a mer to do? This thread is for discussing how fight the bad effects of chlorine from swimming.


Eyes

The effect to the eyes is the most prominent and most annoying. Swimming with a mask or goggles is good prevention, but it's not very pretty and doesn't do well for photo shoots, or professional for those who are pro. Besides goggles and not opening your eyes until you need to, there are a few things you can do.

Underwater models have recommended the use of eye lubrication products as a preventative before going in the water. Not only to lessen the sting by creating a protective barrier, but to also help prevent the reddening of eyes by constricting the blood vessels. We're not talking any mere eyedrops here! One of the brands recommended is "GenTeal Lubricant Eye Gel". It's a gel, not a drop, which is probably why it works better that protecting the eyes. There are other brands and types of eye lubricant gels and ointments that you can look for as well.

I've also heard from a member of swim team that a drop or two of cod liver oil in each eye helps with both, but I have yet to find any sources that verify this. It has also been said that drops of milk in the eyes help as well, although mostly for salt water. Use either at your own risk.

The other thing you can do is to rinse your eyes out immediately afterwards. Fresh water will work, but you can also use eye rinsing products as well.
I picked up Bausch & Lomb Eye Wash at my local grocery store. It notes that it removes chlorinated water, and it comes with a sterile eye washing cup as well.
I've also heard good things about Swift Eye Rinse which is sold as an emergency and safety eye wash.

Eye wash cups can also be bought separately in reusable and disposable forms.

I've found, and verified with others, that the best course of action is to use an eye gel before entering the water to give you a protective barrier, then useing the eye wash after exiting. If you are in the water for a long period of time and your eyes get excessively irritated- use the eye rinse to rinse your eyes, then reapply the eye gel to your eyes before going back in the water. (Otherwise you rinse away the gel from before and it may sting MORE than before going back in without reapplying the gel first.)


If you have frequent irritation of the eye after swimming, as your doctor about anti-inflammatory eye drops. The common prescription is Acular/Acuvail (ketorolac) - it's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for your eyes. (It's also used to treat moderate-severe itching from allergies and inflammation after cataract surgery.) It will decrease inflammation and stop itching. There is no over the counter version.

Safety Note: It's usually common to have visual disturbances after a long time opening your eyes in chlorinated water, usually for about an hour after. If you have visual disturbances lasting more than 3 hours after you get out, go to a doctor. These can include seeing halos around light sources or things reflecting light (rainbow/white/colored halos), blurry vision, hazy vision, trouble focusing, hurting eyes, ect. If it's after hours, go to urgent or emergency care. This can be a sign of a chemical burn from too high chlorine and/or swelling to the degree that it's putting pressure on things it shouldn't be, and there can be lasting damage in some cases. You only have one pair of eyes- better safe than sorry.


Hair

Chlorine wreaks havoc on hair. Fact is, that you can wash your hair multiple times and the chlorine can STILL stay in there and continue to damage your hair. Sometimes you can even still smell it after 8 washes. I speak from experience! Truth is, you need special products or treatment to get it out of your hair. People have thought that regular shampoo did the trick only to have their hair turn stiff and crunchy, then start melting off. Some swear that a simple clarifying shampoo can get it out no problem, but I like to not leave anything to chance.

Little Orca, or Merlissa, made an excellent comprehensive thread on care for mer hair. I highly recommend you read it. Here are some key points:

-Pretreat your hair with conditioner, oil, or specialty sprays before swimming.
-Wet your hair with fresh water FIRST before swimming. If you hair soaks up the fresh water there is less room for the chlorinated water to get in.
-Reduce the surface area of your hair by putting it in a braid or bun. This allows less contact with the chlorinated water.
-Use a swim cap when you can. No, it's not very pretty, but if you're just practicing/training then it can do your hair a lot of good to avoid the water as much as you can. Frequent swimmers recommend even pre treating hair with oil/conditioner/spray, putting up in a bun, putting a fabric cap then a silicone cap over that for the best coverage.
-After you're done swimming, wash your hair. DON'T WAIT until the next day! The longer it's in your hair, the more damage it does.
-Use specialty shampoos, conditioners, sprays, and/or rinses to strip the chlorine from your hair. Diluted apple cider vinegar and unflavored unsweetened club soda are popular DIY made rinses. Here is a list of other products:

Ion swimmer's shampoo
Ion swimmer's conditioner
Ion swimmer's leave in conditioner
Ion swimmer's clarifying treatment
Ultra Swim shampoo and conditioner
Triswim Shampoo
Triswim Conditioner
Paul Mitchell Shampoo Three, Removes Chlorine and Impurities
(Note: Every day swimmers say this works extremely well, but maybe a bit too well, and it's best to use this once a week, not daily, and to use something like Ultraswim daily instead).

Tip: If wanting to use oil, a faster and less messy way of applying is to get the oil in a spray can. Coconut oil is particularly popular for using on hair, and can be bought in cans like this- Essentially like pam spray, except instead of vegetable oil it's coconut oil (I've also seen olive oil if you prefer that). Just use the can to spray the oil straight into your hair before swimming! Coconut oil and olive oil sprays can typically be found at health food stores like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, ect.

For hair, skin, suits, ect:
Swim Spray

There are other brands, but these appear to be the most popular and well rated.

-Lastly, use a deep conditioner to repair hair and restore moisture. I like to use a deep conditioner or hair mask every now and then, or once a week in the summer when I'm in the pool often. I leave these in for at least 30 minutes before rinsing out. There are many many brands for these- do your research and try a few to find what you like best!


Skin

Another good reason to shower off after you've had a dip! Chlorine likes to dry out and irritate skin. Washing with regular soap/body wash does well for most. However for those with sensitive skin, or for those who swim frequently, you may want some specialty products to help your skin out. There are several brands that make swimmer's body wash and lotion to keep your skin from getting irritated. Here are a few:

Triswim body wash
Triswim lotion
Ultraswim moisterizer
Swimmer's Own Body Gel
Derma Swim Pro


Suits and Tails

Bathing suits and tails both can degrade with exposure to chlorine water. The fabric looses elasticity, fades, puckers, sags. I've learned rinsing with fresh water is better than nothing, but it does far from stopping the effects. Some vouch for a diluted vinegar and water solution can help if you want to try an at home DIY solution.

To take care of your tail, be sure to read the Tail Care and Maintenance thread. The main point to take away is to ALWAYS rinse your tail, no matter the material, with fresh water immediately. Using a soft sponge to wipe the surface of latex, silicone, or partial latex/silicone tails can be helpful to make sure to get it all off.
It is recommended that you not only rinse your tail afterwards, but if at all possible take steps to neutralize chlorine as RINSING IS NOT ENOUGH to protect your tail from it's damaging effects. If you do so or not is up to you, just keep this in mind as a factor in the longevity of your tail.

A cheap and easy way to help with this is to give your tail a baking soda rinse or soak. Chlorine is acidic, so it makes sense that to neutralize this a base such as baking soda would be effective. Some members vouch for this method in increasing longevity of their tails. This method should be used immediately after (within 24 hours) swimming in chlorinated water. For a rinse you can fill a bucket or other container with water and mix in baking soda, then pour it over/in your tail- then rinse with fresh water. For a soak, you can fill a container (many use their tub for tails that are large and can't be folded, for fabric tails a bucket may work fine) with water and stir in baking soda then place your tail in the water making sure to cover as much of it as possible. You may want to use something as a weight to keep the material of the tail fully submerged. Some use also place their accessories, swim wear, and other equipment in the bath along with the tail to care for those items as well. How long you leave it is up to you- most do either a few hours or let it soak over night. The ratio of baking soda to water hasn't been established- most just use their best judgment. However baking soda is a very benign substance- I imagine it would be hard to "over do it" to the point of any kind of damage. Just be sure there isn't so much that it doesn't dissolve in the water. Be sure to rinse with fresh water after then dry.

For fabric and perhaps even neoprene based tails, here are specialty washes to get the chlorine out. Remember to hand wash, not machine wash.

Solmar Corp Suit Saver
Speedo Swimsuit Cleaner
Summer Solutions Suit Solutions
Swim Spray Chlorine Remover


Accessories

Chlorine eats and fades, and accessories are no exemption. Good rule of thumb- if it was in the water, rinse it with fresh water, pat it dry, and let it air dry the rest of the way before storing it. This goes for fashion accessories as well as any other accessories, including goggles, nose clips, neoprene socks, even cameras.

When it comes to tops, bra based ones with straps will lose elasticity really fast if you don’t take good care of it. I recommended using the swim suit washes on the straps if at all possible. After that greenery tends to fade and break down next. Stay away from hot tubs with the greenery if you don’t already, as it can fade or even strip the color from faux greenery.

A baking soda rinse or soak (see above in suits & tails section) can also be effective in preserving your accessories as much as possible.



If you have any more tips feel free to share them!