Let’s chat about hair. Hair that belongs to a diver to be exact. After spending hours in the (salt and chlorine) water every day, your hair, particularly long hair, dries out. Its texture feels like straw; it feels stiff; it shoots out in every which direction. We divers covet hair that is not bleached by the sun, although I won’t complain about obtaining free highlights – my hair has never been this blond before! SO, how can we transform our salty tropical island beachy hair into smooth, non-frizzy, amazing hair?
I know for sure that you don’t use a bar of soap to wash your hair. Case in point – Nat. He is one of our Divemasters here at Sairee Cottage Diving (he just finished is DMT with us this month). He has longish hair and apparently closely resembles Jeff Bridges from the movie, Dumb and Dumber. After diving everyday for a few months, he asked the gals how we cared for our hair. Now, his hair looks softer and smoother.
[singlepic id=246 w=320 h=240 float=left]How did he do it? Using CONDITIONER. Rules No. 1, 2, and 3 of diving hair care are condition, condition, condition. I would even suggest skipping the shampoo, but I know that this philosophy doesn’t work for everybody. I have curly dry hair, so I haven’t used shampoo in ten years.On Koh Tao though, I have had to step it up in the conditioning department. Not only do I condition my hair every day, but I also use a leave-in conditioner – both before and after a dive. My hair DRINKS this moisture like there is no tomorrow.
Some of my friends use 100% coconut oil on their hair. Apparently, it may help seal the hair cuticles, which allows the hair to retain its moisture, and it may keep the hair follicles from absorbing salt water. Bonus: your hair smells delicious. Other friends use Moroccan oil. It smells amazing and saturates your hair with much needed nutrients. Feel free to go online to investigate the pros and cons of using coconut oil and Moroccan oil.
[singlepic id=247 w=320 h=240 float=right]Once you are in the water, what is one to do with your hair? Do you let it free-flow? Braid it? Pony-tail it? It really is a personal preference. I have noticed that if you let your hair free-flow under the water, it has the potential to become massively tangled. For me, braiding my hair keeps it from becoming tangled and out of my face while I am diving. But remember to use hair ties that do not have a metal connector; the salt water will corrode the water after a few dives.Of course, you can always shave your head. That is always a viable option……
Let us know on our Facebook page if you have any other tips or suggestions for caring for your hair. We are always looking for new ways to keep our hair rich and sumptuous.
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