If you have kinky or curly hair you can swim as much as you want. Getting your hair wet is no longer a big problem once you stop relaxing your hair as well as using straighteners; what is a problem is making sure you don’t have to deal with a tangled mess after your swim.

When I first started swimming regularly, I sampled a few of swimming caps.

I discovered that swimming caps that are designed to stop my hair from getting wet are not ideal because they put far too much stress on the hair line. Having dealt with hair thinning issues in the past I didn’t want to start messing around with my hair – I know how stressful thinning hair is. Because of this, I stopped using silicone and latex caps and started using lycra caps.

Lycra caps allow your hair to get wet but they keep your hair out of the way. Importantly, if you twist or plait your hair prior to a swim (which I recommend you do) they stop your plaits from coming undone.

If your hair is long enough to come together all in one spot you don’t need to do lots of twists. Just do one big plait/twist in the centre. Alternatively do 4 to 6 twists and tuck them under your lycra cap or do two cornrows down towards the back – whatever is easiest for you.

I have been swimming once or twice a week using my lycra cap for well over a year now and I strongly recommend it.

Buy A Swimming Cap

USA Links
Best Swimming Cap: http://amzn.to/1BqzrI2
Silicone swimming cap (basic version): http://amzn.to/1BwmjQj
Silicone swimming cap (version that covers ears): http://amzn.to/1AfE83m

UK Links
Best Swimming Cap: http://amzn.to/1GrhVTG
Silicone swimming cap (version that covers ears): http://amzn.to/1wXEks4 

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I’ve always enjoyed swimming. Whenever I want a swim I make it coincide with my hair washday, usually Sunday. The rest of the week I jog.

Unfortunately, after about 18 weeks of pregnancy, jogging became tough for me so I started swimming more regularly.

Having to detangle and wash my hair carefully 2 to 3 times a week was never going to work with my lifestyle so I started wearing lots of cornrow styles. In fact, I actually started earlier in my pregnancy than that because I was frequently too tired for my hair in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Anyhow, if you wear protective cornrow hairstyles you’ll be able to maintain the style for at least four weeks before it starts looking tatty and after your swim you only need 5 minutes to clean it.

Wash Routine For Regular Swimmers

After every swim I used the mild but effective Queen of Kinks Shampoo and I followed up with the conditioner. I let the conditioner sit whilst I showered and rinsed it off last, just before I left the shower.

My hair air-dried and later on I moisturized with the Queen of Kinks Moisturizer plus a thin layer of the oil treatment.

After 7 months of this, my hair is still in great condition. It is so low effort and works perfectly for the busy, regular swimmer.

You could also try regularly twisting your hair but frankly that will require a little more maintenance and touching up than cornrow styles.

Other styles that are good include, TWAs especially very short ones because they tend to be low-maintenance and flat twists, although they are less durable than cornrows.

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