To keep long hair out of your face while swimming, the most effective method is wearing a swim cap, but you can also use protective hairstyles like French braids, bubble braids, or tight buns, often secured with a swim cap or buff for extra security, especially for activities like snorkeling or diving.
You could try braids or even a ponytail and really thick headband, but a cap can help with a lot more. It can protect your hair from the chlorine, keep hair out of your face while you turn to breathe, and can even have a small psychological effect that gets you focused on your workout.
If your hair is long enough, try braiding it or putting it in a bun or ponytail. These are known as protective hairstyles. Using a protective hairstyle not only keeps your hair out of your face and eliminates tangles, but it can prevent a huge amount of chlorine from coming into contact with your hair.
Steps
Wear a swimming cap to protect your hair at the pool
In addition to its streamlining effects, the humble swim cap tucks away your hair, exposing less of it to chlorinated pool water.
The 80/20 rule in swimming has two main applications: polarized training, where 80% of time is low-intensity (Zone 2) and 20% is high-intensity for fitness gains, and technique focus, where 80% of improvement comes from mastering key technical elements like body position and streamlining (the 20% of effort). For open water, it can mean 80% mental focus on managing discomfort, cold, and fear, versus 20% physical effort.
Protective Hairstyles: Choose styles like braids, buns, and ponytails to reduce water exposure and make it easier to wear a swim cap.
We call it the 2.25 rule.
Practically fool proof, this rule states that if the longest part of your chin is less than 2.25 inches from the tip of your earlobe, then short hairstyles are for you.
Oblong Faces
What to avoid: Don't grow those locks out too long. Very long, flat hair can be too much for a long face shape to handle. In fact, most one-length styles will drag the oblong face down—and that's the last thing you want.
Swim caps are a must when racing, but in training, some swimmers with short hair skip the cap to keep cooler. A swim cap, however, creates a physical barrier between your hair and the pool water, reducing the exposure to chlorine.
The 25:10 rule states that if a child is unable to swim 25 meters continuously (no stopping) and unassisted, then a parent needs to remain in the water with them within 10 feet of the child.
There are long hair caps available from suppliers like Speedo and Zoggs which give a roomier fit to accommodate long hair. Bubble caps are also a good choice for longer hair and larger heads, although these do create warmth, so if you are a performance swimmer they may be too warm for you.
If you don't want to wear a cap, try any waterproof headband on its own. A headband can help keep your hairstyle in place so you won't have to worry about loose strands getting wet.
Once your hair's wet, apply some Moroccan oil, argan, coconut or olive oil to the palms of your hands and run through your hair. This will act as a treatment, while making the hair slightly waterproof, therefore preventing the harsh chlorinated water from causing damage while you swim.
Bangs can make an older woman look younger by softening features, hiding forehead lines, and drawing attention to the eyes, but the key is choosing the right style, like soft curtain or wispy bangs, while heavy, blunt fringes can sometimes age a look or highlight imperfections. The correct fringe adds lift, volume, and a youthful, modern feel, making it a popular choice for a fresh, age-defying transformation, according to hairstylists and beauty experts.
Grab Your Pencil
Insert your pencil, pen, or chopstick into the bun at an angle. Placing it into your bun at an angle is the trick to using it in place of a hair tie to secure your strands — it works to secure the layers of hair together.
15 Easy Hairstyles That Will Have You Ditching Your Damaging...
The "7-day haircut rule" suggests that while a fresh haircut looks sharp, it often hits its peak and looks most natural, effortless, and "lived-in" around one week (7 days) after getting it, as the hair softens, settles, and blends better. It's a guideline for timing major events or understanding when your hair finds its sweet spot, allowing the initial starkness to fade into a more comfortable style, similar to breaking in new shoes.
How to Choose the Right Hair Length for You
The 5.5 cm (or 2.25-inch) hair rule is a guideline to determine if short or long hair suits your face shape by measuring the angle of your jawline: place a ruler vertically under your ear and a pencil horizontally under your chin, intersecting at the jaw; if the measurement from the ear to the pencil is less than 5.5 cm, short hair is flattering, while more suggests longer hair is better, though face shape and hair texture are also key.
Wear a Hat or Swimming Cap
Wearing a cute sun hat is the best way to protect hair from sun damage while you're lounging by the water. A swimming cap can shield your strands from the sun while swimming and also protect hair from chlorine at the pool.
Let's have a look: