15 Swim Hairstyles for Girls That Protect Hair

The step diagram shows hair being thoroughly saturated with clean water from a shower before any styling or cap goes on. This is not a hairstyle and it is the most useful thing in this article. Hair behaves like a sponge, and a dry sponge absorbs whatever it touches first. Hair that goes into a pool dry will draw chlorinated water deep into the shaft, while hair already saturated with clean water has far less capacity left to absorb anything. A thirty-second rinse before getting in reduces chlorine uptake substantially, and it costs nothing. Most pools have a shower at the entrance for exactly this reason and almost nobody uses it properly. Combine it with a leave-in conditioner for a further layer of protection — the conditioner coats the shaft and fills the remaining gaps, which reduces absorption further and makes the post-swim detangle dramatically easier. This single habit does more for a child's hair over a season of swimming lessons than any style below.

The step diagram shows two Dutch braids worked flat against the scalp down each side, finishing at the nape with covered elastics. This is the correct style for a swim cap and every element is chosen for the cap rather than for appearance. Flat means the cap sits properly with a full seal; anything raised creates gaps where water enters. Low means the cap goes over without pushing the braids out of shape. Two braids rather than one distributes the bulk so the cap does not bulge. Use covered elastics rather than metal-jointed ones, which snag and break wet hair. Braid on damp hair, which is easier to control and also begins the saturation the cap will complete.

The step diagram shows a low bun at the nape secured entirely by wrapping a second covered elastic over the coil, with no pins used at all. Pins are genuinely unsafe in water — they work loose, they are hard to find, and they tear swim caps immediately. Securing a bun without them is straightforward: twist the ponytail, coil it, then stretch a second elastic over the whole bun rather than pinning around the edge. Keep it low and flat at the nape so a cap fits. This holds well enough for a lesson and comes out without a struggle afterward.

The step diagram shows all the hair gathered into one plain three-strand braid at the nape, secured with a covered elastic. For a short lesson without a cap, one braid is enough and takes ninety seconds. The point of braiding before swimming is not security but tangling — loose hair in water tangles into a matted knot within twenty minutes, and untangling that afterward is where most breakage and most tears happen. A braid keeps the strands aligned so the post-swim comb-through is straightforward.

The step diagram shows leave-in conditioner being worked through damp hair from mid-length to ends before braiding. Applying conditioner before swimming rather than after is the step people get backward. A leave-in coats the hair shaft and creates a physical barrier that reduces how much chlorinated water penetrates, and it also makes the post-swim detangle considerably easier. Apply to hair already wetted with clean water, concentrating on the ends, which are the oldest and most porous part. Then braid over the top.

The step diagram shows a silicone swim cap being stretched over two low flat braids, pulled from front to back, with the ears tucked in last. Cap fitting is a technique in itself and doing it wrong is why children hate caps. Stretch the cap wide with both hands, place the front edge at the hairline first, then pull backward over the head in one motion rather than dragging it down. Tuck the ears in at the end. Dragging a cap over dry hair pulls painfully and is the reason most children object; a damp head and a proper front-to-back motion removes almost all of that.

The step diagram shows two side braids brought up across the back of the head, crossed, and tucked under each other rather than pinned. This contains all the length without any hard fastenings, which makes it usable in water where a pinned version would not be. Braid each side, then take the left braid across and tuck its end under the base of the right braid, and the reverse. The two braids hold each other in place. It sits flat enough for a cap and keeps every strand contained.

The step diagram shows hair divided in two, each section twisted in the same direction and then wrapped around each other in the opposite direction, secured with a covered elastic. A rope twist takes about half the time of a braid and holds well enough for a swimming lesson. The opposing direction is what locks it — twist each section clockwise and wrap the two counterclockwise, or it unravels in the water within minutes. This is the option for a rushed changing room.

The step diagram shows a single French braid begun at the front hairline and worked down the centre of the head to the nape. Starting at the hairline rather than the crown is what makes this work for swimming — it contains the front sections and baby hairs that otherwise escape the cap, float free in the water, and tangle worst of all. The rest of the technique is standard. Crossing over rather than under keeps it flatter, which is what a cap needs.

The step diagram shows a long braid folded up on itself and secured with a covered elastic so no length hangs loose. Very long hair creates a specific problem in water — even braided, a long braid drifts, catches, and gets pulled. Folding the braid up on itself and securing it keeps everything contained above the shoulders. Use a covered elastic to hold the fold. This also makes a cap considerably easier to fit, since there is no length to gather in.

The step diagram shows hair being rinsed thoroughly under clean running water immediately on leaving the pool, before any towelling. Chlorine continues to act on hair for as long as it remains in it, so the gap between leaving the pool and rinsing matters. A thorough rinse at the poolside shower is dramatically better than waiting until a bath that evening. If a proper wash is not possible, plain water alone removes a large proportion of the chlorine and is far better than nothing. Do not towel-dry vigorously first; wet hair is at its most fragile.

The step diagram shows conditioner being applied to wet hair in sections, with a wide-tooth comb working from the ends upward. This is where most swim-related breakage actually happens, rather than in the pool. Apply plenty of conditioner, divide into sections, and work from the ends upward in short passes — starting at the roots pushes every tangle down into one impossible knot at the bottom. Use a wide-tooth comb rather than a brush. Do it in the changing room while the conditioner is still in rather than waiting until she is dry.

The step diagram shows four chunky braids with the ends tucked under and secured, suitable for wearing across several days. For a holiday or a swim camp involving daily swimming, a style that stays in for several days reduces manipulation dramatically, and manipulation is what causes breakage. Four chunky braids with tucked ends can be worn, swum in, rinsed, and re-conditioned without being taken down. Refresh with leave-in conditioner each day rather than re-braiding.

The step diagram shows a single low braid with a soft covered elastic, worn without a cap, for lake or sea swimming. Open water has no chlorine, so the priority shifts from chemical protection to simple containment and safety. A single low braid keeps hair out of her face and prevents tangling in salt water, which is nearly as tangling as chlorine. Salt water also dries hair considerably, so rinse and condition afterward exactly as you would after a pool.

The step diagram shows the unsuitable items grouped as a reference: bobby pins, metal-jointed hair ties, hard plastic clips, decorative beads, and a tight elastic at the hairline. Each is a specific problem. Pins tear swim caps and are genuinely unsafe when they work loose in water. Metal-jointed ties rust, snag, and break wet hair, which is at its most fragile. Hard clips and beads come loose and can hurt in a crowded pool. And a tight elastic at the hairline is worse in water than in air, because wet hair stretches and then contracts as it dries, which increases the tension considerably.