stop coloring, cut hair, and swim

20 years ago

So, I'm 40. 5'5, 175 - trying hard to get to 155ish. Three kids under 7.

Used to love swimming laps, but now that I have shoulder length, home colored, and sometimes highlighted hair, getting in the heavily chlorinated pool is just too much. Need to wet my hair thoroughly, apply conditioner, wear a cap, and then get in to swim 20 minutes if I can.

I'm self conscious enough about my cellulite ridden heavy legs, and hard working saggy breasts.The thought of walking around with a rubber cap is too much for my new midlife vanity. Help me.

Tell me I should consider myself lucky to be able to bear children and swim with them. Tell me cellulite is only skin deep. Tell me to go natural and get fit.

Wow, what does my cellulite have to do with my hair color???

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

lisb
20 years ago
As someone who decided to go the natural route and said goodbye to my shoulder length hair, I applaud you. Yes, cut it off and let it go. It is so liberating to not have to worry about hair all the time. Get a cute short hairdo and you'll look great even with wet hair. Best of luck with your weight loss. We all know how hard it is. Write back and let us know how it's going.
Lis
mitchdesj
20 years ago
I can understand your vanity concerns but it will get easier with each time and you just have to grin and bear it, after all you'll feel so good after the exercise, it's worth it. If you shower off the chlorine right after and condition well, you'll see after a while if your color resists the assault. I think it's when you are in the chlorine and the sun for hours that your hair will deteriorate.

I agree with the swim cap, don't do it.
Related Discussions
Cutting your own hair?
Q
Comments (27)
I have been cutting my own hair for over 3 1/2 years now. I was sick and tired of getting horrible haircuts - regardless of how many different hair cutters I went to. Then I got the worst haircut of my life - I looked like a skinhead when this idiot was done! It took over four months to grow out! I said that I was done letting other people ruin my hair over and over and over again! I started cutting it myself and after a while, I got the hang of it. I have short hair and I layer it all the way around. It's really not that difficult at all. I use professional hair cutter scissors that are very sharp. I also color my own hair. I have saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars and I always like MY results! I don't tell too many people that I cut my own hair because I don't care for the crazy looks I get!
...See More
Soft Fine Hair vs Grizzled Hair
Q
Comments (9)
My hair has gotten dry and looks and feels like straw when I get up in the morning and I thought it had gotten thin. Not a pretty sight! Because of all the health problems I've dealt with this past year, I haven't had the time or ambition to do anything about it. Until this week. I made an appointment for a perm and asked if meds could have any thing to do with that. She said absolutely. (I had made a note to ask my doctor when I see him again in January.) I'm taking a blood pressure pill, a blood thinner, and the hormone pill, all new to me. I was wrong about the thinning; she remarked as she was cutting my hair that it is definitely not thin, but still very thick! Yay! She gave me a good haircut so I still have some fullness, and a soft perm, It looks good, but of course I can never make it look that good. I'm going to try the coconut oil and see if that helps. Sue
...See More
Silver Hair Color Question
Q
Comments (16)
Best to cut off the blond bottom, and then you are done and do not need to color your hair anymore. You do not need to go to a professional for this, except to cut your hair, unless you can cut it yourself. When I stopped coloring my hair (to a medium ash brown), the natural color was already almost white and looked platinum blond. I stripped all the color dye from my hair and then dyed it platinum blond. When it started to grow out, the roots matched my hair, but my hair was not salt & pepper gray - it was closer to white. Also, I was wearing my hair fairly short. After I stripped all the color from my hair and dyed it platinum blond, I was able to put cellophane dyes in it, and I added blue, turquoise, yellow, and red stripes. That was difficult to keep up because I could only do one color at a time and had to protect hair that was not being dyed with Vaseline. Putting clear henna on hair that has been stripped will help condition it.
...See More
Long hair vs short hair
Q
Comments (73)
I also have frizzy hair. I'd like to try keratin, but I don't think I understand how it works. I'll have to research. When I was in my 20s, I used to comb Toni home perm solution through my hair in the shower. It would come out straight without the frizziness and it also bleached my mousy brown hair so it appeared sunkissed. I only did it once every couple of years because it was so hard on my hair, but man did it look good when I did. Well, you all convinced me and I just cut a couple of inches off the bottom to get back to shoulder length. I'd been growing it out over the summer, I did love being able to pull it back into a loose messy bun, but this is overall a better look for me. I can still get it into a pony tail, so still have some options. On the subject of going short, for me, I try to remember to go slow. I often think I want really short, but sometimes just a couple of inches is enough of a change. If it's not, then I go shorter. I once went from really long to a pixie cut. Big mistake.
...See More
dawn_59
20 years ago
Hey, I really understand your concerns and would like you to find a solution you are comfortable with. It sounds like you don't want to get in a bathing suit or get chlorine on your hair. I can't tell you to forget your real feelings. If this is embarrasing to you then lets look at it honestly. Why can't you find another way to exercise. Do you have someone who can get in the pool while you watch the kids on the side. You have a right to be vain as we all are. I say don't feel forced into it. I wouldn't do it myself. I'd say"someday I will do this when and if I want to" Bathing suits are horrible for everyone's ego.
I hope you do consider your mental health when it comes to this matter. You ohave enough to contend with in your goal to get slimmer. If is doesn't make you feel good don't do it. Good luck
Ideefixe
20 years ago
Don't cut your hair. Condition it before you put on the cap--and get the type the Olympic swimmers use, not a cute one with retro rubber flowers. Once you're in the water, it'll help you go faster. The mom-bob short hair will make you feel less femimine, trust me.
YOu don't have much weight to lose--swim and lift weights and watch what you eat and you'll see results.
And ya know--it seems like everyone at the pool is looking at you, but they're not. They're just as worried about their abs, their butts, their tummies. So jump in!
Happykate
20 years ago
Ah! I'm a swimmer, with home colored hair Â have had/done both for most of my adult life. It sounds like you've got the right agenda: get your hair wet, put on cheap, thick conditioner ('Cholesterol' is a good brand for this) & use a good latex cap. Wash your hair as soon as you're out of the pool; every week or so do a wash with a clarifying shampoo.
And, honestly, what ideefixe said. I'm in the pool almost every day, and each of us is waaaay too concerned about how she personally looks to judge anyone. That said, swimmers are nice friendly people; even if you don't know anyone when you start going you'll have locker room and lane-sharing buddies to give you support in no time.
Good luck! hope you do it.
(and, don't worry about the cap looking dowdy; to fitness swimmers they just look professional.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Swimmer's supplies.

stop coloring, cut hair, and swim

Comments (5)

lisb

mitchdesj

Related Discussions

dawn_59

Ideefixe

Happykate

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US