By Sarah Miner
No. That was conclusively proven after a study of 67 professional swimmers and 54 non-swimmers done in 2007. But even though swimming is good from a fitness standpoint, chlorine still has plenty of other less than desirable effects on hair. The study, which was published in Dermatology, found that 61 percent of the swimmers had hair discoloration, compared with none of the non-swimmers.The scientists also found that cuticle damage often coincided with hair discoloration, and was apparently another effect of overexposure to chlorine. But although the swimmers' hair appeared coarse and damaged, there were no differences in the amount of hair loss in the two groups. You can prevent chlorine damage to hair, nails, and skin, by showering after practices and using chlorine specialized shampoos and conditioners.
Themes of Nature of Science
-- Science is based on evidence: There was substantial evidence to support the claims made in the study
-- Role of Motivation and Curiosity: I think that chlorine damage is something that a lot of people can relate to, and it's inspired lots of people to research it.
-- Importance of Repeatability: Since so many studies have been done on the topic, it's easier to get an idea of which data is accurate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/health/09real.html?_r=0
Marla Albanese 3rd hour:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.life-enthusiast.com/health-news/shower_filter/
Sarah, I found your post to be very relatable to my life considering I'm a swimmer like you. I noticed your article and post discussed the negative effect of chlorine so I found an article on some more. The American Chemical Society discovered that showering in tap water leads to greater exposure to toxic chemicals than drinking the water. When chlorine is exposed to the body, there are side effects like the following: irritation of skin, eyes, lungs, and throat; aging:troubles metabolizing cholesterol; and even links to cancer.
I found this to be very interesting. I also researched the effects of chlorine and found that if you are exposed to too much chlorine you can be diagnosed with chlorine poisoning. There is no real treatment for chlorine poisoning other than showering and washing off the chlorine water.
ReplyDeletehttp://research.stevens.edu/index.php/a-revolutionary-approach-to-tissue-engin
Your article is very helpful to swimmers and warns them to take precautions. I found this article that explains how chlorine can cause other problems such as breathing difficulties. Chlorine can from chloramines by reacting with proteins from your body. Breathing in chloramines can cause inflammation on your respiratory tract.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.livestrong.com/article/542284-long-term-effects-of-chlorine-on-swimmers/
This article is very interesting, even though I swim for recreation, its always good to know the consequences and outcomes. Although chlorine is a must in swimming pools, it can do a lot of damage not only to hair, but to skin, eyes and other parts of the body.
ReplyDeleteAs a swimmer, my hair is also very dry and damaged, so I did some extra research on this topic. I found that chlorine in swimming pools causes the hair to break and become brittle because the chlorine strips away the outer layer of oil on the hair, and it weakens chemical bonds in your hair, which causes the hair to become dry, split, and damaged. Another way that the chlorine damages your hair is the chlorine can get into the cuticle of your hair and disrupt the dead cells there, causing your hair to look dull and rough. I also found some more information on how the protective shampoos you mentioned work: The shampoos contain oils which restore the outer layer of oil to your hair shaft, which prevents chlorine from doing any further damage.
ReplyDeletehttp://goaskalice.columbia.edu/chlorine-effects-hair
http://wwsef.uwaterloo.ca/archives/2005/05suwalski.pdf
Hi, A very interesting article and I thank you for it. I have an unusual request for information; I am involved in a Cold case investigation that surrounds a 1948 case. A deceased male was found on a beach in South Australia. Being around that time photographs were mostly B/W so it is difficult getting a true idea of the colour of the mans hair. The reports say it was reddish/sandy with grey streaks, he was estimated to be around 45. From time to time we receive photographs of people who went missing some years before the discovery thus the images were of a younger man. When he was examined it was found that he had spent a fair amount of time in the sun. This then raised the question, would it be possible for the mans hair to have changed colour from say a dark brown or black to a redish/sandy colour due to exposure to the sun over an extended period of time?
ReplyDeleteHope you can help,
Best Regards
Gordon