Will My Hair Dye Run In A Swimming Pool?

woman with dyed hair wearing a white bikini underwater in a swimming pool

Will my hair dye run in a swimming pool? You might be asking yourself this question if you’ve recently dyed your hair and you’re planning on going swimming, but are worried about the possible side effects. After all, no one wants their new hair color to run and fade after just a few days.

Luckily, you don’t have to worry too much about your hair dye running in a swimming pool. While it is possible for hair dye to bleed out in chlorinated water, you can take precautions to prevent this from happening. Let’s dive into this article that will explain everything you need to know about hair dye and swimming pools.

Will My Hair Dye Run In A Swimming Pool?

Yes, hair dye can run in a swimming pool. To avoid having your hair dye run, you should wait a period of time between dyeing your hair and going swimming in a pool. Typically for permanent hair dye, you should wait 7 days before swimming. For semi-permanent hair dye, you should wait 3 days before going to a swimming pool.

This allows the dye to set in and will prevent the color from running. Also, make sure you’re giving your hair a good wash after dyeing it. This will give your hair a chance to “run.” This is important because you want to remove the excess hair dye that didn’t take to your hair so that it doesn’t bleed out and ruin your swimming experience.

Can You Go Swimming With Manic Panic Hair Dye? 

Yes, you can go swimming with Manic Panic hair dye, but you’ll want to take a few precautions and you need to do a little more hair maintenance. You might be worried that something bad will happen to your hair like the color might react and turn into something completely different, but fortunately, this is not the case. 

Regardless, you should be prepared when swimming with Manic Panic hair dye. Hair dye will need to be touched up more often if you are swimming or just out in the sun, period. This is because hair dye will fade much quicker when in the sun as well as being in contact with chlorine from swimming pools, so keep that in mind.

You also may want to bring a dark-colored towel to the pool versus a light-colored one because your hair dye could possibly bleed and may leak onto the towel. On that note, you may also want to bring some sort of wipes just in case your hair color bleeds onto your skin. This will help to clean it off before it sets in and possibly stains your head. 

Can You Go Swimming With Splat Hair Dye? 

Like Manic Panic, you can go swimming after dyeing your hair with Splat hair dye. You should not have any complications with it and it should not alter your hair color at all, but you should still take some precautions. Make sure to, again, bring a dark-colored towel to ensure that you don’t ruin a light one with your running hair dye.

Also, bring wipes to ensure you don’t leave the pool with a rainbow-colored face. There are a few things you can do before and after the pool to make sure your hair color stays as intact as possible, while also just making sure it is not ruined by the chlorinated pool.

Start by getting your hair wet before heading to the pool. Getting your hair wet with clean water that isn’t chlorinated will help it from soaking up too much chlorinated or salty water when swimming. If you have long hair, braid it or put it up in a ponytail to keep it from tangling and becoming a mess.

You should also be sure to rinse or wash your hair right after you finish swimming. This is because the longer you let the salty or chlorinated water sit on your hair, the more opportunity it has to suck the moisture out of your hair. 

Can You Go Swimming With Arctic Fox Hair Dye? 

Yes, you can go swimming with Arctic Fox hair dye, but you should be wary and take precautions. To protect your hair and color as much as possible you should not get it wet. You can just put your hair up in a bun to keep it out of the water, or you could put on a swimming cap or shower cap to protect it.

If you do decide to get your hair wet then you could lose a bit of your color. This is normal with washes and swimming in salty or chlorinated water. Unfortunately, water that is salty or chlorinated can dry out your hair, so doing some sort of moisturizing hair mask or deep conditioner will help you with this.

If you feel that you need a bit of a touch-up on your hair then you can add a small amount of hair dye into your conditioner when you wash your hair. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse it out. This will help to maintain your hair color and extend the time in between dye jobs.

Can You Go Swimming With Semi-Permanent Hair Dye? 

Yes, you can go swimming with semi-permanent hair dye, but you should be careful. Semi-permanent hair dye can be faded by swimming pool water. You should not go into a pool for at least 72 hours after dyeing your hair.

The dye needs time to fully set in order to get the best color payoff and longevity, so getting it wet in chlorinated water will remove the color. To avoid fading, you can avoid swimming altogether or you can wear a swimming cap over your hair.

Can You Go In Chlorine After Bleaching Your Hair? 

Yes, you can swim in chlorine after bleaching your hair. After bleaching your hair you should wait a minimum of 7 days before going swimming in a pool or in the ocean. The bleaching process can be quite damaging to your hair because of the chemicals involved.

It is important to give your hair time to repair itself after bleaching. If your hair is only bleached a little, say as in highlights, you can wait a minimum of 3 days and your hair should be fine, although we would still recommend waiting 7 days if you can. 

Before swimming, always feel the texture of your hair. If it feels dry then you should wait a little longer to go swimming because the pool and ocean can dry out your hair even more. 

Can You Go In Pool After Highlights? 

You should wait about 7 days before going into a pool after getting highlights. Bleach is used when creating highlights and this can be damaging to your hair. Thus, going in the pool after getting highlights can dry your hair out more. You should avoid swimming or simply avoid getting your hair wet when you are at the pool.

Will My Hair Turn Green If I Go Swimming? 

Yes, it is possible that your hair will turn green if you go swimming. Oxidized copper in pool water is known to cause green hair, especially if you have blonde or light-colored hair. This is because oxidized copper binds to the proteins in your hair, turning it green.

It is easy for blonde hair to turn green because of its light color, making it more susceptible to discoloration. Moreover, all hair can end up with oxidized copper in it, however, it is less likely to be visible in darker hair colors.

How Do I Protect My Dyed Hair While Swimming?

To protect your dyed hair while swimming, you can cover your hair to ensure you do not get it wet. A shower cap or a swimming cap will help with this. If you want to get your hair wet and just want ways to help it not fade, you can wet your hair with clean water before getting into the pool.

Once you get out of the pool, you should wash or rinse your hair again with water. This will help remove any chlorine or other chemicals that may be in your hair. Be sure to do regular deep conditioning treatments and use color-safe products to encourage the longevity of the hair dye. 

Final Thoughts: Will My Hair Dye Run In A Swimming Pool?

Overall, it’s okay to go swimming after dyeing your hair, but you should take some precautions to ensure color longevity as well as the protection of your hair.

Depending on the hair dye (semi-permanent vs permanent)—a good rule of thumb is to wait at least 3 to 7 days after dyeing your hair before swimming in a chlorinated pool. This will give your hair the chance to seal in the color.

Dyeing your hair is already damaging and going into a pool afterward just makes it worse. If you want to avoid more damage, wear a shower cap in the pool, rinse and wet your hair before and after, and use shampoo and conditioner formulated for color-treated hair.

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By Cierra Tolentino

Cierra Tolentino is a beauty writer at Kintegra Research. She loves keeping people up-to-date with the latest beauty trends in skincare, hair care, and makeup. Finding answers to tough questions is her thing. When she has free time you can find her chasing down a clumsy toddler and obsessively drinking tea.