Here’s the weird one. You don’t drink pool water on purpose, but you swallow a little. That chlorine hits your stomach acid, which is already basically hydrochloric acid—so your stomach is like, “Ha! Weak sauce.” It neutralizes most of it. But chlorine can also kill some of your good gut bacteria if you gulp enough. That’s why lifeguards who swallow water all day sometimes get gassy, bloated, and grumpy. No, that smell is not the pool filter.
Also, surprising fact: some studies suggest that long-term exposure to high chlorine levels in drinking water (not pools) might mess with thyroid function. But don’t start filtering your cocktails yet—the risk is tiny. Your body is pretty good at kicking chlorine’s butt out the front door.
Normal Chlorine Levels Blood at Michael Robin blog
The Hair Horror Show
And lastly, your hair. Chlorine binds to the protein in your hair, turning it into a brittle, straw-like mess—especially if you’ve got blonde or color-treated locks. It can even turn some hair green. No, it’s not algae—it’s copper from pipes binding to the chlorine and latching onto your strands. You’re not a swamp monster; you’re just a fancy chemical experiment.
The fix? Wet your hair with fresh water before diving in—soaked hair absorbs less pool water. Or wear a swim cap. Or just accept that for the next hour you look like you survived a bad perm in 1987.
