BATON ROUGE — Cooling off in the pool is a great way to beat the heat on a summer day. But spending time in the water can also dry out your skin and hair.

"When it comes to the pool, it's one of those things where an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. You really want to protect your skin and your hair before you get in the water. So how do you do that? Well, one, get yourself wet,” dermatologist Jennifer Lucas said. “So, it sounds counterintuitive, but jump in the shower, get yourself wet, your hair and your skin, so it's already absorbed that moisture and isn't looking to absorb the chemical water when you get into the pool."

Many of the chemicals used in the pool to keep the water clean affect eyes and nails, along with the hair and skin. It can even cause blonde hair to turn green.

You can wear a swim cap, put on a hair mask or leave-in conditioner. When you get out of the water, experts recommend rinsing off in the shower using a gentle soap for your skin and rich conditioner for your hair.

You should then apply moisturizer to rehydrate your skin. Don't forget the sunscreen before going outside.

“As a dermatologist, it's particularly important for you to wear your sunscreen. So, putting that sunscreen on, getting that layer of coverage from the sun, that's also equally important, but also putting that barrier on your skin before you get into the water is important,” Lucas said.

Hot tubs can have the same effect as pools, as they use similar chemicals to keep the water clean.