Team USA Artistic Swimmer Daniella Ramirez Says She Puts Gelatin in Her Hair for Performances
May 12 2023, Published 5:55 p.m. ET
The USA Olympic Artistic Swimming Team in January 2023. Daniella Ramirez, the fifth person from the left, is seen posing with her teammates.
Did you know that artistic swimming is recognized as an Olympic sport? Previously known as synchronized swimming, artistic swimming is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine to music.
Unlike most swimmers who wear swim caps in the pool, artistic swimmers tend to up the ante on their look — especially when it comes to their hair. On TikTok, Team USA artistic swimmer Daniella Ramirez (@annadramirez) has been showing followers the steps she and her teammates must take to secure their hair during performances.
What's the main product she uses? You definitely won’t find this in the hair care aisle of your local drugstore.
Artistic swimmer Daniella Ramirez puts Knox gelatin in her hair.
If you randomly stumble upon one of Daniella’s videos, you may be wondering what on earth is she doing to her hair. In the video below, she is seen putting a clear glue-like substance in her hair.
Don’t worry, it’s not gorilla glue. But it also isn't a typical hair care product.
It’s Knox gelatin. Knox is a brand of gelatin like JELL-O, except Knox doesn’t contain any additives and is unflavored. Artistic swimmers often apply it their hair to act like shellac, so all their strands stay fully intact.
But what is easy to put on, is definitely a struggle to get out.
In the video below, she is seen peeling some of the Knox out, using her comb to almost cut through the hardened, dried gelatin.
People had lots to say in the comments. In fact, the majority of people overlooked the fact that she wrote that her team got Bronze medals and instead focused on her out-of-the-box hair care process.
"How do you still have hair?" one user asked. Another asked if it was painful to brush her hair after. And one comment just read: No matter how many times I see you do this, I still think it's insane."
While applying Knox to one's hair looks like it could be a potentially damaging process, Daniella has posted several videos showcasing her natural, healthy curls.
"The amount of people who think I'm gonna be bald is BONKERS. Gelatin is actually good for your hair, it contains collagen promoting hair growth and is made up of majority protein," she wrote in the caption.
Looks like Daniella is winning in the haircare department and in the pool!
