How To Get Green Out Of Hair And How To Prevent It
If you've been swimming for a while, you might have noticed that blond or light hair can turn green after being in a pool. Have you ever wondered why?
This article will explore the reasons behind green hair, prevention methods, and remedies if your hair has already turned green.
Why Does Hair Turn Green?
Contrary to popular belief, chlorine isn't the main culprit for turning hair green. A study by Johnson & Johnson Baby Products Company reveals that copper in the water is the real cause. When hair absorbs copper and then comes into contact with chlorine, the resulting chemical reaction causes small oxidative damage to hair fibers, leading to a green tint. Copper can be present in pool water due to corrosion of copper plumbing or the use of copper salts as algaecides.
Steps to Prevent Hair from Turning Green
The best method to prevent green hair involves using a pre and post-swim conditioner, like Trihard’s, to form a protective layer around the hair. This reduces the absorption of chlorine and copper. To enhance results, a cleansing shampoo post-swim is a great solution for full protection.
- Pre-Swim Protection: Apply a generous amount of a leave-in conditioner to the end of your hair. *If you are required to shower before entering the pool, rinse the product off lightly without using shampoo after application.
- Secure Your Hair: Tie your hair in a bun to minimize exposure and further protect it. This step helps keep the conditioner in place and reduces the risk of your hair absorbing pool chemicals.
- Seal with a Swim Cap: For ultimate protection, cover your bun with a silicone swim cap before diving in.
- Post-Swim Protection: After swimming, take a shower with a cleansing shampoo and a leave-in conditioner for swimmers to help remove any chlorine and copper residues from your hair, offering an extra layer of protection.
Other remedies to remove the green tint from hair after swimming include:
- Use a Swimmer's Shampoo
A great way to remove green from hair is to use swim-specialized shampoos, like TRIHARD's After Swim Shampoo. It's designed and formulated to eliminate pool chemicals, neutralizing the copper-induced oxidation damage on hair fibers, thus removing the green hue and allowing the hair to recover.
- Use a Swimmer’s Leave-In Conditioner
A post-swim conditioner is an excellent choice for neutralizing the oxidation damage caused by chlorine and copper. TRIHARD's Pre & Post Swim Conditioner offers dual benefits: it provides protection before entering the pool and effectively removes the green tint afterward, restoring the hair's texture and leaving it feeling smooth and healthy.
Using these two products together can yield even better results for your hair.
- Baking Soda
Baking soda is probably the most affordable solution for eliminating green tints from hair. Here's what to do:
- Take a bowl and fill it with ¼ to ½ cups of baking soda.
- Mix with water until a paste forms.
- Coat the green areas of your hair with the baking soda paste, massaging it for about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Then, shower to wash and condition your hair as usual.
The necessity to repeat this process depends on the intensity of the green tint in your hair.
- Ketchup
- Massage the affected areas with ketchup.
- Cover your hair with tin foil.
- Leave it for about 30 minutes to remove the green tint.
- After 30 minutes, wash and condition your hair as usual.
- Lemon Juice
- Saturate your hair with lemon juice and leave it for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Then, shower to shampoo and condition your hair as usual.
- Lemon Kool-Aid
An alternative to lemon juice is lemon Kool-Aid.
- Mix lemon Kool-Aid with water.
- Apply to the affected areas and leave for about 5 minutes.
- Shower, shampoo, and condition your hair.
- Aspirins
- Crush 6 to 8 aspirin tablets in a bowl.
- Add warm water and let it dissolve.
- Apply the mixture to your hair and leave it for about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Shower, shampoo, and condition your hair as usual.
Summary
If you're a swimmer, especially with light-colored hair, you may have noticed it turning green after pool sessions. This common issue isn't directly due to chlorine, as many believe, but to copper present in pool water. When copper binds to the hair and reacts with chlorine, it leads to slight oxidative damage, resulting in a green tint.
To combat this, employing a pre and post-swim conditioner, like TRIHARD's, can significantly help. These products form a protective layer around the hair, minimizing chlorine and copper absorption. Additionally, washing your hair with a swimmer’s shampoo post-swim will strip away the residual chlorine and copper, effectively preventing the green hue.
For those dealing with green-tinted hair, several home remedies, including baking soda, ketchup, lemon juice, lemon Kool-Aid, a mixture of aspirins and water, can be effective in removing the discoloration. These solutions target and neutralize the copper-induced green, restoring your hair's natural color.
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