If you have blonde, white, gray or even light brown hair and swim in chlorinated swimming pools, you could end up with a greenish tint to your hair. According to Columbia University's Go Ask Alice health columnist, chlorine in swimming pool water oxidizes minerals, especially copper in the water. The copper clings to your hair and tints it green. Take steps to get the green out your hair. In the future, wear a swim cap or coat your hair with a conditioner that contains silicone before you go for a swim to keep the green out.
Step 1
Rinse your hair with non-chlorinated water as soon as you get out of the pool. This will help rinse off the minerals that haven't already bonded with your hair. You should also wet down your hair before you get in the pool. Wet hair will soak up less pool water.
Step 2
Wash your hair with a shampoo that contains a chelating agent. Chelating agents bond with metals such as copper and make them easier to wash out of your hair. Go Ask Alice, Columbia University's health Q&A internet service, recommends a shampoo that contains either ethylenediamene tetracetic acid, also known as EDTA, or acetylsalicylic acid. These shampoos are often labeled as swimmer's shampoos.
Step 3
Apply a conditioner to restore moisture to hair. The combination of chlorinated pool water and the chelating agents in swimmer's shampoos can be very drying to the hair. Use a conditioner formulated for dry hair or one designed especially for swimmers.
Tips and Warnings
- If you're swimming in your own pool at home, you can purchase a test kit to monitor the presence of minerals such as copper in the water and add treatments to remove these minerals, reducing your chances of developing green hair.
Things You'll Need
- Non-chlorinated water
- Shampoo containing chelating agent
- Conditioner
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