This is an article on how to get the green tones out of blonde hair.
When I went blonde a few months a while back, one of my biggest problems included brassy tones on my bleached and then blonde hair. It was something I really hated and it didn’t help that I wasn’t informed enough on why it happens and how to get those ugly tones out. The constant ugly tones and need for upkeep forced me to color over it to prevent future showing up of more tones.
Another issue those with blonde hair – whether natural or bleached – are constantly faced with is green tint on hair. When it’s summer and very hot outside, a good ol’ dip in the refreshing and cold pool can take all the heat away for a few hours. And as much as it is fun to dip in the pool, it can often lead to blonde hair turning green.
If you’ve had the problem of green tint on hair every time you go swimming and are looking for ways to solve it, I’ve got you covered below!
What Causes Green Tint on Blonde Hair?
Before we head on to how to remove ugly green tones on your blonde hair after a day in the pool, it’s very important that we first understand exactly why this blonde hair turns green.
We’ve got one word for you – copper.
Copper is a naturally-occurring metal often found in rock, soil, and you guessed it – water.
Now, the pool is often doused with chlorine to oxidize copper and other hard water metals. Chlorine in pool water results in oxidized copper. The now oxidized copper element in water clings and absorbs into hair. This is what causes blonde hair to turn green and even for other light-colored hair after some time in the pool.
Another source of copper in the pool that can cause green streaks on hair is algaecide. As copper is known to be an effective algae killer, it’s often an ingredient in these pool cleaning products. This adds even more copper into your pool water that can intensify the green tones on light-colored hair.
Algaecide is not necessary for pool upkeep, especially if you’re a pool owner who never fails to keep your pool clean and sanitized properly. But if your pool does need the pool cleaning product, you’re at a higher risk of getting green tones from your pool.
There’s no need to worry though, because this green tint on blonde hair isn’t permanent at all and is removable. And for the best ways to remove them from hair, read on below!
How to Get Green Out of Blonde Hair
1. Wash hair right after swimming
After getting out of the pool and you’ve noticed your blonde hair has turned green, immediately head to the shower and wash your hair. This will help immediately wash out the chlorine and green tint from your hair. Use a shampoo and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner as chlorine can be very drying on hair.
Do not wait for your hair to air dry with water from the pool still on your hair. Make sure you wash and rinse properly and carefully. You would want to wash out all the chemicals that are sitting on your hair.
2. Use a clarifying shampoo
A clarifying shampoo, as drying as it can be, is an effective way to remove chlorine and mineral buildup on hair. It also proves to be effective at washing blonde hair that has turned green after a day at the pool.
Though a very effective way to wash out and fix green hair, clarifying shampoos can often be drying on hair. Make sure you follow up with a moisturizing conditioner to counter the dryness.
3. Apple cider vinegar mix
Apple cider vinegar has acidic properties that can be very effective in washing out the green tints in your hair after some time in the pool.
Mix water and apple cider vinegar in equal parts and massage into your hair and scalp. Leave it on and let sit for about 15 minutes before rinsing out. It should be able to wash out the green tones on hair.
You can also wash and rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar before jumping into the pool. The acidity of the vinegar will prevent minerals, chemicals, and the dreaded copper from saturating and absorbing into your hair.
4. Baking soda paste
Another DIY method people swear by in removing green stains from light-colored hair is baking soda paste. Mix 1/4 cup of baking soda to 1/2 cup of water. Mix until you get yourself a thick paste.
Apply on hair that shows green tints. Massage it into your hair and let it sit for a couple minutes. Remember, baking soda isn’t as strong as an acidic apple cider vinegar so you may have to do this a couple more times.
Rinse the baking soda out from your hair. Shampoo and condition hair as you normally would.
5. Lemon juice for hair
Just like apple cider vinegar, lemons are acidic and therefore an effective way to wash out the green tints from hair after spending some time in the pool.
Use equal parts of lemon juice and water to make the mix. Massage the lemon juice mixture into hair and scalp. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing it out.
Shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would.
6. Icky but try ketchup
As icky as it sounds and looks, ketchup is a very effective way to wash out green tints from hair caused by pool water.
The explanation behind this is all based on the color theory and color wheel. Red and green sit on complete opposite sides of the wheel. This basically means the color red of ketchup will cancel out the green color on your hair from pool water.
All you would need to do is to apply and massage ketchup into the affected areas of your head. Once every affected area is covered, you would want to cover your head with tinfoil or with a simple shower cap. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
After that, rinse it out completely and shampoo and condition hair as you would on a normal day.
How to Prevent Getting Green on Blonde Hair While Swimming
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of getting the green out of blonde hair after spending a day at the pool, you might want to take measures to prevent your blonde hair from turning green altogether.
1. Use a swimming cap
One of the best and honestly one of the simplest ways to avoid green tints on blonde hair is by wearing a swimming cap. They’re easily available and relatively cheap. Covering your hair with one as you swim will prevent any minerals, chlorine, and copper from absorbing in your hair. It’s also a great way to prevent hair from drying from chlorine while swimming.
2. Wet hair before swimming
You can prevent pool water doused with chlorine and oxidized copper from saturating and absorbing into your hair by wetting hair before jumping into the pool. Before wetting your hair with pool water, get under a shower to get it soaked. What this will do is make it difficult for pool water to soak into your hair. This also means preventing getting green tints on your hair.
And as mentioned above, you can even use an apple cider vinegar mix to wet hair before going into the pool. The acidity of the vinegar will make it even more difficult for pool water to absorb into your hair.
3. Apply leave-in conditioner
To prevent green color on blonde hair altogether, you can lean on a creamy leave-in conditioner. This know-how uses the same principle as wetting hair under shower before going into the pool.
What the leave-in conditioner does is create a protective barrier for your hair. This serves as a guard between your hair shafts and the pool water. This will prevent pool water filled chemicals from saturating into your hair, preventing green tints.
Conclusion
Swimming is a great and fun way of relaxing and getting away from the summer heat. What’s not fun about it is getting out of the pool with hints and streaks of green on blonde hair.
Good thing is, it’s not at all permanent and will not affect hair color in any way that’s permanent. To get rid of it, one needs patience and a pair of hands good with at-home treatments.
To get rid of the green color on hair after swimming is by washing hair right after getting out of the pool. Don’t wait for pool hair to air dry. Immediately head into the shower and rinse out all the chlorine and chemicals from your hair. You can make things easier with a good clarifying shampoo as well.
There are also a good number of DIY treatments you can do to get rid of the green on your hair. These at-home treatments include apple cider vinegar mix, baking soda paste, and lemon juice mix to wash your hair with.
And if all else fails, try ketchup on hair. It’s icky but it’s proven to be effective.
Green tints on blonde hair after a fun pool day can be very ugly. But with the right treatments and steps to take, you can get rid of them effectively and in no time.