Get Green out of Blonde Hair

People with blonde hair often have to deal with their hair turning green after extended periods of time at the pool. Some people's hair turns green after 2-3 days of pool activities, but everyone's hair is different. Here are several methods to remove the green from your hair to help you get ready for the pool!

Steps

Removing Green with Vinegar and Baking Soda

  1. Wash your hair. This should help the green color come out, or at least fade a bit. Your hair should be clean before you continue to the next steps.
  2. Make the vinegar mixture. Mix 1/2 cup of water with 1/4 cup of vinegar in a bowl that is big enough to hold all the hair that has turned green, which is usually only the tips.
  3. Soak your hair. In the bowl filled with the vinegar mixture, soak your hair for about two minutes.
  4. Add baking soda. Add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of baking soda to the water while your hair is still in the bowl. Let it fizz up and get in your hair for 2-3 minutes.
    • You can also make a paste out of shampoo and baking soda and use this to wash your hair in the shower.
  5. Dry your hair. Take your hair out and lay it on a dry towel. Pat it dry until it isn't dripping.
  6. Rinse your hair. Rinse your hair in warm water until all the vinegar is gone.
    • To make sure all the vinegar is out, put a small lock of hair in your mouth and suck on it. If you taste vinegar, rinse it more thoroughly.
  7. Add hydrogen peroxide. If your hair is still green at this point (your hair should still be damp), put 4-5 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide in your hand and comb it through with your fingers. Let the peroxide stay in your hair overnight.
    • Try braiding your hair after you put the peroxide in and wearing it in braids overnight.
  8. Check out the results. If your hair is still green in the morning, you may just have to let it wear out.

Removing Green with Tomato Juice

  1. Wash your hair with shampoo. This will help lessen the green to begin with, but it is also important to proceed with clean hair.
  2. Wash your hair with tomato juice. Take a cup of tomato juice (or tomato soup) and pour it on your head. Run your fingers through your hair to make sure the tomato juice covers your hair evenly. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
    • Alternatively, you can use ketchup instead of tomato juice or tomato soup. Ketchup is less runny and can be much more manageable in the cleanup process.[1]
  3. Rinse your hair. Rinse the tomato juice completely out of your hair.
    • You can repeat washing with tomato juice and rinsing a second time if you want to be extra thorough.
  4. Let your hair dry. Allow your hair to dry completely. You can sleep on it overnight or just wait several hours.
    • Note: Do not blow dry your hair. Make sure you let it dry naturally.

Removing Green with Professional Shampoos

  1. Purchase some professional shampoo. There are several types of commercial hair care products intended for swimmers that can help remove the green from hair when natural home remedies just won't cut it.
    • Try Malibu C Swimmers shampoo and conditioner Sally Beauty's Ion Swimmer's shampoo.[2]
    • The main ingredients to look for in the shampoo you choose are aloe, Vitamin E, and EDTA (Edetic Acid).[3] These will help condition and strengthen your hair and fight the discoloration.
  2. Wash your hair with the professional shampoo. Follow the instructions on the bottle.[2]
    • Alternatively, you can use a leave-in pre-swim treatment for preventative measures. Try Malibu C Swimmer's Natural Wellness Treatment or H2O Pre Swim Gel. These treatments restore color, seal the hair, and help prevent future discoloration.
  3. Rinse your hair. Rinse the special shampoo out of your hair completely.
  4. Let your hair dry. Don't blow dry your hair; just let it dry naturally.
    • Alternatively, you can get a salon treatment called a seal coat (or a gloss coat) that prevents the copper in the water from attaching to the cuticles in your hair. This works best on shorter hair.

Tips

  • Lemon juice may also help get out the green.
  • Keep out of the pool while you are working on getting the green out.
  • Make sure to wash your hair very well each time after swimming.
  • Try not to let your hair fully dry after swimming; go straight to the showers and wash your hair.
  • Kids tend to turn their hair green more than adults because they stay in the water longer. The natural methods are safe to use on children, but make sure you check the instructions on the bottle if you intend to use the commercial swimmer's shampoo on children.

Sources and Citations