Why does Chlorine Make Your Hair Green?

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Imagine you have a swimming pool and one day when you look at your hair, you notice that your hair is green. Why does this happen? The answer is Chlorine in pool water. Chlorine is a chemical that acts as a disinfectant for swimming pools, and this is why it’s a great idea to have it in a pool. However, Chlorine can react to different elements in the water, which is a cause to give your hair a greenish tint. Here we will look at how Chlorine damage your hair and how you can protect blonde hair from Chlorine.

Is it Only Chlorine that makes Hair Green?

Although Chlorine is often the most hated chemical in pools with its strong smell and harsh effects on the skin and hair, we shouldn’t blame it for turning our hair green; it’s usually copper and other metals lurking in our water that gets to do this dirty deed. Chlorine is just a bystander here! Copper and other hard metals are found in many water sources, like tap water or unhealthy water. When Chlorine comes into play while being introduced as a cleaning agent to these waters, it oxidizes (or cleans) the hard metals present. Hair is also quite porous due to its structure, so it catches all the oxidized particles from the water, which ultimately gives it a greenish tint.

Does Only Color Treated Hair Get Affected?

Blondes get a bad rap for being so quickly sun-bleached and discolored. Hair that is light in color will be more susceptible to absorbing specific colors, right? Well, all hair colors aren’t immune, except blonde. Light hair colors quickly absorb copper and chlorine tints. Whether you have blonde hair or are highlighted in black or brown, those strands are just as exposed to potential damage from copper or Chlorine, which cause green discoloration.

How can You Avoid Green Hair?

You can apply specific measures to avoid your hair becoming green.

Use Copper Free Algaecide

Most probably, you own a swimming pool for relaxing after a long hectic day. To clean your pool and avoid algae growing, use a copper-free algaecide. When Chlorine reacts with copper, it gives everything a greenish tint.

Attach a Filter

Always attach a filter to the pool, preventing any metal from entering the pool. Metal in water oxidizes with Chlorine, which causes human hair to turn into green color, also damaging the hair fibers.

Use Conditioners

If you don’t own a pool but are a frequent swimmer, make sure to take certain precautions before entering the pool. These precautions include oiling or conditioning your hair. After applying conditioner or oil, make sure to wear a swimming cap.

How can you Treat Greenish Hair Yourself?

For one reason or the other, you have got your blonde hair greenish due to frequent swimming, no matter you can treat them yourself.

Use Baking Soda or Lemon

Baking soda and lemon are natural bleaching agents that will help you remove the green color from your hair. Make a past of half cup soda with water and apply this mixture on your hair; leave it a while and rinse it off.

Lemon juice is also beneficial to get rid of the green tint from your hair. Use lemon juice to apply it to your hair, leave it for some time, and wash it off. Remember that both of these ingredients will make your hair dry, so make sure to do deep conditioning after applying these bleaching ingredients.

Conclusion

Who doesn’t love swimming? It is a great exercise and a relaxing sport; it strengthens your internal body organs and helps you maintain body fitness. When you think of diving in the swimming pool, you may think of the side effects of pool water. To keep the water bacteria-free chlorine is used, which is harmful to human hair. When it oxidizes with metal, it makes your hair turn green, especially your color-treated hair. Here we have discussed how your hair turns green due to Chlorine and how you can protect blonde hair from Chlorine. We hope you liked the post and if you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.