What product will strip the green from my hair?
- Thread starter mshel
- Start date
Try this: make a paste of baking soda mixed with your shampoo. Distribute into your hair. Leave it on for five minutes and rinse with cool water.
here is an excerpt from Paula Begoun:
Avoiding "Swimmer's Hair"
As summertime fast approaches, many of you will be heading to the pool for recreation and exercise. While many of you use swimming pools year-round as a means of physical fitness, summer seems like an appropriate time to discuss the issue of pool chemicals turning hair (specifically, blonde and color-treated blonde or highlighted hair) an undesirable color. It turns out the culprit in most cases is copper. This metal may be present in pool water (if your local municipal water supply has a detectable level of copper), from copper in anti-algae pool treatments or other pool treatment chemicals, even from copper pipes that supply the pool’s water. If you color-treat or perm your hair, residual amounts of the chemical ammonium chloride react with copper in pool water, forming copper ions that attach to the hair shaft and cause discoloration.
Many people think that the common pool water disinfectant chlorine is to blame, but it isn’t. Chlorine is definitely drying to skin and hair, but it doesn’t turn hair green. Chlorine does have bleaching properties, and can affect color-treated hair by making blonde hair whiter and dyed dark hair less shiny (almost ashen). Pair this with the green tinge many blondes complain about and it’s easy to see why chlorine (with its recognizable odor) is often blamed.
In order to reduce the build-up of metals you should be using shampoos that contain the chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediamene tetracetic acid). This is a common additive to shampoos and shouldn’t be difficult to find. A special “swimmer’s shampoo” isn’t necessary, though these generally contain chelating agents anyway, so they do the trick. Almost every shampoo labeled as “clarifying” or “anti-residue” contains EDTA because it removes build-up efficiently without over-drying hair.
Of course, a failsafe though not too attractive option is to always wear a bathing cap when you swim. Tucking your hair into these rubber caps reduces contact with pool water, so no chemical damage or metal-induced color change will occur. Applying a leave-in conditioner before the bathing cap makes applying it easier (less hair pulling) and also serves as a conditioning treatment; as your scalp releases body heat, it will be trapped under the bathing cap, allowing the conditioner to penetrate hair better.
If the idea of wearing a bathing cap isn’t appealing, these guidelines should help minimize the damage from chlorine and potential greenish tinge from copper:
Avoiding "Swimmer's Hair"
As summertime fast approaches, many of you will be heading to the pool for recreation and exercise. While many of you use swimming pools year-round as a means of physical fitness, summer seems like an appropriate time to discuss the issue of pool chemicals turning hair (specifically, blonde and color-treated blonde or highlighted hair) an undesirable color. It turns out the culprit in most cases is copper. This metal may be present in pool water (if your local municipal water supply has a detectable level of copper), from copper in anti-algae pool treatments or other pool treatment chemicals, even from copper pipes that supply the pool’s water. If you color-treat or perm your hair, residual amounts of the chemical ammonium chloride react with copper in pool water, forming copper ions that attach to the hair shaft and cause discoloration.
Many people think that the common pool water disinfectant chlorine is to blame, but it isn’t. Chlorine is definitely drying to skin and hair, but it doesn’t turn hair green. Chlorine does have bleaching properties, and can affect color-treated hair by making blonde hair whiter and dyed dark hair less shiny (almost ashen). Pair this with the green tinge many blondes complain about and it’s easy to see why chlorine (with its recognizable odor) is often blamed.
In order to reduce the build-up of metals you should be using shampoos that contain the chelating agent EDTA (ethylenediamene tetracetic acid). This is a common additive to shampoos and shouldn’t be difficult to find. A special “swimmer’s shampoo” isn’t necessary, though these generally contain chelating agents anyway, so they do the trick. Almost every shampoo labeled as “clarifying” or “anti-residue” contains EDTA because it removes build-up efficiently without over-drying hair.
Of course, a failsafe though not too attractive option is to always wear a bathing cap when you swim. Tucking your hair into these rubber caps reduces contact with pool water, so no chemical damage or metal-induced color change will occur. Applying a leave-in conditioner before the bathing cap makes applying it easier (less hair pulling) and also serves as a conditioning treatment; as your scalp releases body heat, it will be trapped under the bathing cap, allowing the conditioner to penetrate hair better.
If the idea of wearing a bathing cap isn’t appealing, these guidelines should help minimize the damage from chlorine and potential greenish tinge from copper:
- Rinse hair with clean water after exiting the pool; do not allow pool water-soaked hair to dry.
- If you swim regularly, minimize the use of heat-styling your hair or brushing too often, all of which can cause further damage.
- If you own a swimming pool, talk to someone at your local pool supply store about chemical treatments that can be added to the water to make it less acidic, which encourages copper release from metal pieces due to corrosion. Your local pool supply store may also be able to test your pool water to determine the presence of metals and make suggestions on how to get them down to an acceptable level.
- Switch to an emollient conditioner, at least for the ends of hair, and be sure to keep hair protected while outdoors by wearing a hat. Adding the sun’s drying effect to a steady routine of exposing hair to pool chemicals won’t make for many good hair days!
Paul Mitchell shampoo 3 does work, you just need to leave it in for 5 minutes or longer, however long it takes to remove the green, then follow up with the detangler from Paul Mitchell. They're meant to work together. In general I am not a fan of Paul Mitchell but we did use it in the salon for green removal, also Nexxus Aloe Rid. Never really used the rest of the Paul Mitchell line, but we always kept Shampoo 3 on the back bar for summertime.
Well....I used it. I washed, rinsed, then covered my head in it and wrapped it up in a towel and left it for about 20 min. before rinsing. The highlights are still totally green.
Hmmm...I've got myself a conundrum here...
I'll keep using it and if doesn't work, will try the soda.
Hmmm...I've got myself a conundrum here...
I'll keep using it and if doesn't work, will try the soda.
I've heard tomato ketchup works, as the red is supposed to neutralise the green! 
I found this:
Green hair can definitely be a problem and will tend to impact blondes the worst. Chemically created blondes tend to have hair that may be more porous and allow chemicals to soak in easier.
There are a lot of reasons why hair will turn green. A common culprit is chemicals in any type of water that the hair is exposed to. This water can be from swimming in water with chlorine or it can be from chemicals that are added to drinking water.
Well water may also cause some hair to take on a green cast.
How do you remove the green?
If you've been swimming in chlorine check out your nearest beauty supply store for products designed to remove chlorine from your hair. You can also try clarifying shampoos. Philou's Green Apple will often help remove chlorine or other chemicals from the hair.
If that doesn't work you can try neutralizing your hair with an application of either tomato sauce or ketchup. Apply it to your hair and carefully massage it in. Wrap your hair up for a few minutes with an old towel. Then shampoo and apply a good rinse out conditioner.
If you still have green hair, head for the nearest hair color expert and have them work their magic on you.
Prevention is the always the best medicine for hair problems. Once you get the green out, take care to avoid using any hair care products that contain metallic salts. Also, wet your hair before swimming to slow down chlorine absorption. Once you get out of the pool, rinse your hair with Club soda. Chlorine is a copper-rich bleach and the Club soda will neutralize it and wash it out of your hair before it can turn green.
If the problem is with well water, shampoo your hair in distilled water. Buy the cheap jugs at the nearest store and use it to shampoo and rinse.
Tomato sauce or ketchup works to neutralize the green. It should also work on hair that is green from well water.
I found this:
Green hair can definitely be a problem and will tend to impact blondes the worst. Chemically created blondes tend to have hair that may be more porous and allow chemicals to soak in easier.
There are a lot of reasons why hair will turn green. A common culprit is chemicals in any type of water that the hair is exposed to. This water can be from swimming in water with chlorine or it can be from chemicals that are added to drinking water.
Well water may also cause some hair to take on a green cast.
How do you remove the green?
If you've been swimming in chlorine check out your nearest beauty supply store for products designed to remove chlorine from your hair. You can also try clarifying shampoos. Philou's Green Apple will often help remove chlorine or other chemicals from the hair.
If that doesn't work you can try neutralizing your hair with an application of either tomato sauce or ketchup. Apply it to your hair and carefully massage it in. Wrap your hair up for a few minutes with an old towel. Then shampoo and apply a good rinse out conditioner.
If you still have green hair, head for the nearest hair color expert and have them work their magic on you.
Prevention is the always the best medicine for hair problems. Once you get the green out, take care to avoid using any hair care products that contain metallic salts. Also, wet your hair before swimming to slow down chlorine absorption. Once you get out of the pool, rinse your hair with Club soda. Chlorine is a copper-rich bleach and the Club soda will neutralize it and wash it out of your hair before it can turn green.
If the problem is with well water, shampoo your hair in distilled water. Buy the cheap jugs at the nearest store and use it to shampoo and rinse.
Tomato sauce or ketchup works to neutralize the green. It should also work on hair that is green from well water.
That will work. In the salon we use plastic shower caps and sit people under the hood dryers-at home I use the plastic wrap and my hairdryer.
All right you wonderfully helpful gals you...
Here's my plan of action. Tomrorrow (after swimming w/the kids
) I'm going to first try to ketchup thing 
and if that doesn't work, I'll chase it w/a friday night cocktail and shampoo 3 w/saran and heat!
I'll let ya know....
Worse case scenario, I can get a good buzz on and no longer care...
Here's my plan of action. Tomrorrow (after swimming w/the kids
) I'm going to first try to ketchup thing and if that doesn't work, I'll chase it w/a friday night cocktail and shampoo 3 w/saran and heat!I'll let ya know....
Worse case scenario, I can get a good buzz on and no longer care...
Let me know how it works....my hair is getting greenish and my son is a natural white blonde and his is turning green. I have the Paul Mitchell shampoo...it worked on my son, but not on me. Must be those darn highlights!!
After reading this I am going to wear a bathing cap with conditioner before I get in the pool! Good Luck.
So....here's the dealio. Ketchup/reek/spider and....the conclusion.
I smothered my hair in ketchup. Can I just say that the smell of that condiment on anything other than fries or a hamburger is just nasty. I had to breathe out of my nose the entire time!
I wrap my head in a towel, jump in the shower and after a little bodily clean up, I unwrapped the towel and rinsed out all the stinky red stuff!
After opening my eyes, I see a nice and large spider
had joined me in the shower and I just hope it was stationary the entire time and not crawling all over my feet while I was rinsing. Ew. (Where do they come from? But I digress)
And the conclusion.......are ya ready???????
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.Greener than it was before!
Yeah. It is.
Hey, I do appreciate the suggestion CHLOE!! I really do....it's likely just my hair.
Ok. I'll try the siran wrap and blow dryer next. If that doesn't work, the baking soda. Next...sinead o'connor anyone?
My hair is long, how should I wrap the stuff? I was going to put it all on top my head, but I'm wondering if I should try to wrap it down my back so the heat gets to it better?
I smothered my hair in ketchup. Can I just say that the smell of that condiment on anything other than fries or a hamburger is just nasty. I had to breathe out of my nose the entire time!
I wrap my head in a towel, jump in the shower and after a little bodily clean up, I unwrapped the towel and rinsed out all the stinky red stuff!
After opening my eyes, I see a nice and large spider
had joined me in the shower and I just hope it was stationary the entire time and not crawling all over my feet while I was rinsing. Ew. (Where do they come from? But I digress)And the conclusion.......are ya ready???????
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.Greener than it was before!
Yeah. It is.
Hey, I do appreciate the suggestion CHLOE!! I really do....it's likely just my hair.
Ok. I'll try the siran wrap and blow dryer next. If that doesn't work, the baking soda. Next...sinead o'connor anyone?
My hair is long, how should I wrap the stuff? I was going to put it all on top my head, but I'm wondering if I should try to wrap it down my back so the heat gets to it better?