Green Pool Hair!

Dear B.,
In my high school days on the swimteam, this problem came up for anybody with blonde hair.
I used to use canned tomato juice. With a towel around my neck I would get my hair completely wet with the juice while the longest ends would be soaking in a tupperware glass full of my hair and the juice. The pulp tends to stick to the hair while the clorine drips off in a brownish -green liquid that has a copper-like smell.
It's sort of messy but works fairly well. The biggest problem is sitting there while having one's hair soaked with tomato juice. The longer the soaking, the more effective the treatment.
I honestly dont know whether or not there are any good commercial products to do the same, but tomato juice might be the CHEAPEST method!
good luck!

They do have green remover from the beauty supply store. Just a suggestion. and just putting water on the girls' hair before they go in the water will not prevent the green color change from the chlorine. However, sealing their hair with some type of oil may work better than just plain water. Just a suggestion! I haven't seen a little blond girl with green hair in ages! Good luck to you!

This happened to my daughter right before a dinner party I was hosting. I didn't know what to do and immediately called my hair dresser who recommended lime juice. At the time all I had were a few fresh limes. I squeezed them in her hair and it worked. Since then I always keep a spray bottle in my frig with lime juice in it.

My mom always used lemon juice on my hair. Good luck!

Hi B., I totally understand. I had green hair every summer growing up. There is a shampoo you can purchase at beauty supply stores that help take the green out and help prevent damage to the hair. It is not an overnight process, but it does work. Good luck!!

There is a shampoo you can buy specifically for this. I don't remember the name, but ask the pharmacist...he should know.
H.

I had a blonde friend that swam a lot- he used this special shampoo for blondes and swimming that was purple. This neutralized his hair to take the green out. I am not sure what it was called, but something to look into.

Good luck- I'll probably have the same issue with my toe-head of a son!

i would invest in a salt water system for your pool. it works like chlorine but uses ordinary table salt. the initial output is not too bad and the benefits are enormous. it's much healthier for your family and more earth friendly also. just my opinion. i'm not selling anything, i'm just an earth friendly mom of 3.

I've heard that you should put conditioner on their hair before they swim, and be sure to rinse their hair immediately after swimming.

Hi B.,
Check out circle of friends online. I love their products. I have been using the detangler and shampoo for 3 years on my 5/12 yr. old grandaughter's curly hair and it's worked great. I recently purchased their pre-swim conditioner and splish splash shampoo. I haven' tried it yet because I just got it. She swims at least twice a week so I thought this would be good because I trust all of their products now. Their bubble bath is also great! Check it out and good luck!
Judy

My daughter has super blonde hair, everytime we soak her hair in water (make sure the whole head it wet like in the shower) BEFORE she goes in the pool...that has worked. Also, before I knew this trick there is a shampoo that is kinda expensive but it Worked Joico resolve chelating shampoo. Good luck!

There is a product that you can get at hair salons and beauty supply stores that will get the green out in only 2 to three shampoos. works great! Good luck!

Hi,
The best advice I can give to you is to wet their hair (with a spray bottle) and leave in some conditioner. The conditioner will help to keep out the chlorine out. Or you can get a latex swim cap. Those are the best but the kids do not allows like them.

There are shampoos, lemon juice and tomato juice. I have used them all. But something else I can recommend is ocean water. The salt from the ocean will help to take it out too. You can spend a fun day at the ocean and get the green out. It is a 2 for 1 deal.

Have Fun Swimming.
K.

I too have heard of shampoos but don't wait on the photos...it will be a fond memory of the year the spent the summer in the pool.

I was very blonde as a child and was on a swim team. My hair was green every summer! My mother used to put my sister and I in the backyard and pour tomato juice over our heads. We had to sit out there for about a half hour before she'd rinse it out. We hated it and I couldn't drink tomato juice for years, but it worked! I think that in the years since there may be a product on the market to take green out of blonde hair, but tomato juice may be something you have right in your cupboard!

Hi B....
This is the time of year i hear this alot. I am a hair-stylist and i see and hear this so much. KMS has a product, clarifying shampoo, this will take out alot of the green. But it is really hard to get it completely out. Maybe a hair-cut too! From now on carry the KMS moist-repiar REVIVAL CREAM in your pool bag, get their hair wet before getting into the water and put this in their hair. This is minimize the clorine absorbsion into their hair keeping it green free. If you can rinse their hair after they get out of the pool but if you have this product in their hair you shouldn't need to ASAP but eventually you will. Hope that helps. if you have any more q's just email me.
Good luck
A.

Hi B. - My daughter is also an avid swimmer with long, blonde hair. I don't know if it's too late for your girls, but we have had a lot of luck with a shampoo called Ultra Swim. It is a chlorine removal shampoo and works well but it works best when you use it as soon as they start swimming. But, you've got nothing to lose by trying it. It is in a blue bottle. I have purchased it at Walgreens and Rite Aid. My hairdresser also said to rinse their hair with tomatoe juice. I have never tried that but again, worth a shot. Good luck!

This works great it is called..Aloe Rid by Nexus it helps get rid of chlorine and removes residual buildup. My daughter has blonde hair and i have been using this since she was 3 yrs old she is now 10 yrs.......good luck

Hi B., There is a shampoo called Green out, it's for chlorine bleeched hair, Check you local store. J.

I am a hairdresser in Huntington Beach and we use an amazing product by Enjoy Hair Care called Clarifying Spray. It is awsome and works great. You may have to do it a couple of times. It is under $20 and is sold only at certain salons. My salon is in Huntington Beach on the corner of Adams and Brookhurst Salon doMane. The phone # is ###-###-####

Dear B.:

This was never a problem for us...all brunettes...but recently I was looking for special shampoos at Wild Oats and Whole Foods and I noticed an entire section of special shampoos, conditioners, and masques for anti-green hair! Check them out.

Best wishes,

M.

Aubrey's Organic Hair Products
I use the Swimmer's shampoo and conditioner on my 4.5 and 2.75 year old children (carefully!! It will burn their eyes). I always put any old conditioner on my daughter's long hair before she goes into the pool, so the hair doesn't soak up the chlorinated water as much. Immediately upon exiting the pool, I shampoo and condition her hair.
We're in the pool a lot and her hair still looks great.
Good luck

Amazon.com sells it, as well as health food stores

wash there hair with lemon juice 2 table spoon should be enough don't wash it out and you do this after swimming or tomatoe paste the acid in both take out the green

My sister and I had the same problem when we were little. We would use bottles of lemon juice. We would take turns on eachother and rinse though the other's hair over the bathtub.

Wet their hair and put a little leave-in conditioner before they go in the pool. Also, there are shampoos that are specifically for taking the chlorine out. also, you can trim the dryer parts of their hair. That takes in the chlorine more. Good luck.

Tomato juice also works

Go to a salon there are alot of good products to remove that. I like Enjoy, but it is expensive. Try Redken they also have a good line. The best thing you can do is wet their hair before going in. My hair dresser was a olympic swimmer and she told me to do that. Ever since I have been my hair has been so much better.

There are definitely products that can help although I don't have the names off hand...

I have shampoo that I use after I get out of the pool to cut the chlorine out of my hair. Aveda sells one which is great because most of the ingredients are natural...

Good luck- I'm sure they will be blond again before you know it!

Hi B.,

I am a hair stylist ---- soak their hair in tomatoe juice. the red neutrilizes the green.
If you have any futher questions feel free to call me

M. German
###-###-####

This is going to sound wierd but wash their hair in tomato juice. The acid in the tomatoes gets it out somehow. Then shampoo as normal. And getting their hair wet before hand and then putting some conditioner in it will help keep it out. I have been told that Paul Mitchell also has a shampoo out that works but I haven't tried it. Good luck!!

N.

My sister always had green hair in the summer! We used special shampoo in our home during the summer. I can't think of the name but it is in the shampoo aisle in most stores. I've purchased at Target before. Using that will help. Also, getting their hair wet and applying conditioner before getting in to the water.

I found this while trying to find the name of the shampoo (I didn't find it but just look hard in the shampoo aisle)
http://www.ehow.com/tips_2348.html

I know you've gotten a lot already, but if no one else suggested it I just read that pouring club soda over hair after swimming lifts the chlorine off- I feel for you, though. I had that happen to me when I was little, too! I wish I could remember what my mom did about it.

Your daughters sound darling! Green hair, ugh!I don't really know of a way to get it out immediately and perhaps somone else may offer a good suggestion but I think half of it is preventing it from occuring. The chlorine is doing it even if at a low level. When my daughter was in swim classes they advised the parents of toe heads to rinse their hair really well after getting out of the pool to remove the chlorine. For some, it still impacts them. I know it sounds corny but if that is the case for your little ones you may have to consider a swimming cap. The have really cute ones for little girls at the pool center and if you make it a fun shopping and selection time maybe they will warm up to the idea. They are not the types we grew up which were uncomfortable but really cute and soft these days. Your answer may be once their hair starts to return to its natural color, having them use swim caps for the rest of the summer. Believe it or not, they will enjoy having dry hair when they get out of the pool vs. having to cope with your rinsing it out real well. Hopefully, someone has a good suggestion on getting their beautiful color back quickly but it will return to their natural color if they are no longer exposing their hair to the chlorine... best wishes and have a great summer!

I am the oldest of 5 toe-heads. My poor mom tried everything. The shampoos never worked. Tomato juice worked a little but still had the green tint. I still swear by lemon juice. I buy the green bottle of 100% pure, put hair in a pony tail and dip in in a cup of the lemon juice. It works... really. Good luck!

Hi B......

I had the same problem. My two blondies are grown now..25 & 23...but I would rinse their hair every two weeks with tomatoe juice. My Mom told me about that (rely on Mom!!)..apparently the acid removes the green...but also try to have them get their hair wet BEFORE they go into the pool. The swim teacher is right..if their hair is wet it will absorb less chlorine...
hope it helps...and enjoy those little ones..they will be grown before you know it!!

V.

Good morning, I had a friend several years ago with 4 beautiful toe-heads- 2 boys(with wavy hair) and 2 girls (with long wavy hair_- who eventually swam everyday and developed a green tinge to their hair. She asked someone at the pool about what to do regarding the green and the woman told her to rinse their hair with grape kool-aid powder (unsweetened kind) mixed with water, after they swam. It worked for her. I don't exactly know if it worked after one use or a couple. About 6 years ago another friend had 2 girls who had the same problem, and I told her about it. She tried it successfully. Good luck.

I don't believe it's the chlorine as much as the copper in algecides.
I have the palest of pale blonde hair, it was palest when I was little.
As soon as I got home from the pool I washed my hair with lemon juice and it worked like a charm.
My grandparents had a lemon tree so my mom would juice them and make ice cubes out of it, you can also buy the bottle of lemon juice.
Let the lemon juice sit there for a few minutes. My mom would just have me sit in the tub for a bit with it on before turning on the shower.
If it's set in from past swimming it might take a couple rinses or letting it sit longer.

The sell shamppos especially for blonds that take the chlorine out. The drug store or beauty store should have it.

Otherwise, put some spray in conditioner in their hair before they go swimming. Wetting it helps.. anything that swells the hair shaft will keep the chlorine from damaging it.

They sell special shampoo to get the green out -- very common problem for fair haired kids. Don't recall brand names, but you could probably find it at Walmart or even your favorite kids salon (for 4 times the price).

When I was younger, my mom always used tomatoe juice to get the green out. Me and my siblings would all climb in the tub and she would pour the juice over our hair and let it sit for a few minutes. I went to beauty school and know that if you go to a beauty supply, they usually have shampoo and conditioner for swimmers. I don't know of a specific brand but usually if you ask the clerk they can direct you to the right product.

Best of luck to you!

Hello I am a mom of three blondies on a swim team and a hairstylist. One of my blondies has hair almost to her waist. Before you spend your precuious money on an overpriced beauty supply "green out", use lemon juice! Works like a charm everytime. I use it in my salon too. Here's how you do it: Squeeze one or more lemons to get the fresh juice (don't use the lemon juice already in the bottle from the store it doesn't work as well). Apply the lemon juice to dry hair by saturating the "green ends" and leave it on for five to ten minutes. You will see the green dissolve before your eyes. Shampoo and condition hair to remove and neutralize the lemon juice. I recommend doing this treatment in the bathtub at bathtime. I apply the lemon juice to my daughters hair, twist it up out of the way and come back 5 - ten minutes later to shampoo it out. (makes a great lemon scented bath too once you rinse the hair! DONT forget to condition to netralize the lemon juice and recondition the hair. A second application of lemon juice can be used after shampooing the first application out if you have a really bad case of green hair. Just re-apply fresh lemon juice for another 5-10 minutes and then shampoo and condition the hair. Lemons are very acidic and that is why they work, so be careful Not to get the lemon juice near the eyes or left sitting on sunburned skin. It will sting sunburned skin! Any lemon juice that touches the skin must be washed off before going into the sun to prevent a seriuos burn. I hope this helps!

I had that green pool hair as a kid. My mom used tomato sauce, yes, tomato sauce, to get the green out. Something about the acid in the sauce. It smells kind of gross but is the cheapest solution and worked for us, although it is not a miracle overnight. There are also products on the market (available at beauty supply stores)that will help, but are obvioulsy more expensive, so try the cheapo tomato sauce first. Work in into the hair and let it sit for a few minutes. Then wash the hair (sometimes twice)to get the sauce and smell out. I am also a swim instructor (for 22 years) and I give this tip to all the moms. And, if you wet the hair and put conditioner on it (something kind of thick in consistency but a thin layer through the hair) it will help to prevent the hair from absorbing the chlorine from the pool. Rinse right after getting out. Good luck!

There used to be a product called green out, like a shampoo. I had the same problem growing up. Good luck.
R.

I found a site that has "home remedies" for green hair: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/43849/home_remed...

I had heard tomato or lemon juice before, but it also recommends an aspirin solution. Interesting.

Once it's out, wet the hair before (so it doesn't soak up the pool water), apply hair conditioner, and put a cap over it. Good luck!

Hi B.,

It's not the chlorine that's turning their hair green it's the metals found in the water. There are shampoos and conditioners out there to help remedy "green hair" or "swimmer's hair". You can look at your local drugstore or go online to find them. You can also try rinsing their hair with lemon juice or vinegar after they get out of the pool, then shampoo and condition as usual. The extra step to preventing them from getting green hair in the future is to not only wet it but to put conditioner in it so that it forms a shield around the hair so the metals can't stick to it. Hope this helps!

My kids were also blonde (both now have dark brown/black hair) while on swim & H2O Polo teams. The best remedy we found for green hair was rinsing with tomato juice while showering. There are also commercial products out there that help, if the girls don't like the tomato juice. Good Luck.
(Their coach told them the only other remedy was to always wear a "cap" in the pool)

Aveda has a molasses shampoo that works really well. It's to get the green out. Before swimming put any conditioner in the hair and comb it through. This will prevent hair from turning green.

They make shampoo for this I believe its called green out. It has a red base which neutralizes the green. I think that was a good suggestion to wet the hair before letting the kids get in the pool. Another precaution would be to wet it then put a deep moisturizing conditioner in it (do not rinse out). It will protect the hair even more because it provides a barrier and there is no more room in the hair for the clorine to get in because it is filled with conditioner. Not only does it stop the green but does a very nice job of moisturizing the hair as the sun will help it penitrate into the hair throughout the day.

L'Oreal makes a great shampoo for getting out the green, 3 in 1 Swim & Sport Shampoo. Two of my girls are also tow heads & I hate the green hair, you can get it at Target for $2 or $3...for my hair, since I'm now a "bottled" blonde, I use Paul Mitchell's Shampoo Three. I was reading the posts, combing conditioner through their hair before they swim sounds like a good idea, too. Chlorine is harsh on hair, might as well protect the hair as much as possible. My girls have been swimming everyday so far this summer & with just this shampoo, they haven't had even a hint of green. Good Luck

UltraSwim swimmers shampoo.
I used to use it when I was a competitive diver. It works great.

Hi
I found this:
1) Purchase a shampoo and/or conditioner specially formulated to remedy "green hair" or "swimmer's hair." Special shampoo called swimmers action by Malibu 2000. We purchased it from our hair salon, if it is a big problem like it is for us, we also use what is called a crystal gel pack once a month. You can also buy these from any salon. I noticed this year that Wal-Mart is carrying a shampoo for this as well.

2) Try using lemon juice or vinegar to rinse the hair after swimming, if you cannot find a commercial product.

3) To prevent green hair from ever becoming a problem you have to deal with, wet your hair before going into a pool and put a conditioner in it and leave it like that. It will shield your hair from the metals in the water. Also put on a snug swimmers cap to keep the hair from getting wet

AND

One way to get the green out is to take tomato juice and pour it in the hair. Let it sit for about 35-45 minutes and then wash it a couple of times to get the tomato juice out. The acid in the tomato juice will neutralize the chlorine. We also used TOMATO SOUP, and a shower cap and a 15 min bath. then after time was up too a shower and POOF we are blondes again! Best advice I have ever found! Will keep a stock of tomato paste in the cabinet.

I have tried a mixture of baking soda and water with great results in the past, leave it on for about 15 min and rinse and then follow with a regular shampooing.

My stylist said to use Prell Shampoo. It worked wonders and it stripped the green out almost instantly.

One of the best ways i found was to crunch 30 aspirin into a cup and add water to make a paste then spread onto hair leave on for about 15 minutes and rinse.

The aspirin dissolved in white vinegar worked immediately! 6 aspirin in a bowl of white vinegar.

Good luck

There are a few shampoos out that will help with it also, Ultra Swim is one. I was a swimmer for 15 years and I was also a toe head. Getting your hair wet first seemed to be most effective, and then washing and drying my hair after. Good Luck. I don't know what part of town you are in but, there is a store in San Diego called Paradowski's Swim and Sport that carries a number of shampoos and conditioners for the chlorine. They are located in the kearney Mesa area.

My kids had that problem too. Go to your local beauty supply store, there is special shampoo you can buy. It takes out the green and conditions it too. There may be other brands but the one I was recommended was made by ION (swimmer's shampoo). Good luck! The green will come out.

Try lemon juice. right after they get out of the pool soak their hair in a sink full of it. The citrus worked for me when I was younger and spent a lot of time in the pool.

We just dealt with this yesterday. Use some type of tomatoe product, we used tomatoe sauce, cover their hair with it and leave it on for 30 minutes or so. My dd is 6 y.o. so I was able to get her to sit with saran wrap on her hair so the tomatoe sauce wouldn't get all over the place. Then rinse it out, wash with a mild shampoo and conditioner. I've read that it can be very drying to their hair so I plan to condition her hair every time we wash it and to get it wet before she goes in the pool. Hope that helps!!

S. (stay-at-home mom to 8 y.o. ds and 6 y.o. dd)

They make special shampoos to help eliminate the green--check your local drugstore, like CVS or something like that. I've never seen it at my local Wal-Mart.

Look for a shampoo for chlorine removal. I saw one the other day, but can't remember what brand it was. Sorry. I'm pretty sure it was at Target, though. I'm sure you can find it anywhere, companies have been making them for years. Happy shampooing! :)

I have just recently read that tomato juice will take the chlorine green out of light hair. Haven't tried it myself but it sounds plausible, and I certainly could have used it myself as a teenager! It's worth a try anyway. good luck!

The sell certain shampoo I believe called green out, if you cant find it at the store call the pool supply place ask them how you get the green out of hair, do not use bleach..

Aloha B.---the same thing happened to me when I was a kid, and my mom washed mine several times w/a mixture of eggs and baking soda and it worked like a charm! I would add in some shampoo too, just to make it smell better and lather up, etc. It may take more than one washing, but the baking soda cuts the green out, and the eggs help protect the hair from drying. You could possibly try dawn liquid detergent as well, I know that works on brassy dye jobs. Good luck!!

I dont have a clue on the green-I dont think anything works all that great.

But, I do think you should get their photos taken w/ green hair. I know, I know, but, that is who they are right now. Just like a cast or stitches, or missing front teeth. And that is a much better memory than them, yet again, in a darling dress.

Hi
We had that problem till we switched to a salt pool.

I have the same problem with my daughter when she swims in my in-laws pool. However according to my husband and father-in-law who are pool guys, it is not the chlorine like most people think that turns the hair green, it is the copper in the water. Getting the hair wet, as well as applying conditioner to the hair before getting in the pool helps, there are also some chemicals that you can put in the pool to counter act the copper. My mother-in-law has a great product that rinses the green right out, I know that she got it at a salon but I can't remember the name. I just e-mailed her and will post again as soon as she replies. But if you didn't want to wait you check a beauty supply or a salon, I am sure that they would have some suggestions. Good luck,D.

Hello B.,

Tomato Juice worked for my hair when I was little. What a great memory... Even though you are trying to get the green out, do take pictures of this funny occasion with their hair!!

You got great advice from everyone. I would not use lemon juice... but tomato juice works great and it's cheap!

from a blondie,

M.

Hello B.,
You might try Aloe Rid by Nexus. It is made for chlorine pollutant in hair.
Also,in an emergency cheap red wine works to neutralize some of the green.
Rinse hair with wine immediatly after swimming, then rinse well with water. I used this on my friend's child when her baby fine blond hair turned neon green after swimming in our pool. It did remove most of the green.
I keep Aloe Rid on hand now. The wine I keep on hand is to expensive to use as a rinse. I would rather drink it. LOL!
Good luck.
A safe healthy summer to you and yours.

I have had success with tomatoe juice. I use one can (of a 6-pack),pour it on, let it sit between 3-10 minutes (depending on how bad it is) and then shampoo it out. If I have to let it stay for more than a few minutes I wrap her hair in saran wrap so she can move about, and the come back and rinse then shampoo. Good Luck! G.

Try Loreal's Swim Shampoo for kids.

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Loreal_Swim_Shampoo_For_Kids

I also know that there is Green Out Shampoo that I used to use as a kid that was sold at beauty supply stores and some drug stores.

I spent most of my childhood summers with green hair as did my brother. There are tons of funny pics of us with green hair! We wet our hair first and as soon as we got out of the pool we rinsed off (wasn't always practical to shampoo right away). There are lots of shampoos out there for swimmers hair that should get the green out. We used the neutragena (sp?) T-gel shampoo, it is for dandruff but worked well on our hair to get green out. But it stinks to high heaven and be very careful not to get it in eyes cause it is not tear free (learned that the hard way!) so we always washed a second time with regular shampoo to get rid of the stinky shampoo. Hope that helps and get some pics to tease your girls with when they are older! : )

try "Ultraswim" shampoo available at better sporting goods stores and sometimes in pharmacies during the summer. Prevention is the best though... always wet hair before and shampoo with a chlorine neutralizing shampoo immediately after. I have toe-head twins, and have been through it! Usually hair gets greenest at the ends, so a little trim right before pictures might help too.

Good Luck!

Use TOMATO PASTE or TOMATO SAUCE Get in the shower, put it on your hair, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, shampoo it out, condition it, AND NO MORE GREEN!!! I used this as a teenager. I have also heard of using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of aspirin tablets in a large container of water. Put the dissolved aspirin in the hair and work it in. I have not used this remedy before.

Once the chlorine gets in, it's really hard to get out. KMS has a good product to help remove some of the chlorine, but i can't remember the exact name of it.I would also recommend a good haircut to cut off some of the chlorine damaged hair. My mom used to put us in the bathtub and put tomato juice in our hair and that seemed to work a bit too. good Luck!!