Yikes! My Hair is Green!

How To Avoid the Swimming Pool Dye Job

Anyone who went to the premiere showings of the blockbuster movie "The Avengers" saw a lot of people dressed like super-heroes running around.

The thing that caught my eye in the press were how many Hulks there were. I know they make green hair dye, but in my life I never thought I’d ever see a legitimate use for it. Yet, there they were - like an army of walking spinach determined to make vegans out of all of us.

But then I remembered that green hair does not always come out of a bottle. Sometimes, it comes out of the swimming pool. As vacation season is upon us, many of us wind up in hotels for “staycations” or simply at a friend’s house for an old-fashioned pool party and cookout. What we sometimes forget is that the chemicals used to keep pools clean can sometimes damage our hair, and in some extreme cases, even turn it green.

Personally, I can’t think of a worse vacation buzzkill than emerging from the swimming pool with a headful of cabbage, so I thought I’d share some ways that you can avoid accidentally getting the Kermit the Frog look as you enjoy the swimming pool this summer.

The main villains in this story are chlorine and other minerals used to condition pool water. They like to invade the cuticles of your hair and have their own cookout, eating away at your hair. But this can be prevented.

The first best defense is to rinse your hair with shower water before you hit the pool. You see, your hair and your cuticles can only absorb so much water, so if they are saturated with natural water, there will be no room at the Inn for the chlorine water. An even better, but less fashionable way, to make this strategy work more effectively is to wear a bathing cap when you hit the pool. I know you don’t want to look like a granny, but don’t be afraid of it. Work that look. Staple a piece of ham on it and tell your family this is how Lady Gaga goes swimming. It might work.

But if you are reading this AFTER you’ve emerged from the pool looking like you’ve been exposed to way too many Gamma Rays, there are ways of getting your hair back to normal.

I recommend using Pureology’s Purify shampoo after swimming. This is a clarifying shampoo that will strip your hair of most unnatural pigment. You might have to sacrifice your highlights, but my guess is that you’d sacrifice your Netflix membership if it meant your green hair would go away.

After washing your hair with Purify, follow up with Hydrate conditioner. This will help to flush out the rest of the chemicals trying to party in your cuticles, and replace it with natural moisturizers to keep any lingering chemicals out.

Now, if you spent the afternoon playing volleyball in the pool and find that the last two tactics worked most of the way, but not all the way, an in-salon treatment may be your best bet at eliminating the emerald highlights you may have left. The salon treatment will remove any remaining chemical or mineral buildup and restore your hair to its natural, non-vegetable, color.

Now remember - if you have dark colored hair, you may emerge from the pool without any noticeable change in hair color, but that doesn’t mean the chemicals and minerals aren’t lurking in your hair and building up. Those chemicals are still getting into your hair and damaging from the inside. Follow the tips above whether or not you see the green invading your coif. Better safe than Hulky.