Swimming is a fun and healthy activity, but have you ever hopped out of the pool only to find your hair turning green? This can be both frustrating and alarming for anyone who enjoys taking a dip. However, there’s a clear explanation and solution to this unusual phenomenon.
Often people believe chlorine is the culprit that turns hair green. Surprisingly, it’s not exactly true! The true offender causing your locks to turn various shades of emerald is copper – more specifically, oxidized metals in the water.
Pools are generally filled with tap water, which contain minerals like copper. Moreover, some algaecides used in pool maintenance also have copper that can deposit onto your hair shaft, giving it a green tinge. When these metals encounter chlorine, they oxidize and bond to proteins in your hair strands. Blonde or light-colored hair is especially susceptible due to its lighter pigment allowing the green hue to show more vividly.
Your hair absorbency plays a significant role too – dry or damaged hair tends to absorb more metals from water than healthy ones due to raised cuticle layers. Hence if your hairs are parched (perhaps from frequent use of heating tools or bleaching), they become sponges for whatever they come into contact with including copper-containing pool water.
But fear not; those looking for ways to safeguard their hair from going green while swimming – couple of solutions stand at hand:
1. Pre-Pool Protection: Before diving into the pool saturate your locks with fresh tap water or apply leave-in conditioner on them – this will limit the capacity of your strands in absorbing chlorinated water full of metallic solutes.
2. Specialty Shampoos: Investing in shampoos specifically designed for ‘swimmers’ hair’, often called chelating shampoos, can serve greatly by neutralizing harmful chemicals and ingredients such as heavy metals from your locks post-swim session.
3. Regular Rinsing: It’s essential to rinse your hair thoroughly after swimming, as this helps wash away any excess minerals before they have the chance to bond.
4. Hair Caps: Silicone or latex swim caps provide a physical barrier between the pool water and your hairs – perfect not only for professional swimmers but also if you’re frequently hitting the pool.
5. Hydrating Hair: Maintain the health of your strands by keeping them well-hydrated as dry hair has a tendency to absorb more from its environment, including copper and chlorine from pools.
6. Pool Maintenance: Regular testing of pool’s pH levels can reduce occurrence of green hair blues significantly – maintaining a healthy chemical balance will help prevent metallic oxidation in water.
In conclusion, if you find your hair turning green post-swim it is most likely from oxidized metals such as copper in the pool water, rather than chlorine alone. By taking some simple preventive steps like hydrating your hair, using specialty shampoos or wearing swim caps you can ensure your hair doesn’t undergo unwanted color change while enjoying the swim splash! Don’t let this put a dampener on dip fun – after all having little knowledge and implementing clever preventive measures are all we need to maintain our tresses while enjoying respite under sun!