Very dilute henna gloss for hair that's gone green from chlorine?

[florenonite]

My wee sister has very light blonde hair. It's almost white-blonde, but with a slight reddish tinge. She also swims a lot, and she uses swimming shampoo after going swimming, but her hair has got a distinctly green tinge to it. Last night it occurred to me that she could maybe do a very mild, dilute henna gloss to offset the green. I'm thinking something like a teaspoon of henna powder in a cup of conditioner, applied immediately without waiting for dye release, and only left on for half an hour or so.

What do you lot think? Could it work? Or will my sister end up with bright orange hair if she tries?

[ktani]

My wee sister has very light blonde hair. It's almost white-blonde, but with a slight reddish tinge. She also swims a lot, and she uses swimming shampoo after going swimming, but her hair has got a distinctly green tinge to it. Last night it occurred to me that she could maybe do a very mild, dilute henna gloss to offset the green. I'm thinking something like a teaspoon of henna powder in a cup of conditioner, applied immediately without waiting for dye release, and only left on for half an hour or so.

What do you lot think? Could it work? Or will my sister end up with bright orange hair if she tries?

Henna may colour her hair. There are 2 recommendations for blondes who have gone green from chlorine. One is a tomato juice rinse (diluted). The other I recommernd because there is no risk of added colour. Club soda, as a rinse. You need to use enough to thoroughly rinse the hair through, the same way you would rinse out a shapoo although you can leave it on the hair for a few minutes, before rinsing it out and rinsing again with water.

Here is the Swimming Article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=115) I wrote. If you click on the peroxide thread in my signature, and scroll down in the first post, there are a few links on club soda and swimming, as well.

[florenonite]

I thought the club soda was for preventing the green rather than dealing with it? I was going to recommend that to her for after swimming in the future. Can she just use it the same way as one would immediately after swimming to deal with the green?

[ktani]

I thought the club soda was for preventing the green rather than dealing with it? I was going to recommend that to her for after swimming in the future. Can she just use it the same way as one would immediately after swimming to deal with the green?

Yes, it is recommended to restore hair colour, after it has turned green from chlorine as well as a preventative. It removes copper green from the hair, as I understand it.

[Heidi_234]

I'll be super exited if club soda helps her prevent the greening. That would mean alot. Does she wets her hair before going to the pool? Dry hair take up much more chlorine, and that would mean also more greening. I personally saturate it in catnip tea, so I get to swim and have my hair really shiny after :D But tap water can do.
I know you ask how to get rid of the green, but I suppose preventing it from reoccurring can help a great deal. If she shampoos frequently, it will wash out eventually.

[florenonite]

Yes, it is recommended to restore hair colour, after it has turned green from chlorine as well as a preventative. It removes copper green from the hair, as I understand it.

OK, thanks! We'll have to get some club soda, then. I could do with using it, too, rather than shampooing my hair after every time I go swimming (which is sometimes daily).

Of course, if she gets the green out of her hair, I can't make fun of her for having green hair anymore :p

[ktani]

OK, thanks! We'll have to get some club soda, then. I could do with using it, too, rather than shampooing my hair after every time I go swimming (which is sometimes daily).

Of course, if she gets the green out of her hair, I can't make fun of her for having green hair anymore :p

Yes, that is the downside, lol.

[kwaniesiam]

Tomato juice rinse, followed by the club soda. Thoroughly saturating her hair before swimming will help too, as will adding some coconut oil to prevent any future green.

[Delila]

Wouldn't a chelating shampoo actually remove the green? Wouldn't that be the best option to get her hair back to normal?

[Shermie Girl]

I wouldn't advise henna for her. Even in such a small amount she could end up with more stain than she wants. Henna is powerful stuff.

If she does decide to try it, please remind her to strand test before she does it. That way she can see how her hair would turn out before committing her whole head to it. :)

[florenonite]

Wouldn't a chelating shampoo actually remove the green? Wouldn't that be the best option to get her hair back to normal?

The swimming shampoo she's been using is chelating; her hair's just so blonde that it still goes green.

[ktani]

The swimming shampoo she's been using is chelating; her hair's just so blonde that it still goes green.

Not all chelating or swimming shampoos are equal. It depends on how much and what they are using to chelate with.

[detritus]

Swim cap! :)

[Kirin]

Do NOT henna to cover the green from a pool. Most of her hair that is not green will pick up orange, and the green sections will tint a muddy ashen brown color, its not pretty.

Green from pools is not always from the chlorine. Chlorine green-ness will fade after a few days, or with swimmer's shampoo. Green that lingers and resists fading is likely from copper, such as copper pipes, as well as Algae killers and other treatments that are not chlorine. PH balancers can also cause green pigment in the hair.

Distilled white vinegar, straight and not dilluted will often help counter it, as will lemon juice. Citric acid rinses can also do the job, but oddly enough one of the best "soaks" to get rid of it is good ol' coca-cola. Coke is an old remedy, but in recent years I've heard that sprite is better for blondes because there's no chance of any staining. Soak the hair with these, drenching it, then rinse with clear water, then soak again until its gone, then shampoo.

I know several girls, myself included, where "Swimmers green" could never be corrected. Ever. We had to wait for it to grow out, and it never really faded, totally awful. Heated pools and spas are the culprits for that type of "greening", as the chemical coctail to prevent bacteria growth is tremendous.

[florenonite]

Swim cap! :)

She'd never wear one. Even I, who would wear one to swim lengths, would never wear one to teach lessons, which is what she does. The kids are either young enough to think you look scary or old enough to laugh in your face :p


Do NOT henna to cover the green from a pool. Most of her hair that is not green will pick up orange, and the green sections will tint a muddy ashen brown color, its not pretty.

Green from pools is not always from the chlorine. Chlorine green-ness will fade after a few days, or with swimmer's shampoo. Green that lingers and resists fading is likely from copper, such as copper pipes, as well as Algae killers and other treatments that are not chlorine. PH balancers can also cause green pigment in the hair.

Distilled white vinegar, straight and not dilluted will often help counter it, as will lemon juice. Citric acid rinses can also do the job, but oddly enough one of the best "soaks" to get rid of it is good ol' coca-cola. Coke is an old remedy, but in recent years I've heard that sprite is better for blondes because there's no chance of any staining. Soak the hair with these, drenching it, then rinse with clear water, then soak again until its gone, then shampoo.

I know several girls, myself included, where "Swimmers green" could never be corrected. Ever. We had to wait for it to grow out, and it never really faded, totally awful. Heated pools and spas are the culprits for that type of "greening", as the chemical coctail to prevent bacteria growth is tremendous.

My older sister had that problem years ago, when she was five or six. My hair was darker so hadn't gone green. She had to cut her hair, so she had short, curly hair and I had long, straight hair, so in retaliation she cut my hair for me ><

It never even occurred to me to use an acid rinse. I use lemon juice all the time when I use a 'poo bar, but didn't think of it for this.

[ktani]

She'd never wear one. Even I, who would wear one to swim lengths, would never wear one to teach lessons, which is what she does. The kids are either young enough to think you look scary or old enough to laugh in your face :p



My older sister had that problem years ago, when she was five or six. My hair was darker so hadn't gone green. She had to cut her hair, so she had short, curly hair and I had long, straight hair, so in retaliation she cut my hair for me ><

It never even occurred to me to use an acid rinse. I use lemon juice all the time when I use a 'poo bar, but didn't think of it for this.

It is the carbonation that is removing the copper green. The difference is the pH of club soda (5.1) is hair friendly. Coke (pH 2.44) and Sprite (pH 2.88 ) both have a lower pH that can be damaging to hair. Anything below pH 3.5 can be hair damaging.

Citric acid and vinegar can be used but again they would need to be very diluted. Strong (low pH) acids neutralize chlorine and can create chlorine gas. Ascorbic acid (in lemon and tomato juice), creates free radicals mixed with chlorine, which can cause hair damage.

Club soda therfore IMO, is the best, easiest and most economical choice.

[florenonite]

It is the carbonatiion that is removing the copper green. The difference is the pH of club soda is hair friendly. Coke and Sprite have a lower pH that can be damaging to hair.

Citric acid and vinegar can be used but again they would need to be very diluted. Strong (low pH) acids neutralize chlorine and can create chlorine gas. Ascorbic acid (in the lemon juice), creates free radicals mixed with chlorine, which can cause hair damage.

Club soda is IMO the best, easiest and most economical choice.

Thanks for this information! I'll go with the club soda, then. She's gone off to camp this morning for the next two months, but if there's still green by the end of the summer I'll try it on her hair. And, of course, I need to get some for myself so I don't need to time my swimming and hair washing :p

[ktani]

Thanks for this information! I'll go with the club soda, then. She's gone off to camp this morning for the next two months, but if there's still green by the end of the summer I'll try it on her hair. And, of course, I need to get some for myself so I don't need to time my swimming and hair washing :p

I just added the pH's for you on the different products, while you were posting, and had to correct spelling, as usual, lol. I would have her rinse with club soda after swimming each time and leave it on her hair for a few minutes, before rinsing.

You can saturate your hair before swimming (it takes 15 minutes to saturate hair with water, keeping it constantly wet), with club soda, prior to swimming, if you know that your swim cap leaks, as well as rinse with it after swimming. It has not been reported to be drying to hair.

[ktani]

I researched club soda for the peroxide thread and my swimming article.

This is the club soda summary (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=631280&postcount=954).