Did your hair turn green from the pool or the sea? how to recover it to start the year impeccably.

By Georgina Buscaglia specialist in hair color and care
@exhalapeluqueria

Dream vacation, pool, sun, sea, rest… and when you return, something doesn’t work: that blonde you loved now has a greenish reflection that wasn’t in the plans.
If you have blonde, gray or bleached hair, this is much more common than it seems. And no, it’s not bad luck.

The first thing to know: it’s not just chlorine. And key, hair is not “dyed” green, it is contaminated with metals.

The green reflection is not generated by chlorine directly, but by metals dissolved in the water, especially copper. Where does it come from? From several typical summer places:
• swimming pools
• algaecides
• water purification systems
• plumbing (especially in resorts)

When this metal comes into contact with the hair, it adheres to the hair fiber. On light hair, this deposit looks greenish.

Why does it happen more to blondes, gray hair and bleached people? Because these hairs have something in common: less melanin, more open cuticle and greater porosity. This makes them more vulnerable since their hair acts like a sponge: it absorbs water and everything that comes with it. The more processed the hair is, the easier it is for those metals to set.

Three moments of summer (and what to do in each one)

1- If you haven’t gone on vacation yet

This is the best scenario, because prevention is always easier than correction.

What helps before traveling:
• strengthen the fiber
• improve the internal cohesion of the hair
• use leave-in products that create a barrier

It is not about “shielding” the hair, but about preparing it better.

2- If you are on vacation

Here the idea is to reduce the impact of water on the hair.

Simple and real tips:
• wet hair with drinking water before entering the pool
• use a leave-in or protector
• prevent hair from drying in the sun with pool or sea water

Small gestures that make a big difference, especially on light hair.

3- If you have already returned and your hair is green

Breathe. There is a solution, but it is not a matter of improvising.

The “forbidden ones”: what seems like a good idea… but it is not

You’ve probably heard of ketchup, reddish pigments or homemade recipes to neutralize green.
Yes, it is true that red neutralizes green… but not just any red will do.

These products:
• are not formulated for the hair fiber
• are deposited unevenly
• generate stains
• They are very difficult to remove later in the salon

Many times, what seems like a quick solution ends up making the correction much more complicated.

So what really works? The key is clear: first clean, then correct.

In the salon there are specific and gentle treatments:
• shampoos detox
• metal cleaners
• chelators for professional use

Once the fiber is clean, if necessary, it can be accompanied with:
• a bath of soft light
• or a very controlled stripping to neutralize the reflection

At home, maintenance continues with:
• shampoos detox
• formulas enriched with charcoal or clays
• always progressively, not aggressively

Metal cleaning is not instantaneous: it is a process.

Green hair after summer:
• it is not a myth
• it’s not bad luck
• doesn’t mean you ruined your color

It has an explanation, it can be prevented and it can be reversed.
The key is not to cover up the problem, but to understand what happened inside the hair and act judiciously.