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Original poster

My hair has gone GREEN

69 replies

Hairdisasterhelp · 26/03/2024 02:56

Sorry for posting in AIBU but I need the traffic.

I’m currently on holiday in Bali and my hair has turned green from the pool.

we arrived at the hotel on the 20th and spend the first few days swimming in the pool with no issues, however yesterday I went in the pool for about 2 hours and the ends of my hair have turned green.

I spoke to the reception staff and they called the 3rd party pool maintenance team out who clarified that the night before they had switched from a chlorine system to a copper system and that the copper levels were too high, which has caused my hair to turn green.

The vendor has offered for me and my friend (who’s hair has also been affected, though she has darker hair than me and hers has turned a caramel / copper colour) to visit a local hair salon.

I know basically nothing about hair and I don’t want to get into a situation where it’s worse and completely unfixable when I return to the UK.

any advice is appreciated.

My hair has gone GREEN
My hair has gone GREEN
OP posts:
TiptoeTess · 01/04/2024 11:45

Oh that’s annoying. I reckon Put your hair up in a bun, wet it and apply conditioner each morning to stop it being so porous, then take them up on their offer of a free hairdo before you come home; get the worst of it trimmed off and then buy ketchup for anything left?

Scribblydoo · 01/04/2024 11:42

If you can find it Paul Mitchell shampoo three. Excellent for blonde swimmers...who wish to stay that way

GlasgowGal82 · 01/04/2024 11:07

You've had a lot of advice on how to get it out, but my advice would be to make sure you thoroughly wet your hair with fresh water before going back into the pool. If your hair is already saturated it can't absorb pool water and chemicals. I swim regularly and have found my hair stays in much better condition now that I always wet it before I get into the pool, than when I used to get in with it dry.

Nn9011 · 01/04/2024 10:52

Another vote for tomato ketchup - it's a reaction to the chlorine in the water likely. Could happen swimming in local pool too x

Toddlerteaplease · 01/04/2024 10:10

I think it looks good. I'd love that!

PerfectTravelTote · 01/04/2024 09:59

A chelating shampoo will remove it.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 01/04/2024 09:48

JMSA · 26/03/2024 06:14

Most hotels have FB groups for tourists (often set up by groups in the UK); they go on there before their holiday to ask questions about the place, or to offer their leftover toiletries or pool floats when they leave.
Find one and ask if anyone coming out in the next few days would consider bringing a bottle of ketchup with them.
I personally would go for the chop rather than messing about with hair dye abroad.

Good point!

It doesn`t look that bad, OP!
I would therefore try the ketchup - if it also works for issues caused by copper instead of chlorine - and go to my regular hairdresser when I get home.

EveryOtherNameTaken · 01/04/2024 09:46

Also make sure you wet your hair and put conditioner on before swimming. It fills up the pores/shafts and helps stop the chlorinated water get in making it green.

EveryOtherNameTaken · 01/04/2024 09:40

Another vote for ketchup. It defo works. Failing that (some ketchup in SE Asia is banana based) tinned tomatoes.

Pippa246 · 01/04/2024 09:39

posters saying it’s the chlorine - OP states in first post she was ok for the first few days then they switched from chlorine to copper and it was high levels of copper that apparently caused the problem- would ketchup still work for that?

PurpleFlower1983 · 01/04/2024 09:14

This happened to us in Greece last year! My daughter’s hair and all light swimming costumes turned green. Ketchup works and it does fade eventually!

3456G · 01/04/2024 08:33

This happened to me in Bali because of the copper systems. I just scrubbed it immediately with shampoo when it happened and it went away. Not sure how that will work if you have let it set in. You unfortunately will need to not put your hair under water in any pools or it will keep happening. It was quite annoying !

Dibilnik · 01/04/2024 08:20

Sorry for your dilemma OP, hope the ketchup works.

Just another vote for it looking pretty, though! Magical mermaidy! Waft around in turquoise chiffon and you'll never look back!!!

WoodBurningStov · 26/03/2024 10:15

A good strong shampoo like head and shoulders. Mine did this on my last 2 week holiday when I was in the pool most days. It came out fine once I'd given it a few shampoos with a strong shampoo.

tumtitum · 26/03/2024 10:12

Also here to say ketchup! I did the same in Costa Rica and it absolutely worked!

Fraaahnces · 26/03/2024 10:10

Cranberry juice… ketchup… just keep pouring it through. Don’t get in that pool again unless you have a treatment mask in your hair.

OldTinHat · 26/03/2024 10:07

Don't worry about it until you get home. Then slather your hair with tomato ketchup.

KimberleyClark · 26/03/2024 09:49

I thought of Anne of Green Gables when I saw the thread title!

RegretMisery · 26/03/2024 09:44

This happened to me when I was a swimming teacher. Nothing worked except for those box dye silver kits.

LovelyTheresa · 26/03/2024 08:29

NecessaryNC24 · 26/03/2024 04:17

I think it looks cool OP (probably not helpful sorry).

I was actually going to say just that! As you say, that's of no help to the OP, but it really doesn't look bad at all. When I saw the thread title, I had a mental picture of a full head of green hair, but this actually looks kind of mermaidy and as if it could be intentional. I would wait to fix it until you're back home.

SlebBB · 26/03/2024 08:20

i was coming to say ketchup

BaronessBomburst · 26/03/2024 07:39

I regularly had green ends as a teen. 😂

Hoolahoo · 26/03/2024 07:33

My advice would be to get on top of it now while you're away. Don't wait until you get home to do anything.

I once left it 2 weeks and it took a fair few months before it was all out. I have long hair too and I didn't want to cut the green out. My hair was dry and straw like until it all came out.

NotQuiteNorma · 26/03/2024 07:26

Tomato soup. Ketchup. Why don't you stick some baked beans in it too and have breakfast? 🥞

effoffwind · 26/03/2024 06:20

Oooooooo the ketchup is grim but it works
So cold and gloopy
Neat and leave on about 20 mins for PP who asked

Enjoy your holiday and take up the salon offer for nice wash blow dry massage

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