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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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.

OP posts:
Hairdisasterhelp · 26/03/2024 02:57

another photo

OP posts:
LiterallyOnFire · 26/03/2024 02:58

Ketchup. Seriously. Like a hair mask. Although I've never tried buying it in Bali.

ScotsinOz · 26/03/2024 03:03

No need to visit a salon, wash with a clarifying shampoo (or washing up liquid), then rinse in tomato soup or tomato ketchup. Make sure you massage the tomato soup/ketchup in and leave for 5 minutes. Then rinse. If it still looks a bit green, repeat the ketchup, then rinse and condition with lots of your purple/blue conditioner (assuming you use that normally). Your hair will be fine.

Before going in the pool again, wet hair thoroughly, squeeze excess, then comb through a protectant hair mask or a cheap hair mask (preferably with silicone) you should be able to pick up cheaply in the supermarket. This will protect your hair from taking on the chlorine (and thus green hair colour) when you go in the pool again.

Enjoy your holiday.

Cuckoochanel80 · 26/03/2024 03:07

Came on to say ketchup also.

FOJN · 26/03/2024 03:16

Another vote for ketchup. Advice given to me by a hairdresser.

NecessaryNC24 · 26/03/2024 04:17

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

Lambsarehere · 26/03/2024 04:42

This happens to me sometimes, I take purple shampoo with me and that works. Maybe see if you can get amazon to deliver to the hotel?

Frumpitydoo · 26/03/2024 04:45

Looks like it could do with a trim! Chop it off!

TiredCatLady · 26/03/2024 05:00

Ketchup (yes it’s grim) and then purple shampoo. The latter you might find in the malls in Seminyak/Kuta. Failing that, Toni & Guy in Canggu will likely have some.

Weesiewoo · 26/03/2024 05:08

This was standard in the summer during my teen years. Messing about with blonde dye then swimming in pools. Those were the days!! 😜😂. .
Yep ketchup works.

Julianne65 · 26/03/2024 05:08

I can’t really see the green. I would just enjoy the holiday and wait until I’m home to fix it.

Butterbeanbutterbo · 26/03/2024 05:56

Do the ketchup thing others are suggesting but then do consider taking the hotel up on the offer of a local salon. I went to one in Bali and it was all spa like with head massage first etc

Butterbeanbutterbo · 26/03/2024 05:59

(Also: ketchup comes from an Indonesian word for a thick sweet sauce, ketjap. But I think ketjap is a bit different so be careful if asking for it locally)

StarlightLady · 26/03/2024 06:04

I’ve had “green hair syndrome” (ha-ha) in the past. I’d be interested to know how much Ketchup you should add. Do you dilute it or add it neat?

shockthemonkey · 26/03/2024 06:08

That’s weird your hair looks OK but you’ve daubed some green paint on your back

TurtleCavalryIsSeriousShit · 26/03/2024 06:12

Yup, another vote for ketchup. I grew up in South Africa where we swam 24/7 in the summer. My sister had white blonde hair and the chlorine in the pool would turn it green. Ketchup was the only cure.

DaisyMcFacey · 26/03/2024 06:13

Slightly off topic, I’m intrigued by the tattoo cover up, photo 3 looks like it’s the shape of a hand gun!

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.

shockthemonkey · 26/03/2024 06:15

Oh, that’s what the green paint is about!

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

NotQuiteNorma · 26/03/2024 07:26

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

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.

BaronessBomburst · 26/03/2024 07:39

I regularly had green ends as a teen. 😂

SlebBB · 26/03/2024 08:20

i was coming to say ketchup

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.