Growing up as a blonde in Southern California, I was always dealing with my hair turning green from chlorine when I filled my days swimming. But this winter in New York I started to see that familiar pea soup hue return, and with no pool in sight. It wasn’t pretty.
My colorist, Summer Parham, Redken artist at Cutler Salon in New York, noticed too — aside from the green tone, a chemical reaction started to make my highlighting foils puff up like little pillows on my head. Scary! Parham had seen this before and instantly knew that a mineral from my shower water was absorbing into my hair and causing a chemical reaction. Since I live in a 100-year-old apartment building, it was probably coming from the pipes, but Parham explained that this is common with minerals in well water too. Whether it was chlorine, copper, iron or magnesium — all potential culprits in changing hair color either green or orange — the solution was the same. I needed a filter on my shower.
I chose an Aquasana Shower Filter, $55 and it was a cinch to install. And it worked! My color lasted longer than in has in months and I feel better about drinking the water as I shower too (come on, you do it too, right?!). Parham also suggested, as another option, to use a chelating shampoo like Pureology Purifying Shampoo, $25 one a week to remove minerals that can build up in your hair.
Has your hair ever mysteriously turned green?
