Blondes know the problem well, but brunettes can also experience it: green tones on hair. But do not panic! We’ll tell you what the ugly green tint is caused by, how you can prevent it, and what to do to remove green from hair.
The causes of a green tint in the hair
Especially blond hair is affected by the green tint. In addition to genetic factors, it is mainly external influences that can give your hair an ugly green tinge. Green hair is usually caused by chlorine from a pool or salty seawater. The brittle and dry the hair, the faster it absorbs the metal particles in the water and turns green. In the long term, it pays off to pamper your hair with specially tailored products, such as shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, and oils.
Prevent greenish tint in hair
- Dyeing, bleaching, heat, wrong care – all this is pure stress for your hair. The drier and damaged your hair is, the more your hair is prone to getting a green tint. Proper hair care is, therefore, extremely important. Use a conditioner, apply a hair mask regularly and provide your hair with sufficient moisture.
- Wear a sun hat in the sun to protect your hair from dehydration.
- Avoid exposing your hair to chlorine in a swimming pool. Use either a bathing cap or protect your hair with hair oil before swimming.
- You have already dyed or bleached your hair by yourself and it was unsuccessful? Then you’d better dare no more experiments and leave it in the hands of the professionals. Your hairdresser will know how to neutralize green tint in the hair.
How to get green out of hair after coloring
But green hair can sometimes occur even after bleaching or dyeing. No matter if you go from brunette to blond or vice versa – missing red pigments are to blame for the green tones after dyeing. If you have already achieved a cool hair color, and you treat it with a dye or toner with more cool color pigments, the colorants may overlap, causing your hair to turn green. To neutralize the green tones in the hair, you have to use a complementary color. In this case – red pigments.
– For blond hair: you can use a red semi-permanent hair color, which you dilute with plenty of conditioner, so that turns light red. Apply on hair and let sit for one hour.
– For medium to slightly dark brown shades: try nuances like copper blond or autumn red (avoid bold colors like garnet red!)
If nothing works, it may be better to dye the hair again. However, we advise you to visit a professional hairdresser who knows how to neutralize green.
To make sure you will prevent green, you can simply choose a warm brown or blond hair color.
Remove green tint in your hair with these 5 home remedies
But there are also home remedies that can help to get rid of any unwanted green in the hair.
Ketchup
Ketchup obviously contains many red pigments. The trick can also work with tomato paste.
Apply the ketchup liberally on your hair and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then rinse with shampoo.
Aspirin Plus C effervescent tablet
To remove green from hair, many swear on aspirin tablets. However, you should not take the conventional, but Aspirin Plus C*, the effervescent tablets!
Dissolve two tablets in 2 cups of water (depending on hair length, it should be enough). Apply the mixture to your hair. After 20 to 30 minutes, wash your hair. Apply a conditioner because acetylsalicylic acid can damage your hair. With this home remedy, you will get rid of your green hair from the pool after two applications! This also works for removing semi-permanent hair dye.
Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar
A natural home remedy for the green tint in your hair is citric acid. It removes the colored pigments from your hair and let it shine again. Depending on the hair length, simply squeeze one to three lemons and distribute the juice evenly in the hair. As an alternative to lemon, you can use apple cider vinegar. First, mix together equal parts of white vinegar and water in a bowl. Next, wet your hair with warm water, then apply the mixture evenly throughout your locks. Leave this on for 5–10 minutes before rinsing out thoroughly with cool or lukewarm water.
Baking soda
A good home remedy to remove green from hair is a baking soda. The application is easy, you have it usually in the house anyway. So before you visit the hairdresser, you can try this trick:
Add two tablespoons of baking soda to the shampoo blot you want to use for washing your hair and mix it all together. Spread the baking soda-shampoo mixture on your hair. Rinse after two minutes with clear water.
Note: Baking soda has the disadvantage of drying out your hair. With a nourishing hair mask, you can give your hair back some moisture. You can read more about this method in this post.
Shampoo for red hair
If your hair has just a slight green tint, you can get rid of it with shampoo specifically developed for red hair. With regular use, the green should then slowly disappear.
To speed up the process, you can also apply the red shampoo on dry hair. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes and then rinse with water.
