Is that your hair turned green after swimming? If so, you’re not alone. Anyone with light hair knows how hard it can be to keep hair from turning green after a day in the pool.

Fortunately, green hair after swimming is an easy problem to fix. Below, we’ll explain why it happens and then give you five easy ways to fix hair that turned green after swimming.

Why Hair Turns Green After Swimming

Most of us blame chlorine for the bright green color in our hair after a swim, but the truth is chlorine’s only a secondary player. The real culprit behind the green color is heavy metals- mainly copper.

You can find copper in many water sources, including the water in most swimming pools, whether chlorinated or saltwater-based.

Salt and chlorine both oxidize copper, revealing their green hues. If you don’t believe us, try putting a penny in a bowl of chlorine bleach or saltwater overnight and see what happens. Spoiler alert, the penny will be bright green by morning!

The same thing happens to hair in pool water where chlorine or salt and copper are mixing. If you have blonde hair, the green can look incredibly vivid. However, even brunettes can end up with a green tinge after a day in the pool.

How to Get Green Out of Hair After Swimming

Luckily, the green tint is far from permanent. Using one of the solutions below, you can fix it fast. Better yet, follow our tips at the end and learn different ways to fix hair that turned green after swimming.

#1. Tomato Juice

You can use tomato juice or ketchup to strip the green from your hair. The acidity of the tomatoes helps strip away the green, while the red color neutralizes any remaining off-tones.

It’s best to use this technique in the shower, as tomato products can get messy! Coat your hair in the juice or ketchup and leave it for about 15 minutes, massaging your hair the entire time. Then, rinse it out and check the results. Your hair should be back to its standard color.