A lot of people get curious about how they would look with lighter hair, and many are brave enough to take the plunge and hit the bleach.
Summertime is the most popular season to lighten your hair and show off your luscious blonde locks.
Unfortunately, it’s the season that provides a good environment for those unwanted green tones to make their appearance as well.
Do you know how to get green tint out of bleached hair?
I know the frustration of seeing your hair change and having seemingly no control over it.
That’s why this article will not only cover what to do if you experience these unwanted colors, but also how the bleaching process changes your hair, how to prevent the unwanted tones, and why it is common for bleached hair to turn green.
So, please do not worry.
You have a plethora of options to look at and consider, and your hair is far from a lost cause.
These things happen to the best of us.
Table of Contents
What Happens During The Bleaching Process?
Before you lighten your hair, it is important to understand what exactly is happening to it.
That way, you can avoid unwanted results, and properly take care of it so you get the most from your new color, and you can keep your hair healthy, hydrated, and happy.
When you lighten your hair, you are actually lifting the color pigment from your hair strand by dissolving it.
This happens because the bleach works in two steps to oxidize your hair, which is a chemical reaction.
That is why your hair emits heat and you may feel a burning sensation during the lightening process.
During the first step, an alkaline agent opens the hair cuticles in your hair shaft.
This is where a lot of the damage that you hear about occurs, because when you open your hair cuticles, it makes your hair more prone to damage.
It can also change your curl pattern and hair texture as well.
Related post: Does bleaching your hair damage it forever?
Once the hair cuticles are opened, the bleaching agent can easily infiltrate the hair shaft and oxidize the color pigment, lightening your hair.
This is different from just applying a hair dye, because dyeing your hair a darker color only coats the outside of your hair shaft without changing the chemical integrity.
It is because of this difference that bleaching can be much more damaging than just depositing a darker hair dye.
Another important thing to note is when you lighten your hair, it will lift in levels.
So, if you start with dark brown hair it will lift to dark orange, light orange, and then yellow.
You may notice unwanted tones and brassiness, which can be solved by using the correct toner (purple for yellow, and blue for orange.)
Why Is Bleached Hair Prone To Green Tones?
The green tone may already be present within your hair cuticle, and it can become more visible in blonde hair because the hair is actually lighter, while in a darker color like brown or auburn, it is just about invisible.
When you lighten your hair, it lifts through each tone.
So, if you have a natural hair color that is dark brown, then it will most likely lift to red, orange, yellow, and then hopefully white.
If you have an ashy base tone, then it is likely that there are green tones already present in the cuticle, as the term “ashy” usually means “green”.
Copper is another reason bleach-blonde hair often turns green.
You may have heard that chlorine from swimming pools causes the green tint.
It is not so much the chlorine but copper and other hard metals in the water.
Copper is often found in anti-algae agents, while the hard water that some swimming pools contain has a higher solution of minerals and metals.
These will all react with the water and your hair, and oxidizes resulting in the green color.
Another way to put it is to think about the Statue of Liberty in New York.
When you look at any pictures of it, you can clearly see that it is a greenish color.
The outer layer of the statue is copper, and when copper oxidizes it turns green, unlike iron, which will develop a layer of orange rust.
How Can You Prevent Your Hair From Turning Green?
So, you want to go swimming, but you are worried about your newly-bleached hair turning green, there are a few precautions you can take to limit the risk of your hair turning green:
Leave-in conditioner
The first is to wet your hair and apply some conditioner (preferably leave-in) before getting into the pool.
This will limit the contact with chemicals that your hair will have, and give it a kind of protective barrier.
Wetting your hair
You should always wet your hair before getting into the pool.
Wetting your hair before entering the pool can also be helpful as the pool water won’t be able to fully saturate your hair cuticles and the copper will not be able to cling to your hair as much.
Wear a ponytail or clip your hair up
Even the simple act of tying your hair up in a bun or ponytail can be effective.
Swim cap
Wearing a swimming cap can keep your hair dry, so you do not have to worry about the metals even coming into contact with your hair.
Wash your hair after swimming
Immediately after swimming you will want to wash your hair thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo.
This will help remove any of the agents in it that can oxidize and react with your hair.
Invest in a water filter for your shower
One of these can filter out all the hard minerals like magnesium and copper from your shower water, which greatly limits your exposure, and can save you heartache in the future.
Pair the filtered water with a swimmers’ shampoo and you should have no problem keeping your blonde pure and vibrant.
How To Get Green Tint Out Of Bleached Hair
So, you have had a fun day at the pool, or have just come from P.E. class where you are in the middle of a swimming unit, and much to your horror your hair has turned green.
There is no need to panic, as there are several things you can do, to minimize those tones, and get your beautiful blonde back to its original vibrance.
The last thing you want to do, however, is immediately grab the bleach, and try to bleach the green out.
This will weaken and damage it.
This is how to get green tint out of bleached hair:
Ketchup
No, this is not for a snack to help you prep for a long process.
Ketchup can help mute those greens you do not want in your hair.
So, first of all, why ketchup?
In color theory, green and red are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Recommended Post: Understanding The Hair Color Wheel
Opposing colors work to cancel each other out.
Also, the acidity in ketchup is useful for removing unwanted impurities in your hair.
Your hair can be dry or slightly damp, just make sure to squeeze out any excess dripping.
Coat your hair in ketchup, and then you can use hair foils to wrap around the hair.
Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes and rinse it out.
You may want to use a conditioning treatment afterward since the acid in the ketchup can dry out your hair.
V8 or tomato juice
This works in a similar way to ketchup.
Saturate your hair and let it sit for 10 minutes or so.
Then, wash and condition your hair as normal.
Lemon juice
You will definitely want to use a conditioning treatment after this.
Saturate your hair with lemon juice and let it sit for five to ten minutes, and then rinse and wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo.
Recommended Post: How To Lighten Hair With Lemon Juice Overnight
Lemon Kool-Aid
Mix the powder with water and cover the green spots with it.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then wash and condition your hair as you normally would.
Baking soda
Mix baking soda with water so that it becomes a paste.
Then take your paste and coat the green spots in your hair.
Let it sit for several minutes and then rinse it out and wash it with shampoo and conditioner.
You may need to try this several times for the green to come out completely.
Hair dye that contains red tones
I do not mean for you to dye your hair red.
Instead, pick a shade of blonde that contains red undertones.
As I have mentioned before, the red will neutralize the green tones in your hair, like the ketchup does.
Aspirin
Crush about six to eight tablets of aspirin, and add warm water so they dissolve completely.
Apply this mixture to your hair and leave it to sit for about 20 minutes.
Then, you can rinse it out then shampoo and condition it.
The acid in the aspirin and water mixture acts similar to lemon juice and can neutralize the reaction of the copper from the pool.
Swimmer’s shampoo
There are many special shampoos available that are made specifically for swimmers.
These are recommended more as a prevention, but they do work to minimize any green tones in your hair.
Visit a salon
If you do not feel comfortable with any of these methods, or you find they didn’t work up to your expectations, a professional will know exactly what to do.
As always, I insist that you be as open and honest as possible about what your hair has been through so they can do their job and help you.
Maintenance For Healthy Bleached Hair
For your hair to hold the color that you like, and for it to look its best, you need to be sure to pamper those locks and keep them as healthy as possible.
After bleaching, you should use a bonding agent such as Olaplex to help close the hair cuticles and prevent breakage.
Regularly partake in deep conditioning treatments and hair masks to put in and keep as much moisture as possible into your hair.
I would personally recommend trying one about once a week.
This argan oil hair mask comes highly recommended.
OGX also has a highly reviewed hair mask, as does Bold Uniq which is specifically for maintaining blonde hair.
For deep conditioner, Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture is a good one.
You will also want to use a shampoo that is made specifically for bleached blonde hair.
They will work to keep your blonde vibrant while neutralizing any unwanted tones in your hair.
L’Oreal has a Blonde Shampoo and a brass toning purple shampoo.
Some other highly-rated choices are Matrix Total Results, Bold Uniq blonde shampoo, and Redken color depositing shampoo.
You should try to limit washing your hair to only once to twice a week as well to avoid losing moisture and making your color dull.
Try to avoid heat styling, direct sunlight, and tanning beds as these are all things that can cause a lot of damage.
If you are using heat to style your hair, then be sure to use a heat protectant.
Conclusion
If you’ve been trying to find out how to get green tint out of bleached hair, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Anytime that horrid green color creeps out through your blonde locks, try out some of the tips discussed in this post and let us know how it goes!
Depending on what you have on hand, and how noticeable it is, you may even be able to save yourself a trip to the store.
The most important thing to remember is not to panic, and if you are really worried then you can always talk with a professional.
Minimize your risk of green hair by taking preventive measures.
Always rinse your hair before entering a swimming pool whether it be chlorine or saltwater, and do not forget to wash your hair immediately afterward.
Look into a leave-in conditioner or tying your hair up to limit the opportunity of the hard metals in the water coming into contact with your hair.
It is always worth knowing about a small amount of color theory so you know which tones will neutralize others.
Just be sure to keep an eye on your hair after undergoing bleaching so that you have the opportunity to prevent and correct anything you do not want before it becomes overwhelming.
