Oh no my hair turned green after being in the Swimming Pool!

photo credit: Green Hair via Chemlevel2

Have you ever been swimming in a pool and noticed afterwards OH NO, your hair has a green tinge to it? Oh no! Most folks believe that it is chlorine that turns your hair green. It is not the case. Copper is usually your culprit. Copper can be found in swimming pool water. Most commonly, it is introduced into the water in the form of a chelated (stabilized) copper algaecide or a stabilized shock. These products are chelated, and once copper is chelated it is protected and won’t cause staining or hair color changes. Naturally occurring copper is occasionally found, in well water. It is copper from this source or from corrosion of copper heater cores or piping that is capable of causing blue-green or even dark colored staining or discoloration or can turn your hair green. If your water contains copper and it has not been treated, every time you shock your pool (Weekly) you will cause the copper to come out of solution, which in return makes your pool water change color and staining may occur, and let’s not forget the possibility of developing green hair will increase immensely.

Copper levels can be determined by bringing your water into R&R Pools so we can test it. After we run your results we can treat your pool water with the proper chemical treatment to ensure that you to not develop any discoloration or staining in your liner as well. Making sure your pool water is properly balanced is also a very important part of keeping your water in solution. At R&R Pools, depending on the levels of heavy metals such as copper, we usually will recommend a treatment of BioGuard Pool Magnet, depending on your water test results. If the levels are over 1PPM we may also follow up with BioGuard sparkle up. It is very important that you keep your pool circulating at all times while treating for copper and to have a lower chlorine level. So if you shocked, it will be at least 24-48 hours before you can treat for copper.

Copper levels can be maintain very easily once you bring your water in to R&R Pools, we will be able to tell you the exact amount of product to be added, whether it was a top up from your well or season opening.

If your hair does turn green, you can remove it by using a shampoo that chelates the metal. Or you can try crushing up aspirin and adding it your shampoo. There are a few items out there on the market to help the hair from damages from chlorine and metals in the pool water.

There is a few products on the market that help your hair from being exposed to cooper in the your pool water. Please contact us for further information on this product line.

If you have any further questions or concerns about copper in your water, call us today, we will be happy to answer any of your questions