If you’ve got blonde hair, you’ll know how damaging chlorine can be to your locks as it can cause it to turn green – but one woman has shared a simple solution to the problem
If you’re a blonde who’s taken a dip in the pool and ended up with an unwanted green hue to your hair, don’t panic just yet. You might think it gives you a quirky mermaid look, but chances are you’ll be eager to get rid of it pronto. Before dashing off to the salon and potentially spending a small fortune, there’s a DIY trick you could try out – and you probably already have the product in your kitchen cupboard.
TikTok user @jennifererica told her followers to “thank me later” as she revealed how she fixed her green locks, which had been dyed by chlorine in the pool. Jen was understandably worried about the colour of her tresses, and attempted to use a home remedy to fix the hue.
She dampened the ends of her hair and worked in some ketchup, letting it sit under a towel for 25 minutes.
After unwrapping her hair, she was thrilled to find it had returned to its original blonde colour, showing no signs of the earlier green tinge.
Once her hair was almost completely dry, it looked as if it had never been green at all.
While some commenters recommended purple shampoo, one person clarified: “Purple shampoo doesn’t take out green, it tones yellow.”
They elaborated: “It worked for my hair. Her kind of blond hair would turn green because of chlorine traces in the water. It happened to me every hair wash when I had it.”
Another suggested using a “heavily pigmented purple shampoo” could be beneficial.
How does ketchup turn green hair blonde again?
Ketchup can rectify pool-green blonde hair due to the colour theory and the chemistry involved.
When blonde hair adopts a greenish tint, it’s typically because of exposure to chlorine and oxidised metals, like copper, in swimming pool water.
These elements attach to the hair strands and give them a green hue.
Ketchup, which is red thanks to the tomatoes, acts as a neutraliser because red is opposite to green on the colour wheel.
When applied, the red pigment in the ketchup counteracts and nullifies the green tint, aiding in restoring a more natural hair colour.
Ketchup is also acidic from the vinegar and tomatoes, which may help in breaking down the chemical build-up from the pool, allowing the greenish discolouration to fade further.