When many homeowners think about contaminants in their water supply, they are most concerned about eating or drinking them. However, the water that you use for washing the dishes and cleaning your body can also have some surprising and unpleasant side effects. Particularly if you have bleached or blonde hair, you might notice the water turning your hair green. What is the cause, and how can you prevent it from happening again?
Why Is Water Turning Your Hair Green?
While many people think that chlorine is one of the primary causes of water turning your hair green, copper is actually often the culprit. In the same way that copper left outside in the rain will oxidize and turn green, high levels of copper in your water can impact pale or blonde hair and give it a greenish tint. Two of the most common reasons why this happens are high levels of copper in your water and acidic water that is eating away at copper pipes and increasing copper levels. Solving the underlying problems with help from Atlantic Blue Water Center and water testing can help.
Get a Shower Filter
If you are unable to have a water treatment system installed to remove elevated copper levels, installing a shower filter can be a temporary fix that will only filter water coming out through your bathroom shower faucet. There are many different shower filters available that will help reduce mineral levels and remove the copper in the water turning your hair green.
Wet Your Hair Before Getting in the Pool
If your pool is already full or you are getting in water that probably has not been treated to remove high levels of copper, you should wet your hair before diving in. Dry hair sucks up water until it’s wet, which means that the first water it comes into contact with will be absorbed the most. Before you get in the pool to take a swim, use clean water to saturate your hair. This protects you from the worst effects of copper in the water. Even if you wet your hair ahead of time, you should wash your hair with a color-preserving shampoo once you get out of the water to get rid of any copper lingering on the strands.
Visit the Salon
Unfortunately, once your hair is green, making corrections to your water quality will not reverse the problem. If water turning your hair green has done irreversible damage, you should visit the salon. Your hair stylist will be able to apply a purifying treatment that will remove mineral and copper build-up. This treatment should only be done in a salon by professionals, as they will ensure that it does not strip your hair or ruin your existing hair color.
Additionally, your stylist can help you determine if there is another cause of your hair turning green. Bring the heated hair tools that you use and any products you’ve been using recently along with you. In some cases, a green tint is the result of a variety of factors building on top of each other and not one cause, so fixing one thing will not reverse the problem entirely.
Water Testing
The only way to know exactly what your water contains is professional water testing. Atlantic Blue Water Center is a leading provider of water testing. We can conduct tests to determine if your water is too acidic and eating away at your copper pipes or if the water coming into your home already has elevated copper levels. Depending on your situation, there are a variety of ways that the copper problem can be corrected.
Learn More About Hard Water, Copper, and Minerals with Atlantic Blue Water Center
We provide water treatment and water softening solutions for homeowners that want a cleaner water supply and water that is free from hazardous carcinogens that can contribute to increased cancer risk. We’re also focused on providing additional education on water treatment, water quality, and issues associated with water contaminants. Call us at (410) 751-9200 to schedule your in-home water testing appointment today.