1. Stay away from hair lightening products such as Sun In.
Most contain some form of peroxide or metallic crystals and can
cause severe damage to your hair, not to mention such undesirable
effects such as orange, green, or pink hair. Worse, if the product
does contain metallic crystals and you then perm your hair, it may
literally turn your hair into mush and wash down the drain.
Although a chelator, (an ingredient in some shampoos), can help
remove some of the metals residing on the hair shaft, they are not
strong enough to remove metal deposits that have penetrated the
shaft. The only chemicals that we know of that will do this are
chemicals used in the development of film. These chemicals are
highly toxic and we do not recommend that you mess with them.
Bottom line, just let nature do its own thing, or invest in a
highlight. In the long run the highlight will be far less expensive
than a color correction.
2. Invest in a hair conditioner that contains a sunscreen.
If you can't find one and you are heading out to swim or tan,
simply massage some of your sunscreen into your hair, it should
wash out.
If you are not going to use a sunscreen because you want a deep tan
quickly, try using safflower oil. It provides your hair with much
needed fatty acids, and makes a great tanning oil to boot.
3. After a day at the pool, clarify your hair.
A clarifier is a stronger shampoo designed to remove toxins from
you hair such as auto emissions and other environmental pollutants,
as well as build up from some ingredients in over the counter
shampoos such as silicon. A clarifier is too strong to use daily,
but once or even twice a week is okay. It should also help remove
chlorine from your hair, but if you are at the pool daily you will
need to invest in a special shampoo to control chlorine.
Avoid 'green hair' before it begins. Thoroughly wet your hair
before you dip in the pool and add a bit of conditioner too. Wash
your hair immediately upon exiting the pool, BEFORE YOUR HAIR HAS A
CHANCE TO DRY. These precautions alone will go a long way toward
dodging the 'swamp look.'
Although not exactly a fashion statement, you can always wear a
bathing cap too.
If you already have the 'Greenies' you can look around for a
shampoo called 'Malibu 2000.' It may or may not work. You can also
try soaking your hair in tomato juice, cap it and let it sit on the
hair for about twenty minutes, then rinse, shampoo, rinse, and
condition the hair.
These few tips should see you well through the summer and leave you
with fond memories instead of bitter tales.
END.
