Your Hair Turned Green After the Pool. Now What?

You came to Bali to unwind, not to discover your blonde hair has turned the color of seaweed. And yet, here we are.

Green hair after swimming is more common than you'd think, especially in Bali where you're in the pool every single day. The good news: it's fixable. The bad news: how you handle it in the next few hours actually matters.

Why does this even happen?

Blame copper, not chlorine. Most pool water contains trace minerals, and copper is a big one. It bonds to your hair, chlorine reacts with it, and light or porous hair (blonde, highlighted, bleached, grey) soaks it all up like a sponge. One swim can sometimes be enough.

What NOT to do

Step away from the kitchen. Tomato juice, baking soda, lemon... DIY fixes can strip and damage already fragile hair. If your hair is light or recently colored, this can leave you worse off than the green did.

What actually works

A proper salon treatment. At The Shampoo Lounge, the Green Hair Removal Treatment is specifically designed for this, not just pulling out the green tint, but leaving your hair soft and manageable again. Because green hair and dry, tangled hair usually come as a package deal. Starting from IDR 650,000, available in Seminyak, Sanur, and Ubud.

After the salon, keep it protected

Pool water, sun, and salt are a brutal combination for hair. Your stylist can recommend the right aftercare, and The Shampoo Lounge offers same-day delivery on professional products (Olaplex, K18, Kérastase, L'Oréal) straight to your villa.

A few things that help prevent it next time:

• Wet your hair with clean water before you get in the pool

• Apply a leave in conditioner as a barrier

• Rinse immediately after swimming, don't let it dry in

Your Bali trip should be remembered for the sunsets and the food. Not the time your hair went green.