Pool Hair? Don’t Care!

Let me first begin by saying that I hope this column finds you healthy and well. We are now six months into this global pandemic and it has put a damper on many things, including summer travel. Let’s remember that it is a global pandemic, so we are not alone in this crisis; but not being able to hit the beach is painful for some of us. I have Caribbean roots (Haiti), so I must get to the Caribbean once or twice a year to feel like myself—even though I was born in Brooklyn. But Coney Island and the Caribbean Sea are totally different. So, when you can’t get to the beach, thank God for the pool! I’ve missed the water so much, that I dyed my hair mermaid blue last month, and today I have leprechaun green hair (or swamp green, as my daughter says).

Let’s unpack that. Green hair. What’s it to you? Green hair is an unusual dermatologic condition usually due to the deposition of copper from exogenous sources. We report the cases of two patients who presented to our clinic with green discoloration of their hair. This pigmentation of hair has generally been reported in patients with blonde hair as a consequence of increased concentrations of copper in domestic or swimming pool water. Although increased copper content of the affected hair seems to be a prerequisite, other predisposing factors must be present for this situation to occur. These include previous hair damage (mechanical, sun exposure, bleaching, dyeing, weaving), frequent contact with chlorinated water, or use of alkaline shampoos. Several options for treatment have been described for this problem, including application of hot vegetable oil, hydrogen peroxide, edetic acid- or D-penicillamine-containing shampoos or hydroxyethyl diphosphonic acid.¹

Chlorine & the Damage Done

Chlorine (as that in pool water) not only discolors hair, it also sucks the natural oils from both hair and skin, leaving them dry, rough and damaged. Hair needs some of its natural oil to remain smooth and healthy, and chlorine removes those oils. Chlorine can also cause chemical reactions in hair, changing its natural color, weakening each hair strand, and causing split ends. The oils removed from the skin can leave skin red, irritated, even flaky, depending on the sensitivity. Chlorine left on the skin, can exacerbate eczema or other skin diseases caused by an impaired skin barrier.

In one study, to understand hair-discoloration in relation to swimming, researchers examined 67 elite swimmers of the Japan National Swimming Team and 54 age-matched subjects as controls. The incidence of hair discoloration (61%) in the swimmers’ group was significantly higher than that in controls (0%) (p<0.0001).² The swimmers’ discolored, golden hair revealed a complete disappearance of the hair cuticle both by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM).2 Yikes! No hair cuticle?! Hypochlorous acid in the swimming pool water can penetrate to the hair cortex through the cuticle, where it can oxidize and degenerate melanosomes.² Melanosomes are those awesome cells that produce and release melanin, giving our hair its black or brown color and our skin its sun-protective melanin. Pool water destroys melanosomes in the hair, whether it’s bleached or not.

Remember my previous article on chelators (June 2020)? Copper is the biggest culprit. In a different study, 11 cases of green hair were collected and hair tips were analyzed in the electron microscope by energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. In all cases, remarkable copper concentrations could be demonstrated (0.2-1.8% w/w). In normal hair the concentration of copper was below the detection limit (0.02% w/w). Analyses of hair cross-sections showed a concentration gradient from the periphery toward the center, the periphery having higher values. This observation is in agreement with suspected contamination of the hair with copper from extraneous sources: analysis of the tap water in patients’ homes showed elevated copper concentrations.

In addition, the water showed aggressive properties (pH outside the recommended range, high nitrate concentrations, heavily chlorinated). Investigations by transmission electron microscopy showed damage in the endocuticle. Experimental studies of normal unaffected hair fibers showed that treatment with a copper salt alone could result in binding of copper to the hair but that the extent of copper binding could be greatly increased by damaging the cuticle with chlorinated water. It is suggested that aggressive water attacks copper tubings leading to increased copper concentrations in tap water and causes cuticular damage, which facilitates entry of copper into the hair.³

Of UV and Cl

People who swim in pools often complain about hair damage. There was a study which took hair tresses and exposed them to chlorine, and UVA, UVB and visible light. Results showed that chlorine, in the absence of UV radiation, causes significant changes in hair color. At pH 5, the dark-brown hair became redder and the bleached hair less red, while all the virgin brown, blonde AND bleached hair turned more yellow. Chlorine with UV radiation causes damage not only to the hair color, but also to the hair proteins, causing the dissolution of all the hair samples after only four hours at pH 5. So, hair damage in swimming pools treated with chlorine is greatly increased in the presence of UV radiation.⁴

UV radiation damages hair by photo-oxidation. It causes protein and internal lipid loss, turns all types of hair lighter and makes white hair less yellow. For swimmers, the important factors to evaluate are chlorine and UV radiation.4 It is important to know that chlorine causes hair damage as soon as the hair dries. This is when chlorine begins to crystalize in hair and causes oxidation, damage and “the green effect.” 

There are so many home remedies to naturally remove chlorine from hair. These include apple cider vinegar soaks or baking soda. I cannot personally endorse any of them, but I can speak for clarifying shampoos—some are pH balanced (Herbal Essences), some are charcoal infused (Dove) and some are oil infused (Moroccan Oil). A hair clarifier can remove harsh chemicals. Remember Aloe Rid Shampoo by Nexxus? It was effective, but it stripped the heck out of my textured hair! Hair needs oil, so condition after using a clarifying shampoo.

References:

1. J M Mascaró Jr 1, J Ferrando, R Fontarnau, H Torras, A Domínguez, J M Mascaró. Green Hair. Cutis Case Reports 1995 Jul;56(1):37-40.
2. H Nanko 1, Y Mutoh, R Atsumi, Y Kobayashi, M Ikeda, N Yoshikawa, S Fukuda, Y Kawa, M Mizoguchi. Hair-discoloration of Japanese elite swimmers. J Dermatol. 2000 Oct; 27(10):625-34.
3. G M Roomans, B Forslind. Copper in green hair: a quantitative investigation by electron probe x-ray microanalysis. Ultrastruct Pathol. Jul-Sep 1980;1(3):301-7
4. R. Pires-Oliveira. Hair color damages caused by exposure to chlorinated water in the presence of ultraviolet radiation Conference Paper Presented at the 2010 IFSCC Conference.

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Sharleen St. Surin-Lord
Dermatologist
derm@visagederm
www.visagederm.com

Dr. Sharleen St. Surin-Lord is a board-certified dermatologist who has been practicing for more than 13 years. She is in private practice at Visage Dermatology, Largo MD. She also practices at the University of Maryland Capital Regional Health System in Maryland and she is an assistant professor of dermatology at Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Sharleen is a member of the American Hair Research Society and you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook as DermHairDoc.