Hair Detox: How to Protect Your Hair from Metal Impurities

Tiny particles of metals in tap water, which are naturally picked up as the water travels through metal pipes, can end up being absorbed into your hair.1 This causes a build-up and can make your mane look a little lifeless.

So, how can we undergo a hair detox to remove the impurities? Find out more below, plus how our innovative Pure Brunettes Detox+PureTone system detoxifies hair while giving you radiant color.

What is Metal Build-Up in Hair?

Metal build-up could be what’s dulling your shine. Metal micro particles – namely copper, which is what pipes are usually made of – present in tap water can accumulate in your hair fibers as you wash your hair, especially if your strands are more porous.¹

Even though metals or minerals in water are beneficial to the body, they can be detrimental to the health of your hair. Copper ions that are found in natural water sources can gradually erode the vital hair proteins. With time, the hair structure becomes fragile – especially in colored hair – making it vulnerable to breakage, split ends and frizz.¹

Metal build-up may affect you more if you frequently swim in public pools treated with chlorine or wash your hair every day.¹

How Do I Know if My Hair is Porous?

Regularly bleaching, perming, relaxing or heat styling your hair can cause it to become more porous. But hair porosity can also vary between people depending on factors like age and hormones, too.

If you notice any of the following about your hair, it may have become more porous through being damaged:¹

• Frizziness
• Tangles easily
• Looks dull and lacks shine
• Prone to breakage
• Gets completely wet quickly in the shower and dries quickly afterwards
• Looks and feels dry in general.

Hair porosity generally refers to how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. High porosity means it’s quick to uptake moisture, but equally quick to lose it as the hair cuticle is damaged and ‘leaky’. This also means your hair is more susceptible to accumulating metal build-up than people with less damaged strands.¹

Test your hair porosity by brushing your clean hair and collecting a few shed strands. Then, drop these into a glass of water. If the hair floats, it has low porosity. If it slowly sinks after floating for a while, it has medium porosity. Hair that sinks almost immediately has high porosity.²

Caring for High Porosity Hair

Upon discovering your hair is highly porous – and therefore prone to metal build-up – you can begin to treat and reverse hair cuticle damage by using:²

Clarifying shampoos to cleanse the hair without drying it out

• ‘Heavier’ conditioners that contain oils and butters to seal gaps in the hair cuticles and help retain moisture
• Deep conditioning treatments once or twice a week
• Products that do not contain silicones, sulfates and parabens, which can strip the hair of natural oils
• Heat protection products before heat styling
• Minimal heat styling – look into alternative styling methods, like heatless curls
• Lukewarm water to wash the hair – hot water can worsen damage to the hair cuticles.

All of these hair care habits can help repair damaged hair and prevent further damage from metal particles infiltrating your strands.

How to Do a Metal Detox for Your Hair

Looking for quick ways to get shiny hair? Removing metal build-up and impurities with a hair detox is one method to try on your pursuit of healthy-looking hair.

Ways to do this include:¹

• Removing product build-up and open the hair cuticle with a clarifying shampoo
• Using a metal detox shampoo formulated to neutralize and wash away metal particles from the hair
• Getting a filtered shower head to help remove heavy metals and impurities from water
• Using Clairol’s Detox+PureTone three-step system in our Pure Brunettes dyes.

Clairol’s Detox+PureTone System

Our Nice’n Easy Pure Brunettes hair dye collection comes in six glossy brown shades. Each one works to infuse your hair with rich chocolate tones while detoxifying it from metal impurities and helping to prevent future damage.

The Detox+PureTone system works in three innovative steps included in every Pure Brunettes box:

1. Detoxify using our exclusive pre-color cleansing serum, which purifies metal build-up in the hair so no impurities can get in the way of infusing your new color
2. Dye hair using your pick of our six pro-grade brunette shades. The tint contains chelating agents that also help prevent the uptake of unhealthy substances, such as free radicals. This system works to optimize color uptake and helps prevent damage.
3. Treat hair with our antioxidant-enriched treatment containing Malic Acid, proven to preserve tones over time. Our intensive treatment creates a shield against future metal build-up to maintain your color.

In Summary…

If you’ve been wondering why your locks have been looking lackluster but couldn’t put your finger on why – perhaps the micro particles of copper and other metals in your tap water could be a factor. Speak to your hairstylist about metal impurities and whether this could be affecting your hair.

In the meantime, try our tips including using heat protection products, reducing heat styling, and using shampoos and conditioners formulated to detox your hair from metal build-up to see if a new routine brings life back to your mane.

Say goodbye to your color going brassy, greenish, grey-tinged or dull from metal impurities with Detox+PureTone by Clairol. Our Pure Brunettes collection promises shiny, on-tone color until your next dye.

Explore the Pure Brunettes range:

• 6.5PB Lightest Latte Brown
• 5BB Medium Blush Brown
• 5PB Medium Pure Brown
• 4PB Deep Mocha Brown
• 6PB Light Hazelnut Brown
• 3 Deepest Espresso Brown

Sources:

¹. Jacqueline Kilikita ‘Is Your Hair Really Damaged — Or Is It Overloaded With Metal?’ (08/2022) https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/metal-buildup-hair-damage-protection

². Rachel Nall ‘Hair Care Tips for High Porosity Hair’ (09/2019) https://www.healthline.com/health/high-porosity-hair?c=1167454165632