Cigarette Smoke Yellow Hair

Yellowing hair
Photo: Andrey Popov/Shutterstock
Q: How can I get the yellow caused by cigarette smoke out of my platinum blonde hair? Is it normal that tobacco smoke makes my hair yellow?
 
A: Yellowing of the skin and nails are common side-effects of smoking, but many people don’t notice the effect smoking has on the color of their hair, because their hair color may be darker or of a tone that yellow doesn’t contradict as much.
 
Yet with a cool color like a platinum blonde, any yellowing is readily visible. This is also a common complaint for those with graying/silver hair – especially men with silver beards or moustaches.
 
To combat this problem, you need to use a shampoo that will remove the residue left by the cigarette smoke. A good clarifying shampoo is perfect for this purpose and in many cases it will be all you need to get the yellowing removed. However, in some cases, with heavy smokers or yellowing that has been on the hair for a long period, you may need something more.
 
In this case you want to look for an “anti-yellow” shampoo, such as Clairol’s “Shimmer Lights”. These products contain bluing agents which counter the yellow tones in the hair. They can remove the yellow look from platinum blonde and silver hair and can make golden blonde hair look less brassy.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Clarifying shampoos and color treated hair
 
How to remove nicotine stains in moustaches
 
Is smoking bad for your hair?
 
How does smoking cause gray hair?
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