Green hair caused by copper present in cosmetic plant extracts.

Antonella Tosti, Donatella Mattioli, Cosimo Misciali, Department of Dermatology, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 1, 40138, Bologna (Italy) To the editor Green discoloration of hair is well known as a consequence of copper exposure [1-5]. It can occur in copper workers [1], and it has been described following exposure to swimming pool water containing copper [2]. The following report describes a patient who developed a green discoloration of the hair after using a hair cosmetic containing Cassia obovata. Case Report A 27-year-old woman suddenly developed green-tinted hair after applying a neutral henna preparation for strengthening her hair. The patient had naturally long light blond hair and used to swim in a chlorinated swimming pool during weekends. She had highlighted her hair 2 years before. A week before examination, the patient had used a natural henna product containing C. obovata in order to ‘protect her hair against pool disinfectants’. The history revealed that after having washed her hair, the patient prepared a creamy paste by mixing 50 g of henna powder with warm water and applied it to her scalp for 15 min as instructed by the manufacturer. Immediately after washing off the henna paste, she noticed a dark green discoloration of the hair. On the clinical examination numerous green hair tufts were evident in the patient’s scalp. Scanning electron-microscopic examination of the affected hair showed loss of cuticles and the presence of hair shaft surface alterations. The manufacturer of the henna informed us that the cosmetic, imported from India, consisted of powdered leaves of C. obovata. A chemical examination of the henna powder showed that it contained copper (7.75 ppm), lead (2 ppm), zinc (134 ppm) and nickel (83 ppm). The green discoloration gradually disappeared in a few months. Discussion C. obovata leaves contain free anthraquinones ‚ their O and C glyco-sides and free sugars. To our knowledge none of these ingredients can cause a green discoloration [6]. The powdered leaves of C. obovata used by our patient were however found to contain a significant amount of copper, and deposition of copper in the hair is known to produce a green discoloration in blond-haired people. Exposure to copper may result from several sources: occupation as copper workers [1,3], swimming pool water with copper-based algicides [2, 4] or the presence of copper in water supplies due to drawing off the metal from household piping [3]. Greening of the hair does not occur after systemic absorption of copper [5].