With Christmas just around the corner, visitors to a small town in Sweden could be forgiven for thinking that the inhabitants have gone all ‘Grinch’ this year. Many of the 1,700 normally-blond dwellers of the small town of Anderslov have been sporting bright green hair.

Is it a protest against Christmas, deciding to side with The Grinch? Or is it all just a new cutting-edge trend that is sweeping through Sweden, one small town at a time? Well the answer is neither – according to Swedish newspaper, Skanskan, officials were called in after a number of concerned residents complained that their hair colour had changed from blond to green overnight.

Environmental experts tested the copper levels in the water supply in a number of houses, as high levels of copper are known to turn hair green. Yet, only normal levels of copper were detected. However, when hot water was left in water systems over night, copper levels were seen to increase by up ten times.

The environmental investigators concluded that the water’s heat was causing copper particles to leech from the pipes and water heaters, contaminating the water. So when the unsuspecting Swedes took their morning shower, the levels of copper were high enough to turn their hair green.

The copper cock-up was found to be worse in new homes, where piped lacked coatings. So what was the advice given to the troubled residents? Wash their hair in cold water or to live in an older house…Brilliant and hilarious.

If you want to change your hair colour on your own terms, why not check out the extensive range of colours we have on offer here at Hairbomb.

- This is Gems, Signing off!