Using Lemon Juice to Lighten Hair
Lemon Juice as a Hair Lightener
A recent question from a student in my online class Finding the Right Hairstyle for You!, asks:
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I’ve been told that lemon juice can bring out highlights in hair, and I have tried this. In the summer I always naturally get lighter highlights in my hair as I spend time outdoors. In the winter I lose them. This winter I did try lemon juice once. It looked very dim and nondescript the first day, but then seemed give me some nice highlights for a few weeks. Is lemon juice damaging to hair? Can it bring out lighter highlights in some hair colors? |
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Lemon juice as a hair lightener will work for some hair types but, it’s not the best choice.
Lemon juice has a low pH level and therefore is acidic. Using this too often on healthy hair will make it brittle. It’s not controllable on chemically treated hair.
Hair care products these days are formulated to have a balanced pH level which leaves the hair in better condition. Straight lemon juice on the hair will dry it out. Here is what I know about using lemon juice as a hair lightener:
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Lemon juice, plus oxygen and UV rays, equals a bleaching product.
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Lemon juice as a hair lightener is only effective on hair that is dishwater blonde or lighter in color. Its bleaching quality is only effective when used in the sun and will not lighten brunettes or red heads.
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Using lemon juice on chemically treated hair can turn it an orange or brassy color.
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It can also dry out the hair with its acidic quality and make the hair extremely brittle.
If you still decide you want to use lemon juice in your hair, don’t use it straight without diluting it. Dilute one tablespoon of lemon juice in a gallon of water and use it daily as a rinse. Use it this way when you know you will get sun exposure and it will lighten your hair, but be aware of how it is affecting your hairs condition.
Used sparingly may be fine in healthy, non chemically treated hair. Also think about this, if you use it too often, you will have bleached hair with roots growing in, now what do you do?
Need I say . . . my first recommendation is to have highlighting done by a professional if you want it done right. It may save you lot’s of hair and headaches to come.
Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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Don’t you think that putting lemon juice in hair, i have dishwater blonde hair gives it a more natural look than having a professional do it? I have never had my hair professionally lightened but i am worried because i think i wouldnt like the color. plus either way your roots are going to grow in darker so in both circumstances you will have to either add more lemon juice when roots go in or have your hair lightened.
Comment by michelle — November 9, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
I have a naturally light blonde shade to my hair. I use lemon juice, and I rarely dilute it. I use it when I’m going to lay out or go swimming for the day. I would say it dries my hair out as much as chlorine from a pool, so its not bad at all. I have very long hair, so the season texture change is nice. It give my hair that “I just got back from the beach wavy-ness.” Which I can never get any other time because my hair is long, fine and pin straight.
The roots are never an issue because it looks so natural. It makes my hair look like I have been in the sun a lot in the summer. It more fades back into my hair as winter drags on.
Do it, its cheap and Way better for your hair than bleach. It looks natural, where as paying a ton of money for salon highlights, they look just like that… like you went and paid to get your hair dyed.
Comment by sarah — August 9, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
I should have went out in the sun like I normally do rather than get my hairlighted again…..a friend of my recommended someone and I went to her……well she barely did anything…..then I went back today and had her redo it…more blonde……unfortunately the color looks cheap…..I will not go back to her I paid $55 for this….next time (Christmas) I will return to my prior hair stylist ($90) and get it done right…..in the meantime I may even put streaks of wash out brown paint in my hair……terrible terrible…monica
Comment by monica — October 7, 2008 @ 3:49 pm