How to Lighten Your Hair

Do You Want to Lighten your Blonde Hair?

Were you blonde as a child, but now find that your hair has become significantly darker, that 'dishwater' color? Would you like to regain your lighter blonde, or just lighten your hair for summer? There are various chemical and natural methods of lightening blonde hair, which will be discussed in this lens. Please read on to find out more!

Lightening Hair with Hair Dyes

If you want to lighten your hair with chemical dyes, this will be a permanent change. Temporary dyes work by depositing a layer of color on top of the hair shaft, and cannot lighten hair. Dyeing hair lighter is high maintenance, and bleaches damage hair. Make sure you condition your hair well after dyeing it, and dyeing the roots only for touch-ups will minimize damage to the length of your hair.

Having your hair dyed in a salon will give more choice of color, so you can achieve a natural-looking shade. However, you can also dye your hair inexpensively at home.

Hair dyes have also been associated with allergic reactions, which can even be fatal. This rare, but a reaction can occur even if you have used a dye before with no problems, so it's important to always do a patch test first. Where possible, choose a more 'natural' brand, that has lower levels of possibly harmful chemicals. These will often not include ingredients such as ammonia, peroxide and resorcinol, and lower levels of PPD, the ingredient that causes allergic reactions.

Lightening Hair with Sun-In Bleaches

Sun-in is a product used to make lighter highlights in hair. Sun-in does contain bleach, so will damage your hair. Sun-in should only be used by those with blonde hair to start with. As color is lifted from dark hair, it becomes reddish-orange before blonde, so if you use a sun-in product on dark hair, it's likely that you will end up with orange hair, not blonde.

Both regular chemical hair dyes and sun-in contain bleach, so it's debatable which is the better choice to preserve healthy hair.

Some of the More 'Natural' Hair Dyes

Naturtint Permanent Sandy Blonde 8G

Amazon Price: $11.58 (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $17.99

Herbatint - Vegetal Honey Blonde

Amazon Price: $11.04 (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $16.99

Herbatint Permanent Herbal Haircolour Gel, Honey Blonde 9N, 4.56-Ounces (Pack of 2)

Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $29.98

Naturtint Permanent Color Light Dawn Blonde 10N (kit)

Amazon Price: $14.16 (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price:

Want to Know More About the Possible Risks of Chemical Hair Dyes? Visit this Lens!

What Are The Risks of Using Hair Dyes: Do They Cause Allergies, Cancer?

Over 50 million women in the US dye their hair regularly. Many more say they will once they start to turn gray, and many girls use hair dyes from an early age. However, there are risks associated with using these products. One of the main chemicals i...

Lightening Hair with Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is one of the most well-known natural ways to lighten blonde hair, and it does work. However, lemon juice is very acidic, and this damages hair. People who have tried using lemon juice to lighten their hair often complain that their hair feels brittle and straw-like. Damage from using lemon juice is hard to repair, and it's best avoided if you would like to keep your hair healthy.

Lightening Hair with Honey

Honey is not a well-known hair lightener, but it certainly works. Honey lightens hair by releasing peroxide, but in much lower levels that chemical hair dyes. Due to the low levels of peroxide and honey's moisturizing properties, honey does not damage the hair. A residue of honey on the hair may make hair feel stiff, but a good shampooing should remove this. Honey lightening is a gradual process, but if you do it correctly you should see a difference after the first treatment.

How to use honey to lighten hair
For best results, mix honey with water, using 1 part honey to 4 parts of water, for example 3 tablespoons of honey to 12 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for an hour, so that the honey has time to release peroxide. Apply to wet or dry hair and cover with saran wrap to keep it moist and contain mess. Leave the mixture on for an hour, then shampoo out.

Additives to increase lightening
The following ingredients all also produce peroxide, so can increase honey's lightening effects. These ingredients do not damage hair.

- Olive oil - this helps lighten hair, while also conditioning. Add 1-2 tablespoons, less if your hair tends to become greasy. If you have used too much, you will know as your hair will feel greasy - wash again to remove.

- Cinnamon - this spice can also be added. See below for more information on cinnamon.

Lightening Hair with Cinnamon

Cinnamon can be used to gradually lighten blonde hair. Cinnamon lightens by producing peroxide, but the levels are so low that the hair is not damaged. However, it will not turn your hair instantly blonde and is a very gradual process; however, using it avoids the potentially harmful chemicals contained in hair dyes.

Cinnamon is a skin irritant, so care should always be taken not to get cinnamon directly on your skin. Ideally, do a patch test first. If your skin becomes irritated from cinnamon, apply a calming cream, such as aloe vera.

The best way to use cinnamon is to mix it with a little conditioner and apply to hair while it is wet after washing. Cover your hair with saran wrap to prevent mess and keep it moist. Cinnamon can also be added to a honey lightening mixture.