Do You Want to Lighten your Blonde or Brown 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, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some will leave you as a stereotypical 'bottle blonde' and some lighten more subtly. So which is right for you? Please read on to find out more!
Contents...
- Lightening Hair with Hair Dyes
- Want to Know More About the Possible Risks of Chemical Hair Dyes? Visit this Lens!
- Lightening Hair with Sun-In Bleaches
- Some of the More 'Natural' Chemical Hair Dyes
- Lightening Hair with Lemon Juice
- Lightening Hair with Honey
- Lightening Hair with Cinnamon
- Natural Methods that Work
- Natural Hair Lightening Ingredients
- Do You Like Your Hair Color?
- Would you like to Learn More about Hair Care, Especially Natural Methods?
- Guestbook
Blonde Hair has Always had a Glamorous Image
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. For more information, check out my lens about the potential risks of using hair dyes.
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. For more information, check out my lens about the potential risks of using hair dyes.
Want to Know More About the Possible Risks of Chemical Hair Dyes? Visit this Lens!
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Health Risks of Chemical Hair Dyes
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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 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.
Both regular chemical hair dyes and sun-in contain bleach, so it's debatable which is the better choice to preserve healthy hair.
Lightening hair with chemical dyes is permanent and long term dye use has potential health risks, as well as damaging hair
Some of the More 'Natural' Chemical Hair Dyes
These contain lower levels of chemicals and some avoid use of the most potentially harmful. However, they are not completely natural.
Herbatint Permanent Herbal Haircolour Gel, Honey Blonde 9N, 4.56-Ounces (Pack of 2)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009) 
List Price: $29.98
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.
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.
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.
Natural Methods that Work
Honey and cinnamon do lighten hair, without damaging it.
Lemon juice also lightens, but damages hair - it's best avoided.
Natural Hair Lightening Ingredients
Honey Tree Organic Rainforest Honey, 16-Ounce Plastic Flat (Pack of 6)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009)
Simply Organic Cinnamon, 2.45-Ounce Container (Pack of 5)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/30/2009)
Lightening hair naturally produces a more gradual change, does not damage hair and avoids the potential health risks of chemical
Do You Like Your Hair Color?
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Would you like to Learn More about Hair Care, Especially Natural Methods?
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- tdove tdove Sep 18, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
- Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory!
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- Real-Easy-Money Real-Easy-Money Aug 31, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
- Wow.,,,this is great info.
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- sisterra sisterra Aug 31, 2008 @ 9:57 am
- Great lens - I learned something new.
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- oimdiane oimdiane Aug 30, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
- Clever ideas.... wait long enough and it will lighten - to grey lol! Just kidding, great information :)
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- JudyDunn JudyDunn Aug 28, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
- Lots of great information, very well presented....if I had light colored hair, I might even try some. :-)
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by LucyVet
I'm a veterinarian, specializing in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. I love natural cosmetics and am aiming to grow my hair to waist-length. (more)
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