Wishing for lighter, sun-kissed hair but not feeling like going to the salon? A simple and affordable way to get that clean, bright look is to lighten your hair at home.
Many techniques you can try in your own bathroom will work whether you want to add some subtle highlights or go a few shades lighter. You can achieve the lighter hair you’ve always desired with a few essential ingredients and a little perseverance.
This post will discuss several methods for safely lightening your hair at home with both store-bought and natural products. So let’s get started and identify the method that works best for you!
| Method | Description |
| Lemon Juice | Apply freshly squeezed lemon juice to your hair and sit in the sun for a while. The acidity of the lemon combined with sunlight helps to naturally lighten your hair. |
| Honey and Olive Oil | Mix honey and olive oil, then apply to your hair. Leave it on for an hour before rinsing. The natural enzymes in honey work as a gentle bleaching agent. |
| Chamomile Tea | Brew strong chamomile tea, let it cool, and then apply it to your hair. Sit in the sun to enhance the lightening effect. |
| Baking Soda | Create a paste with baking |
Hair lightening: the essence of the procedure
Both natural and previously dyed hair can be lightened. The strands are dyed with lightening solution, left for 15 to 30 minutes, and then rinsed off. Soon after lightening, the hair might start to turn yellow. This is how the lightning appears in the background, so it shouldn’t be concerning. But tone is still required for the lighter hair. You can only get the color of platinum blonde, or any other desired shade, with subsequent toning.
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Types of lightening
The trend of lighter hair has always been popular. Celebrities wore highlights in the 2000s and ombre in the 2010s. Shatush and balayage coloring is the newest wave.
- Shatush. Perhaps the most natural coloring. Shatush is an alternation of light and dark strands, levels of color transition, highlights appearing here and there. Hair looks as if it was simply sun-bleached. The shatush technique was invented by the Italian hairdresser Aldo Coppola, when he combined highlighting and ombre techniques in one coloring. Shatush looks perfect on light brown hair. Example: Jennifer Aniston, who has been using this coloring for over 20 years.
- Ombre. Another celebrity coloring trend. Ombre is a smooth transition of color from the roots or mid-length of the hair to the ends. Ombre differs from shatush in that it does not involve chaotically located “highlights”. It is easier to do ombre yourself than to do shatush coloring.
- Balayage. A lightening technique reminiscent of highlighting. Translated from French, it means “to brush”. This is another variation of the effect of sun-bleached hair. For coloring, you need to use several shades of paint: lighter and darker. The dyes are kept on the hair without the use of foil or film. 15 minutes is usually enough to achieve the desired effect on light brown hair.
Advantages of lightening
These lighting methods have a lot of benefits.
- The roots grow back unnoticeably, and you don’t have to repeat the coloring every two weeks. Hair is less exposed to the dye, which has a positive effect on its condition.
- The coloring looks very natural, so it is not necessary to do it often.
- The image turns out to be more delicate, and the light strands near the face refresh and hide age.
- The styling looks voluminous.
- This is a gentle hair lightening.
Disadvantages of lightening
The drawbacks are minimal, but they do occur.
For hair, bleaching is still a pretty traumatic procedure.
You must carefully study the technique or consult an expert to do this coloring correctly. This coloring is not something that a novice with no training could do well, at least not in theory.
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Without going to the salon, lightening your hair at home can be an easy and affordable way to get a brand-new look. Whether you’re going for subtle highlights or a more dramatic change, you can safely lighten your hair by a few shades with the right products and techniques.
How to properly lighten hair at home?
The method for using paint to lighten hair is contingent upon the hue of your hair. We will discuss a few subtleties while keeping in mind the original shade.
Blonde hair
Cream paint is another way to lighten your light brown hair by a few tones. Since there isn’t as much pigment there as in dark hair, the composition will handle its removal; lightening is sure to happen and will not cause significant harm. Hair will heal faster with nourishing masks.
The least damaging method for lightening hair is to use cream paint, which is also the safest option. Furthermore, the creamy-textured composition is easy to apply to hair because it doesn’t spread or discolor nearby objects.
Dark hair
The lightening solution needs to be applied to the hair strands for a minimum of 30 minutes in order to bleach black hair. However, the most important thing is to avoid overexposing it, as this will cause the hair to lose its healthy appearance and even the best masks won’t be able to repair severe damage. Speak with a qualified colorist if you want to lighten your black hair. You run a significant risk of breaking off hair if you don’t. I promise you, the cost of restoration will be far higher than that of salon coloring.
Red hair
Light brown hair can be lightened just as easily as red hair. The only thing that will differ is that you will need to tone down slightly to achieve a harmonious final product.
Dyed hair
Additionally, you can lighten colored strands of hair without damaging it. The lightening principle applies to both colored and natural hair types. However, bear in mind that restorative care following a hair color change should be even more rigorous and consistent.
How to care for bleached hair?
Bleached hair needs more careful, specialized maintenance.
- It is necessary to stop using products containing alcohol. Alcohol opens the hair cuticles, the strands lose moisture, become dry and brittle. If your hairspray contains alcohol, you will have to stop using it.
- Your hair care ritual should include products for colored hair: this will help maintain the shine that appears immediately after coloring.
- Serums, masks and creams will help restore the structure of the hair, because after lightening it inevitably becomes porous.
- To maintain a cool shade and prevent yellowness, you need to use special shampoos for blondes. These shampoos contain a purple pigment that helps neutralize yellowness.
Achieving a new look at home without having to pay for a salon visit is possible with home hair lightening. Using the appropriate products and techniques, you can safely and effectively brighten your hair.
Always test a small section first to make sure the color outcome matches your expectations. Seeking professional advice could be worthwhile if you’re unclear about the procedure or wish to make a significant change.
You can enjoy a lighter, brighter shade from the comfort of your own home with a little perseverance and attention.
