Q&A for How to Use Lemon Juice to Lighten Hair

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Can lemon juice ruin your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Using lemon juice too frequently can dry your hair out, but it won't cause permanent damage. For best results, always condition your hair after applying lemon juice.

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Question

Can lemon juice grow your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Lemon juice can lighten your hair but is not known to increase growth. For a natural hair-growth stimulant, add collagen to your diet or massage your scalp with tea tree oil.

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Question

Will the effects ever go away?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

As mentioned in the article, dyeing your hair with lemon juice is permanent. You'll have to grow out your hair for it to go away.

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Question

What does lemon juice do to your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Lemon juice helps to break down the natural pigment in your hair. It works as a very mild form of bleach.

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Question

Does this work on thick, black hair?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Unfortunately, lemon juice doesn't work very well on black hair. If you want to lighten your hair, you should probably use a different method.

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Can lemon juice make your hair blonde?

Gina Almona
Professional Hair Stylist
Gina Almona is the Owner of Blo It Out, a New York City-based hair salon. With over 20 years of beauty training experience, Gina's work has been featured in People Magazine, Time Out New York, and Queens Scene. She has been able to keep a fresh perspective in the industry by demonstrating and participating in trade shows and workshops like the International Beauty Show. She received her cosmetology training from the Long Island Beauty School, Astoria.

Gina Almona

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Yes, but you need sun exposure for lemon juice to lighten or brighten your hair, and just like skin, your hair needs to be protected in the sun.

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Question

Will lime juice work?

Community Answer

Yes, lime juice can work just as well as lemon.

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Should I avoid swimming in general, or just in pools with chlorine?

Community Answer

Swimming in pools with chlorine should be avoided, but swimming in freshwater or ocean water will be fine.

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Question

How do you make black hair a lighter color with this method?

Community Answer

It's possible to have light brown highlights. Just drench your hair and sit in the sun.

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Question

Before you apply the lemon juice to your hair, should your hair be wet or dry?

Community Answer

Dry would be ideal, as your hair would be better able to absorb the lemon juice.

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Question

Will my hair turn orange if I dye it with lemon juice?

Community Answer

It depends on what color your hair was to start with. Generally, if you have lighter hair, it will go lighter, but if you have darker brown hair, it will go lighter brown, etc.

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Question

How can I color the tips of my hair purple or blonde?

Community Answer

Small packs of unsweetened grape Kool-Aid will give your purple hair and lemon juice should give you blonde tips.

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Question

Should I use the lemon on my roots only? How long should I keep it in?

Community Answer

Don't put the lemon on your roots alone, but on your whole head of hair for best results. After you spritz your hair with the lemon solution, you sit out in the sun for like an hour.

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Question

How many days or weeks do I have to do this for?

Community Answer

You can do it for any amount of time. It just depends on how light you want your highlights.

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Question

What color will black hair change into after using this for 10-25 weeks?

Community Answer

10 weeks will change it to light brown/dark blonde; by 25 weeks, it will be blonde.

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Question

Will lemon juice make my hair dry?

Community Answer

It can, but you can try adding coconut oil to the lemon mixture to prevent drying.

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Question

What happens if a blonde does this?

Community Answer

It will lighten your hair to some extent. It will mostly bring out the gold tones in your hair, however.

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Question

Does tis only work with highlights or can I actually dye my hair? I wanted to dye the ends of my hair in a cheap way.

Community Answer

Sadly, no. It just highlights, but if you would like to, you can dye you're hair with Kool-Aid. The (unsweetened) small packets are cheap and it'll stay in for months depending on your hair color and type. See further How to Dye Hair With Kool Aid .

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Question

My hair is light brown with honey highlights naturally. How long will it for my hair to become a golden color?

Community Answer

If you do the process every day, it will take around 10 weeks.

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Question

Can I just sit under a light if I do it in the evening? Also, how bright will it go if I have kinda brown/blondish hair?

Community Answer

With the lemon, no. You have to be in the sun because lemon juice is photosynthetic, meaning it has a reaction when exposed to sunlight. This reaction is what lightens your hair.

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Question

My hair is a really dark reddish copper color; will this make it light enough to dye it blue without bleaching?

Community Answer

If you do it many, many times, then yes. You would have to do it almost every day for the full summer to get it that light.

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Question

My hair is dyed dark brown at the moment. Will my hair color still lift?

Community Answer

It may lighten it a bit, but it will not work nearly as well on dark, dyed hair.

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Question

Can I only apply the lemon lightener to the tips of my hair? Will it still have the same effect as being applied to a full head of hair?

Community Answer

If you mean you only want to lighten the tips of your hair and not the rest, sure, it's fine to just apply the lemon there.

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Question

When applying the lemon juice, should your hair be freshly washed?

Community Answer

It shouldn't make a difference, but you will probably want to apply the juice before showering as it will make your hair sticky and dull when it dries. You would be wasting your time by washing your hair beforehand.

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Question

How many weeks in a row can I apply lemon juice on black hair?

Community Answer

You can use this method for three to four weeks with any hair color. You should give your hair a break after four weeks as lemon juice can make your hair dry and brittle.

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Question

Can I use lemon essential oils?

Community Answer

No, this would not work very well since it's the high content of citric acid in lemons that gives them their bleaching qualities. Essential oils do not contain this high citric acid content.

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Question

My hair is coffee brown, will it turn orange if I use this method?

Community Answer

Yes, it may, so monitor the change in color each session. If you see that it is becoming brassy or orange, do not continue. You can always use Kool-Aid to give your hair a different look.

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Question

I bleached my hair and a majority of it fell out and broke off. Could I have ruined it?

Community Answer

Yes, if lemon juice was the cause for a lot of your hair falling out, then you definitely took the process too fast, maybe you should of done some more research? Always put the health of your hair before anything. If you continued to bleach it that way, you could of ended up ruining it.

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Will using lemon fade my blue hair?

Community Answer

Usually the use of lemon makes your hair lighter, so it might be able to fade it a little bit.

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Question

Will the cinnamon or chamomile mixed with the lemon juice make my hair lighter than the lemon juice alone?

Community Answer

Yes, cinnamon and chamomile are natural enhancers for the lemon juice's lightening effect.

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