How to Lighten the Base Color of Hair

If you have blond or red hair, hydrogen peroxide allows you to lighten your hair to a couple of shades lighter than your natural hair color. Brunettes can brighten their hair using lemon juice -- hydrogen peroxide would just highlight your hair instead of lightening the base color. Both lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide will lighten your hair without the damage that hair dye and bleach would ordinarily cause.

Things You'll Need

• 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution
• Small spray bottle
• Lemon juice
• Water

Instructions

Peroxide for Blondes and Redheads

1. Fill a small spray bottle with a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide. Anything stronger will damage your hair. Most pharmacies across the U.S. offer hydrogen peroxide at 3 percent.

2. Brush your hair until it's smooth or knot-free. Spritz the 3 percent peroxide solution all over your hair, starting from the top of your head until you've covered all of your hair. Brush it in to maximize the area of hair that you cover with peroxide.

3. Sit in the sun for a bit to increase the lightening effect of the peroxide. This means that you should ideally be lightening your hair during the day -- specifically a warm spring or summer day.

4. Repeat the process until your hair is the shade that you wanted.

Lemon Juice for Brunettes

1. Blend 4 cups of water with 3/4 tsp. of lemon juice. The acid in pure lemon juice may cause your hair to dry out.

2. Wash your hair with the lemon juice/water solution every day for about a week. You should notice your hair growing lighter.

3. Continue rinsing your hair in the lemon juice solution until you achieve the desired shade.

References

• Beyond Jane: Lighten Your Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide
• Grandma's Home Remedies: Home Remedies to Lighten Hair