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What is Lightening Shampoo?
Diane Goettel
Diane Goettel
Lightening shampoo is a beauty product that is meant to, over time, lighten the color of the hair. This kind of shampoo is often used by people who want an over all lightening to their hair color and people who are trying to maintain the lightness of their highlights. This product usually contains a small amount of hydrogen peroxide or a similar lightening solution. Lightening shampoo is not common and may be difficult to find in drugstores and pharmacies that just carry a basic line of products. It is more likely to find this kind of shampoo in high-end lines of beauty products and in the lines of hair care products sold at salons.
Although this kind of shampoo can create a desired hue or tone in the hair, it also can be a bit damaging to the follicles. If the lightening shampoo contains hydrogen peroxide, the hair may become damaged after repeated use. As with all forms of hair color or hair lightening, peroxide can leave the hair brittle and dry. People using hydrogen peroxide should also use a good moisturizing conditioner to counteract the drying effects of the shampoo.
Lightening shampoo is often used by blondes and strawberry blondes to keep their hair light and increase the light tones in their hair. In fact, there are a number of hair care lines formulated specifically for people with these hair colors. Some of them contain a small amount of peroxide in the shampoos for the exact purposes discussed above.
This kind of shampoo normally does not have the same effect as a color treatment. After several uses, the hair may begin to slightly change in tone. The change will probably not be as drastic as the color change that can be achieved during a single application of permanent hair dye. In order to make a major change to the color of one’s hair, hair dye is usually required. Some people simply use this kind of shampoo to lighten their roots in between color appointments.
The effect of lightening shampoo will vary depending on the color, thickness, and health of the hair prior to use. A person with thick dark black hair will experience a very different result than a person with thin, brittle light brown hair. If the hair has been previously chemically treated, this will also alter the effect of the lightening shampoo. Such chemical treatments include permanent coloring, perms, and chemical straightening.
Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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Diane Goettel
In addition to her work as a freelance writer for WiseGEEK, Diane is the executive editor of Black Lawrence Press, an independent publishing company based in upstate New York. She has also edited several anthologies, the e-newsletter Sapling, and The Adirondack Review. Diane has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Brooklyn College.
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![Lightening shampoo.]()
By: Irina BrinzaLightening shampoo. -
![Lightening shampoo can lighten the color of hair over time.]()
By: esp2kLightening shampoo can lighten the color of hair over time. -
![The effect of lightening shampoo will vary depending on the color and thickness of a person's hair.]()
By: JennerThe effect of lightening shampoo will vary depending on the color and thickness of a person's hair. -
![Blondes often use lightening shampoo to maintain their light hair tone.]()
By: LvnelBlondes often use lightening shampoo to maintain their light hair tone. -
![Lightening shampoo can cause damage to hair follicles.]()
By: Andriy PetrenkoLightening shampoo can cause damage to hair follicles.
Discussion Comments
I use a shampoo to lighten my blonde hair, and since I am naturally blonde, I never have to get it bleached out. I had always wanted to go blonder, but since that would not take much, the lightening shampoo was all that I needed.
I was born with very light locks, and unlike most babies, I kept this shade as I grew up. The only thing I didn't like about my hair color was that it seemed a bit too yellow.
The lightening shampoo takes away just enough of the yellow to make me more like a platinum blonde. My friends have a hard time believing that I don't get my hair done in a salon, and though I've told them about the shampoo, they doubt that this is all it takes. I know that most people would need something more powerful, but it is just the right strength for my hair.
My sister uses chamomile shampoo to lighten her blonde hair. It worked very well for her, so I decided to give a similar treatment a try.
My hair is naturally golden brown, and I do have a hint of red here and there. I knew that any natural product I used to lighten my hair would result in a redder tone, but that's what I wanted. I think red highlights are gorgeous.
I had heard that making some chamomile tea and spraying it on your hair can work great for making highlights if you sit out in the sun as it dries. This was summertime, so I had no problem with this.
I put the tea into a spray bottle and saturated my hair with it. I sat outside for twenty minutes, and I could tell that it had made a difference.
I used it several times after this, and each time, I got more red highlights. However, since the ends of our hair are more porous than the rest, I had too much red color on the tips. I decided to give it a rest for awhile.
@Perdido – I did the same thing. I had hoped that since my hair was close to blonde, the shampoo would push it further in that direction. It turned red, like yours did.
However, my friend with dishwater blonde hair got great results from her shampoo. I remember that the one she used was actually called a blonde lightening shampoo, and it did what it promised.
Her murky blonde hair transformed into pretty golden locks. She did have to use a leave-in conditioner every day to combat the dryness, though. Other than that, it seemed like a pretty good deal.
I have golden brown hair, and I bought a hair lightening shampoo that was supposed to deliver blonde highlights. I didn't realize that with my hair color, I would get different results than a true blonde would.
After a couple of uses, I began to see reddish highlights throughout my hair. This was not what I had wanted at all.
I kept using the shampoo in hopes that the red would eventually get lightened to blonde, but it only turned more orange. I had to get my hair dyed back to my natural color, and I threw that shampoo away in disgust.
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