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Here’s how to lighten dark brown to light brown. The steps for bleaching dark brown hair at home can be used to lighten with henna, honey and vitamin C. Here’s also how to lighten dyed dark brown hair fast using these simple home remedies.
What are the options available to lighten dark brown hair? What hair dye will lighten naturally dark brown hair? What options do I have if I have dyed my hair dark brown but would like to lighten it to a lighter shade? These are commonly asked questions in online forums serving the hair care and hair styling enthusiasts. We have handy tips on lightening dark brown hair at home. Enjoy reading.
How to Lighten Dark Brown Hair at Home
Using Honey Bleach: Honey is a very popular ingredient for hair lightening. With its ability to lighten any shade of hair, it should be your first choice for anyone considering lightening hair naturally.
The hair lightening properties of honey are due to the presence of an enzyme that produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, a common hair bleaching agent.
Below is a guideline on how to lighten dark brown hair at home with honey:
Ingredients
- 1 cup hair conditioner
- 1 cup honey
Directions
- Mix the honey and conditioner together in a small bowl or basin
- Stir the mixture thoroughly till well blended
- Apply the mixture eon your hair after shampooing it as you normally do
- Leave it on your hair for 30 minutes
- Wash out the mixture and pat your hair dry with a towel
This will give your hair a shade of color similar to that of honey. This method however works gradually and you may have to apply the honey-conditioner mixture numerous times before you can see the results you desire.
This hair lightening method not only lightens your hair, but also nourishes and moisturizes it, leaving it healthier-looking and shiny.
Using Dye to Lighten Dark Brown Hair: What if you have natural dark brown and would like to lighten it to a lighter shade with a dye? In other words, what hair dye will lighten naturally dark brown hair? Well, there are dozens if not hundreds of hair dyes on the market today that you may choose from.
L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference is perhaps the best hair color brand out there today. You may also want to try the following brands to lighten your dark brown hair:
- Revlon ColorSilk
- Surya Henna Cream
Even as you use a dye to lighten your hair, it is always advisable not to try to go more than two shades lighter.
You can buy any of the above hair color products in your local beauty supply store or drugstore, or online on sites such as eBay, Amazon and Boots.
How to Lighten Dyed Dark Brown Hair
If you have your hair dark brown but would like to revert it to your natural light brown shade or to a lighter shade of brown, you may want to consider using one of the following methods:
Using Vitamin C: If you didn’t know, vitamin C tablets can be used to lighten dyed hair and if you wish to lighten your dark brown hair to a lighter shade, it is a great option to go for.
For vitamin C hair lightening treatment, you will require 15 to 20 uncoated vitamin C tablets and anti-dandruff shampoo such as Head and Shoulders.
Directions
- Crush the vitamin C tablets into a fine powder and pour it into a small basin.
- Add enough anti-dandruff shampoo to make a paste that is thick enough yet easy to work on
- Apply the paste all over your hair as needed. Ensure that all the areas that absorbed more of the dye are particularly well covered
- Using a shower cap or plastic wrap, cover your hair for 30 to 60 minutes
- Wash the paste out with water and follow with a conditioning treatment as you normally do
It is important to keep in mind that this method works best if your natural hair color is a light shade of brown since the treatment involves stripping off the hair dye.
Using a clarifying shampoo
You can as well use a clarifying shampoo to lighten dyed dark brown hair. Clarifying shampoos have strong ingredients that not only gets rid of reside build-ups that typically form on the hair making it appear dull, but also removes the present hair color thus reducing its coloring effect.
Suave clarifying shampoo is easily the best on the market today. Prell has also been around for a long time.
Using a hair color remover
These days there are numerous hair color removers that you can use to remove a dye after it has been applied to your hair. One such product is L’Oreal ColorZap. You can buy your bottle of ColorZap at your local beauty supply store or drugstore or even order one online.
It might help by removing the dark brown shade so that you can apply a lighter shade of brown and lighten your hair as desired.
If you find that you still can’t lighten your dyed dark brown hair with all the above options, you should consider seeking the help of a professional hair stylist.
How to Lighten Dark Brown Hair to Light Brown with Henna and Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea and henna are also great options for people looking to lighten dark brown hair to light brown. Here is a method you may want to consider trying on your dark brown hair.
Requirements
- Chamomile tea bags
- Henna powder
Directions
- Drop 2 or 3 tea bags of chamomile tea into a small pot and bring them to a boil. Allow the mixture to cool down for 30 minutes and then strain to obtain the tea solution.
- Add enough henna powder to make a paste that can be worked through your hair
- Apply the paste all over your hair or in the sections where highlights are desired
- Cover your hair with a plastic wrap or shower cap for 1 hour
- Wash out the paste with cool water and towel-dry your hair gently
- Repeat if further lightening is desired
Henna is a very strong lightening agent and you are very likely to see significant results in just one application. You may also want to try the treatment on a small section of your hair first to see how your hair responds in as far as lightening is concerned.
Henna
There you have it! You now have handy tips to help you lighten your dark brown hair to a lighter shade. Now go and have fun doing it.
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