Here’s why it’s not safe to lighten your hair using lemon juice

Using lemon juice to lighten your locks is a hair hack many have tried. This hack was recently shared by TikToker @iamluckey, who garnered over 67 million views for his clip.

In the video you see a person squeezing lemon juice into his dark wet hair and then rubbing it into his scalp as he basks in the sun at the beach.

The video received 1.9 million likes which means people are clearly invested in this process.

@iamluckey I hope this works 🍋![CDATA[]]>🍋#bleachinghair #lemons ♬ World Hold On (Children of the sky) - Bob Sinclar

He shares a part two video that shows the results of his hair-lightening process using the lemon juice and sunshine trick.

After using the trick for three days, it did make his hair go lighter but it certainly did not go blonde.

@iamluckey Call me slim shady now 🍋#bleachinghair #lemon #part2 ♬ World Hold On (Children of the sky) - Bob Sinclar

When you search “lemon on hair in sun results” hundreds of videos pop up showing other people trying the trick.

However, there are some videos warning people not to try it.

One person warns that it could cause a chemical burn, while another says just because it’s natural it doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.

Sheeva Fallahi, Beauty Editor at Lookfantastic, has weighed in on the trend, explaining why it is not advised to apply acidic lemon juice to your hair.

“The lemon’s high acidity breaks down the hair cuticle, which then allows for the sun’s UV rays to penetrate deeper, resulting in damage to skin and hair fibres,” Fallahi commented.

Lemon juice is known to alter the tone of your hair due to the reaction that occurs with the acidity and sun rays, however, this can result in an irritated or burnt scalp.

Instead, it is recommended to focus on using hydrating and nourishing haircare products, enriched with ingredients like keratin, collagen and hyaluronic acid, that work to strengthen strands and protect against breakage.”

If you want to lighten your hair or go blonde, it’s best to have a professional do it.

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