Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEffects to KnowIs It Safe?EnhancementsIs It Reversible?Photobleaching vs. Hair Bleach
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Effects to Know
Is It Safe?
Enhancements
Is It Reversible?
Photobleaching vs. Hair Bleach
Photobleaching is the process that occurs when your hair color lightens due to the effects of sun exposure. It occurs when ultraviolet (UV) light breaks down the molecules that give your hair its pigment, or color. The process can also impact the texture and strength of your hair.
The effects of photobleaching on hair can vary based on your hair’s color and condition when the process occurs. However, anyone can suffer the damage that UV light can cause on the skin under and around your hair. When done without care, trying to lighten your hair can increase your risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
Hair, Photobleaching, and Sun: Effects to Know
Photobleaching begins when your hair fiber absorbslight from the sun. The sun’s UV rays react with your hair to cause changes in its color and texture.
Changes occur during oxidation as UVA radiation breaks down a small molecule calledmelaninin your hair. Melanin providespigment, or color, to your hair and skin. It also acts as “nature’s sunscreen” to absorb and protect hair proteins against UV rays. However, changing the chemical makeup of melanin also changes its light-absorbing properties.
Without melanin and the protective outer coating of your hair, your hair protein is also vulnerable to the effects of UV radiation. During photobleaching, UVB radiation causes the degradation and loss of hair protein, especiallykeratin. Keratin is the primary component of hair, which gives it shine and strength.
Dark hair is more resistant to the effects of photobleaching than light hair. This is attributed to dark hair having more eumelanin, which is more photostable and resistant to photodegradation than pheomelanin.
How Aging Affects Your Hair
Is It Safe to Photobleach Hair?
While photobleaching your hair may seem like a healthy, natural way to enhance your appearance, it is potentially dangerous. Getting your hair sunbleached safely requires precautions to avoid the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
While the sun can lighten your hair, it can also cause damage to your hair’s texture, making it weak and brittle. Other side effects of photobleaching your hair are more severe. Without protection, you can get sunburn on the top and sides of your scalp, which increases your risk of skin cancer in the affected areas.
While any sunscreen you use on your face can also be applied to your scalp, you can also find sunscreen specially formulated for your hair, part, and scalp. These products often come in formulas such as powders or mists that make applying them on your scalp easy without ruining your hairstyle.
How to Enhance Hair Photobleaching Effects
It’s not necessary to treat your hair to achieve photobleaching effects. Sitting in the sun will gradually lighten your hair over time without extra treatments. However, applying some products may help enhance or intensify your results due to their properties that accelerate hair lightening. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the following treatments may help enhance hair photobleaching effects:
Lemon Juice
The combination of lemon juice and heat from the sun can accelerate photobleaching effects. Alone, the citrus acid in lemon juice provides a weak oxidizing effect. Lemon juice also reacts to the UV rays in sunlight, making it easier for the light to penetrate the hair cortex. Together, lemon juice and heat degrade the level of melanin, which brightens your hair pigment.
To use lemon juice to enhance photobleaching effects, apply the following recipe to your hair before sitting in the sun:
Salt Spray
To take advantage of this effect and promote photobleaching, try the following recipe:
Hair Lightening Sprays
Hair lightening sprays can often provide more convenient and effective results than homemade recipes, but it is important to review their ingredients.
Does Using Lemon Juice to Lighten Your Hair Actually Work?
Is Hair Photobleaching Reversible?
Hair photobleaching is not immediately reversible. When the sun reacts with the melanin in your hair, it removes the color in an irreversible chemical reaction. So, it’s not possible to “undo” the effects of photobleaching on your existing hair strands.
While a quick reverse treatment may not be able to restore your lost color, you may be able to achieve a temporary fix until the bleached strands grow out and your natural color grows in. Applying hair toner or a more permanent hair color may help you achieve a more uniform look and reduce the brassiness of photobleached hair.
How Photobleaching Differs From Hair Bleach
Photobleaching causes a reaction that is similar to the effect that bleach has on hair. Photobleaching involves harnessing the natural effects of the sun on your hair. However, since it’s difficult to determine the rate and amount of sun your hair absorbs, the results can be difficult to predict and control.
Texture and Color Damage
Both photobleaching and hair bleach cause damage to your hair fiber. While some hair bleach products are formulated with moisturizers to offset the texture and color damage, you can expect changes in the condition of your hair after both processes.
In addition to removing color, bleaching, and photobleaching destroy your hair’s natural keratin, which provides the protein in your hair. This damages the outside of hair strands and causes the following effects:
The Link Between Hair Dye and Cancer Risk
Summary
While photobleaching can lighten hair, it may not provide the desired effects. Factors such as the color and condition of your hair can affect the results you achieve.
Whether you use the sun or chemicals to bleach your hair, the process involves damaging the molecules that provide its color and strength. However, relying on the sun for hair bleaching can produce inconsistent results. Without proper protection, it can also increase your risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
Consider your goals and expectations before photobleaching your hair. The effects are permanent and may require long-term special care to offset extreme results.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cosmetics and Toiletries.A sunny disposition: the effects of sun on hair.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Ask the expert: how can I protect my scalp better?
Sebetić K, Sjerobabski Masnec I, Cavka V, Biljan D, Krolo I.UV damage of the hair.Coll Antropol. 2008;32(Suppl 2):163-5.
Yang FC, Zhang Y, Rheinstädter MC.The structure of people’s hair.PeerJ. 2014;2:e619. doi:10.7717/peerj.619
Roldan-Kalil J, Zueva L, Alves J, Tsytsarev V, Sanabria P, Inyushin M.Amount of melanin granules in human hair defines the absorption and conversion to heat of light energy in the visible spectrum.Photochem Photobiol. 2023;99(4):1092-1096. doi:10.1111/php.13744
Lee WS.Photoaggravation of hair aging.Int J Trichology. 2009;1(2):94-9. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.58551
American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD).How to select a sunscreen.
Limoneira.Lightening your hair with lemon juice.
Wimpole Clinic.Is salt water good for your hair?
Utopia.How to naturally lighten hair: tips and tricks.
Associated Hair Professionals.When clients use lightening sprays.
Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.Best ways to protect our hair from sun damage.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
