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.
