Experts warn against TikTok’s lemon juice hair lightening trend

This summer, a TikTok trend involving using lemon juice to lighten hair has gone viral. Despite its popularity, beauty experts are cautioning against the hack.

In a viral TikTok video that has amassed 67 million views, content creator iamluckey revealed a helpful tip for achieving blonde hair this summer without having to go to a salon.

The video, which was uploaded in July 2024, depicts him sitting under the sun and using freshly squeezed lemon juice on his hair. As of now, it has garnered nearly two million likes and thousands of comments.

Despite some viewers expressing their excitement to try it out, there were also those who raised concerns about the trend. One commenter warned, “Be careful, doing this can result in a rash on your skin from the combination of juices and sun exposure.”Another person chimed in, “Not worth the potential damage to your hair.”A third individual added, “I’ve heard of people getting third degree burns on their scalp from this, so be cautious.”

@iamluckey
I hope this works 🍋🍋#bleachinghair #lemons

♬ World Hold On (Children of the sky) – Bob Sinclar

Despite the growing popularity of using lemon juice in hair dye, experts are issuing warnings against this trend as there are already over 72 million posts on TikTok about it.

According to Sheeva Fallahi, Beauty Editor at LOOKFANTASTIC, a premium beauty retailer offering a variety of sun care products, applying acidic lemon juice to your hair can be damaging. She has shared her insights on the hack to explain the potential harm it can cause.

According to Sheeva, the lemon’s acidity can cause the hair cuticle to break down, making it easier for the sun’s UV rays to reach deeper layers and potentially harm both the skin and hair fibers.

Lemon juice can change the tone of your hair by reacting with the acidity and sun rays, but this may cause irritation or burning on the scalp.

Rather than utilizing lemon juice, Sheeva advised choosing haircare products that are hydrating and nourishing and contain ingredients such as “keratin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, which help to fortify hair and prevent damage.”

Experts are once again issuing warnings about the latest TikTok craze, following a doctor’s criticism of the viral Sink Drinks trend.