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So, you're already a blonde highlighted honey, but you want to brighten your highlights more. Whether it's been some time since your last color, or you just want to be brighter and lighter, you don't even have to go spend your hard-earned cash at the salon. Sure, you may miss out on the day's gossip, but you'll be keeping your money in your wallet.
Hair Color
1.
Prepare the hair color according to the instructions; for highlights this usually just involves mixing up an applicator and color creme together -- or it may come premixed -- and pouring the mix into an applicator tube. Get set up where you have a comfortable place to sit, a mirror, sink, and most importantly, where it's OK if things get a little messy.
2.
Pull out one of your highlights -- working from the back of your head to the front is usually easiest -- and place a foil strip underneath the length of this hair. There should be foil strips included in your hair highlighting kit, otherwise you can get them separately. Hold one hand underneath the foil strip to keep it sturdy; the hair should lie flat over the foil.
3.
Squeeze a bit of dye out onto this hair and rub it in with your fingers to make sure all of the hair is saturated with dye. Fold the foil strip in half lengthwise, fold the sides over a bit to keep the hair from falling out, and then fold the strip in half lengthwise again. The foil strips help by keeping the colored hair separate and keeping the dye from bleeding onto the rest of your hair.
4.
Continue adding dye to the rest of your highlights in the same manner, using a new foil strip for each piece. It can be a bit tricky for the first few strips, but once you do it a few times, you'll get the hang of it and fly through it like a pro.
5.
Leave the dye on your hair for the recommended amount of time, then remove the foil strips and rinse out your hair. Keep in mind that because your hair is already highlighted blonde, you don't need to leave the dye on for that long. To brighten already highlighted pieces it should only take between 10 and 15 minutes; refer to the instructions to be exact.
Lemon Juice
1.
Cut two lemons in half and squeeze the juice from all four sections into a bowl. Don't worry, you only need a couple of lemons, so you'll still have some left over for your green tea later.
2.
Add in 1 quart of water and stir the mixture around with a spoon until it's well blended. Smells lovely, no? A lemon juice and water mixture is a natural and chemical-free way to brighten hair.
3.
Pull out a single highlighted piece of hair from the back of your head and place a foil strip underneath of it. Apply some of the lemon juice mixture onto the hair using your hand -- a spoon or applicator tube also work well -- and rub the juice into the hair until it's saturated. Now you can remove the foil strip. Unlike dye, which can bleed onto the rest of your hair, with a natural lemon juice mixture you don't have to worry so much.
4.
Using the same foil strip or a new piece, add lemon juice mixture to another highlighted piece of hair the same way. Continue this way for the rest of the highlights in your hair.
5.
Head outside into the sun and let the UV rays of the sun work their magic to naturally brighten your highlighted hair. All of the pieces you applied lemon juice mixture to will react to the sun's UV rays and lighten; stay out in the sun for at least 20 minutes for noticeable results.
Things You'll Need
1.Hair highlighting kit
3.2 lemons
5.Bowl
2.Foil strips
4.1 quart water
6.Spoon
Tips & Tricks
If you brighten your highlights with hair color, use a deep conditioning treatment on your locks immediately after coloring, and a week after as well. This helps restore any moisture lost in your hair from coloring. Can we say gorgeous, lustrous, shiny hair?
If you find that the lemon juice and water mixture hair lightening method doesn't get your highlights as light as you want the first time, do it again. Just remember not to overdo it. Overexposure to UV rays can be just as damaging to your hair and scalp as hair color over time.
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