Experts warn against TikTok’s lemon juice hair lightening trend

This summer, a lemon juice hair lightening hack has been going viral on TikTok. However, beauty experts are now warning people against the trend.

In a viral TikTok video with a staggering 67 million views, content creator iamluckey shared a hack for achieving blonde hair this summer without visiting a salon.

The clip, which was posted in July 2024, shows him sitting in the sun and applying fresh lemon juice to his hair. So far, it has received almost two million likes and thousands of comments.

While some viewers said they were excited to try it out, others expressed concerns about the trend. “Don’t do this. You will get a bad rash on your skin from the juices and the sun,” one person wrote. “Hm yes, free hair damage,” another said. “3rd degree scalp burns yay,” a third added.

However, there are already over 72 million posts on TikTok for ‘lemon juice in hair dye,’ prompting experts to issue warnings against the popular hair hack.

Sheeva Fallahi, Beauty Editor at premium beauty retailer LOOKFANTASTIC, has weighed in on the hack, explaining why applying acidic lemon juice to your hair is harmful.

“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 fibers,” Sheeva said.

“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 of using lemon juice, Sheeva recommended opting for hydrating and nourishing haircare products with ingredients like “keratin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, that work to strengthen strands and protect against breakage.”

This is just the latest TikTok craze being warned against by experts, after a doctor spoke out against the viral Sink Drinks trend.