you forgot an entire category of responses, namely, for those who TRIED to lighten their hair with honey and had NO results.

This worries me because it seems like many people here believe that honey is some kind of natural hair bleach, which it isn't. The numerous claims that it is are anecdotal, with dubious photographic evidence, that, IMO, has not been tested in a controlled way.

I really like using honey on my hair; SMTs have gone a long way in restoring my damaged hair's softness and shine, though I have cut most of the damage and am still doing so. Honey is great for eczema/SD, calming and soothing itchy scalp or skin. It also gives wonderful shine, which I believe many people are mistaking for lightening.

However, in all my years of using honey on my hair and skin, I have NEVER found it to bleach my hair. I regularly use honey masks, and have some sun damage on my skin. I would love to have the negligable amount of peroxide supposedly present in diluted honey lighten my hair without damage, or fade the brown spots on my face...but this hasn't happened. Nor have SMTs on my BF's hair lightened his hair at all; he gets lighter streaks from the sun naturally, but honey seems to have no effect.

Furthermore, in a test in 2007 where I compared non-honey-soaked batches of my and BF's hair to hair left soaking in a diluted honey mixture for three days, there was no noticeable difference apart from shin; not on my color damaged hair and not on his virgin hair. After storage, the samples returned to the same lack of shine as the control samples.

I spent several weeks trying to wade through the honey information on this site, much of which is contradictory or confusing, and could not get a clear or coherent answer. Therefore, I, personally, dismiss the idea as not well thought out.

It is important when making claims about a product or substance to make sure that they are based on some kind of evidence other than circumstantial or anecdotal, IMO.

To answer your question, even though your poll doesn't provide for it; I tried honey hoping it would lighten my hair and did not have any results.

What I did see is fading of the color that was there, as well as extra shine from honey treatments, AND lighter hair after washing. The fade and the lighter color from washing happen without honey, therefore, I cannot assume that honey is responsible.

I hope this makes sense and helps explain my point of view; I know I am not the only one on this site who did not have lighter hair after using honey.