How Much Does the Sun Lighten Your Hair?

[Elistariel]

Naturally that is.

I normally stay indoors a lot, but a recent trip to the doc let me know I have a vitamin D deficiency, so I've been trying to spend more time outside. I still use sunblock (although spf 30, not 75 plus anymore).

I wore my hair in two braids and a Gibson tuck with rhinestone star clip. In trying to get a cell phone photo of it I noticed my hair looked reddish brown on the parts that had been exposed to the sun and dark brown on the under parts that had not been.

I'm not sure if it shows up all that great in this photo (it's really hard to get a photo of the back of my head with my phone.)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=4940&pictureid=129378

[kme81]

My hair gets a few shades lighter in the summer...I like my after summer color a lot better than my after winter color, but I am probably the one who notices the most! haha :)

My hair stays blonde no matter what...by late summer it almost looks like it has been lightly bleached in some spots!

[Ligeia_13]

Although I don't spend much time in the sun anymore, from what I remember as a child, the sun never really did anything to my hair.

[BlazingHeart]

It takes a fair amount of exposure to get much change. Being out in the sun most of the day all summer would give me distinct streaks of blond in my medium-chestnut hair, but it took months. In one day, you would really only get a change if you had something like lemon juice on your hair that reacts with the sun to change the color. Otherwise, all you're seeing is that your hair looks different under natural light, which is completely normal.

~Blaze

[skydancer7]

Quite a bit, pretty fast!

I have dark ash blonde/light brown. It is only the first week of spring and already my highlights are coming in. Love it!

[JellyBene]

For me I don't get any sun lightening but I use Hendigo to make my hair black. When I had my natural color I got significant sun lightening during summers that I spent a lot of time outdoors

[misspurdy06]

My hair gets white blonde in the sun.

[Anlbe]

If allowed to it will go from quite dark brown to mid brown with lots of gold highlights, but then it's not in great condition. So instead I short cut the process and highlight it then keep it out of the sun.

[SoulOfTheSea]

In the summer my hair lightens up considerably, so that in the months leading up the next summer, I have ombre hair. I really think depending on what your hair shade is and how long you are in the sun, the sun lightening will show more intensely or not. When I was a kid growing up on the beach, my hair was almost blonde.

[Hollyfire3]

It takes a fair amount of exposure to get much change. Being out in the sun most of the day all summer would give me distinct streaks of blond in my medium-chestnut hair, but it took months. In one day, you would really only get a change if you had something like lemon juice on your hair that reacts with the sun to change the color. Otherwise, all you're seeing is that your hair looks different under natural light, which is completely normal.

~Blaze


I agree, my meduim brown (natural color) highlights in the sun with constant and only constant exposure, my dyed (dark chestnut) brown hair NEVER lightens in the sun (although i don't really get constant exposure alot) but from what i have seen, this color does not fade noticeably (and i am a VERY observant person when it comes to sun lightening, i don't want it, i hate it and am paranoid about it...although i AM wondering if this color will highlight redish in the sun......summer here it come!):)

[ohhiitssteph]

My hair lightens a bit, no matter what color I have previously dyed it. I always get golden-ish highlights coming through that also somehow pick up on red tones... they're the weirdest color but they suit me, and my hair looks nice and natural and pretty.

[Dragon Faery]

It looks like it has lightened a bit to me. I like the color variation; it looks pretty.

Some people's hair goes lighter really fast in the sun, and others' doesn't seem to change much at all. It just varies from person to person. Mine gets a few highlights, but as soon as it gets from its natural dark brown color (people mistake it for black indoors) to a dark copper, it explodes with damage and splits and I have to cut the lighter bits off. :(

[beautifulending]

Well I used lemon juice and the sun last year to lighten my hair....it went from jet black(I had dyed it) to medium brown. I think it just depends from hair color to hair color how much it lightens.

[Carissamarie08]

My hair will get white blonde in the sun.

[blondecat]

In one Aussie summer, I can go from a winter blond ( medium dark) to almost platimum.

DD (24) is a dark strawberry Auburn ? And just this summer she stated to lighten up, mostly just on her temples. She hates it and so dyes her hair dark Purple auburn.

[Shesta]

The canopy of my hair lightens quite a lot in the sun and I'm not spending much time outdoors. It goes from dark brown to almost dark golden blonde with a tint of red. So I guess some people's hair is sun-bleached easier than others'.

Here are some photos from last summer:
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k577/shestabraid/braids%20and%20hair/IMG_4538.jpghttp://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k577/shestabraid/braids%20and%20hair/IMG_4687.jpg

ETA: I'm sorry it appears so huge..I did resize them :(

[whitedove]

When I was younger I spent the whole summer outside and my hair would go white blonde. Now I rarely go in the sun, so I just get a little lightening. Might try air drying outside in early morning sun instead of night time washes.

[Amber_Maiden]

If I am out ALL summer, my hair can go very close to a yellow white. It happened all the time when I was a kid and teenager. Now, I'm not outside as much, but it must lighten a bit.

[Nedertane]

It depends on how much time I spend in the sun. When I was little and spent more time outside, my hair would get to almost a level 8 color. Since I'm not outside as much now, I don't see that kind of change, but it still gets plenty lighter, though mostly on top (other people seem to notice it more than I do). I'm wondering if I'll see more highlighting since I've been using a homemade hair spray/leav-in/thing that has a little bit of honey in it, and if I can try to get the stuff on the bottom lighter...

[Signe]

My hair lightens so much! I have a very marked natural ombre look going on. Even one of my close friends the other week commented on how "you can tell you used to dye your hair" and I was like, um, no, it is all virgin and you know that...besides dye doesn't lighten your hair, silly!
I think it looks cool, but sometimes I wish everyone didn't think I bleached it because it took me so long to grow out my hair all virgin, and I love my natural colour so much now!

[auburntressed]

Before I started using henna, my hair would turn a pretty brilliant shade of red with coppery-golden highlights by the end of the summer. Really wish my hair could be that way all the time.

I don't know if it would happen now with the hennna coloring on top of it, but I likely won't find out any time soon. I haven't spent any lengthy amount of time in the sun since before I started using henna on account of working the night shift. And that is unlikely to change any time soon. The accompanying sunburns just aren't worth it.

Though I did love all the attention and comments the sun-bleached red used to get me.

[Desdesdes]

My son has very long hair. He lightens from a golden brown with red undertones to a pretty sun streaked blonde most summers.

[Miss Lucy]

My hairs are kind of translucent with golden sheen, and in sun the gold tones become slightly more obvious, and the overall shade of my hair becomes more reddish. No lightening really happens, however.

[MissCoco]

At least two shades higher; I go from dark brown/nearly black to a medium brown/chestnut color. Also, my reddish undertones become stronger. I think it's pretty neat that there are color variations through the seasons for our hair! :D

[Zindell]

I'm a natural blonde and it gets much lighter during the summer. (Thus I'm always a bit ombre because of the new hair that grows out).

Another weird thing is that my hair get strands that looks highlighted from top to bottom. I'm not sure if it's the sun or if it just grows out like that :confused:

[Eden75]

I go from dark brown (see profile pic) with lots of red undertone to auburn in the summer, even through dye if I have dyed it. I often will sit under an umbrella outside with just my hair in the sun and let it lighten. It will stay the lightened colour until January or so and then I wait until May to start all over again :)

[jojo]

My natural colour is a dark golden blonde/brown I get very light natural streaks from the sun, especially in the front section. Strange observation ive noticed, the parts which used to go very blonde in the sun are my first streaks to turn silver...connection? I wonder!

[EdG]

Sun lightens the hair a lot. I used to really enjoy the sun, and as a result I had a very pronounced gradient between the new hairs near my scalp and the many-years-old hairs near my ends.

I have since cut down on sun exposure. I suggest wearing a hat or hair covering if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors.
Ed

[Oksana]

My hair lightens in the sun. The front sections of hair go platinum blonde and the top layer lightens by a few stages. It happens very quickly if I have wet hair and it dries in the sun. Here are some pictures:

http://i42.tinypic.com/30ms308.jpghttp://i44.tinypic.com/1zmfu5s.jpghttp://i41.tinypic.com/ohchk.jpghttp://i41.tinypic.com/6hj75y.jpg

[Vanilla]

My hair also gets very light in the sun. I go from dark blonde to medium or light blonde depending on the amount of time I spend outdoors in the summer.

[einna]

Blonette here. My hair lightens quite a bit if I let it. I get a lot of gold streaks and some light blonde ones. I also get more reddish tones.

[auburntressed]

Wow, Oksana, your hair is gorgeous. I freaking love the color!

[JellyBene]

My hair lightens in the sun. The front sections of hair go platinum blonde and the top layer lightens by a few stages. It happens very quickly if I have wet hair and it dries in the sun. Here are some pictures:

http://i42.tinypic.com/30ms308.jpghttp://i44.tinypic.com/1zmfu5s.jpghttp://i41.tinypic.com/ohchk.jpghttp://i41.tinypic.com/6hj75y.jpg
Oh my goodness, that may be the most lovely color I have ever seen. Your hair is absulutely beautiful

[Oksana]

Wow, Oksana, your hair is gorgeous. I freaking love the color!


Oh my goodness, that may be the most lovely color I have ever seen. Your hair is absulutely beautiful

Thank you both :blossom:

[jacqueline101]

My hair used to lighten a lot but I spent a lot of time outside.

[LoveAngelBeauty]

black hair here, so stays basically the same :/

[blondie9912]

I feel like my hair is just a level or so too dark to be greatly affected by the sun, unfortunately. I get pronounced highlights on random top sections of my hair (towards the ends) and around my temples and hairline.

[LadyKate]

My hair is a light, slightly ashy blonde, if it's in the sun much at all, I get highlights that are platinum.

[blondecat]

Oskana, I love your colour.

I used to have that colour when I was a bit younger and I miss it terribly.

I'm a shade darker now.

( Ignore the colour in my avi, it's henna)

[Kelikea]

I am out in the sun for 30 min every week day for part of my job, and then a little more if I work on the garden or go to the park, or walk my dogs. I haven't noticed any lightening of my hair all year. The only time I notice it getting highlights is if I spend time at the pool. Maybe the reflection of the water makes a difference? And maybe because I would typically be out for a few hours, rather than minutes, when going to the pool.

[Piyo]

I feel like my hair is just a level or so too dark to be greatly affected by the sun, unfortunately. I get pronounced highlights on random top sections of my hair (towards the ends) and around my temples and hairline.

My brother has dark blonde hair, which almost looks light brown in winter, and when he does life guarding in the summer his whole head is platinum blonde. No one ever believes him when he says he didn't bleach it. I'm sure your hair would lighten, but it might take a lot of sun.


As for me, I have no idea. It probably does lighten, but I haven't had virgin hair for awhile and I don't spend much time in the sun.

[blondie9912]

My brother has dark blonde hair, which almost looks light brown in winter, and when he does life guarding in the summer his whole head is platinum blonde. No one ever believes him when he says he didn't bleach it. I'm sure your hair would lighten, but it might take a lot of sun.




Wow, that's really something! I just found out that I might be working outdoors this summer, so hopefully I get similar results. I'm a natural light brown haired gal with blonde ambitions, sigh. It's a tough life to live when you've given up on highlights :p

[Valfreyja]

My hair lightens quite a lot too, I don't even have to be in the sun that much for it to take effect. Naturally it's a light ash brown, but at the end of the summer it's a medium blonde with light streaks! I'm really curious to see what henna'd hair behaves like in the sun, especially since I want a light tan.

[Bedhead]

I end up with strategically placed strawberry blond streaks, and then my hairdresser asks if I got my hair streaked sometime between our appointments.

[Valfreyja]

Nobody used to belive that my streakes were natural, either. :D

[Shepherdess]

My honey blonde hair gets a lot lighter in the sunlight, I noticed that it seems to turn a orange or golden tinge slightly.

[akka naeda]

DD has medium brown hair, doesn't spend lots of time out in the sun and gets highlights easily.

My hair is slightly darker and has highlights, even the white hair has a yellow tinge to it because I'm outside most of the day in all weathers. I haven't found a hat which stays on over my hair when it's in a bun and which doesn't cause my head to overheat. Recommendations if any would be gratefully received!:)

[mzBANGBANG]

I can tell by my canopy. It usually gets white blonde while the hair underneath remains golden. I always liked comparing the two tones, it's so drastic.

[melusine963]

When I was younger I lived in a very sunny climate and my hair got quite dramatically lighter in the summers. Now the difference is less noticeable, although the ends of my hair that are quite a few years old are lighter than the roots.

[spicyblonette]

Mine is naturally light brown but gets strands of red and blond in the summer

[Shepherdess]

My honey blonde hair gets a lot lighter in the sunlight, I noticed that it seems to turn a orange or golden tinge slightly.

Since I posted this my hair color has darkened a bit more and is now more of a dark ashy blonde, which the sunlight will leave little gold tints in it, though they are not as noticeable.