I have dark dark brown, almost black hair. I originally went to the salon to get it brown after having a blonde color disaster, and they chose a much darker brown than I wanted, and it turned out almost black. I absolutely hate it because I got a really short haircut and I have pale skin, and I don't feel pretty at all with this color. I just want to lighten it to a medium or light brown. I read somewhere that using dish soap and deep conditioner will help your hair lighten. Is that true? And if not, could I just buy lighter hair dyes until I got to the shade I want?

It will lighten it up... but in weight, not shade. It will strip the natural oils and it will break and split like crazy.

Don't put dish soap in your hair. Usually things that lighten your hair are just really damaging to your hair. As already said, it takes away all the oils, which dries out the hair, and overall just damages it. Just consult your hairdresser. And don't believe stuff on the internet, half the time it will work depending on your situation, but it will seriously damage your hair. What is your age range? At about 20 years old, your hair actually begins dying, and it's important to take care of it. From dying your hair originally you should try repairing it, try using Moroccan argon oil, and hair repair treatments. Find a different hair dresser, but don't screw up your hair yourself.

When my hair color turns out too dark I use dandruff shampoo mixed with baking soda! I just put the shampoo in a bowl and put the baking soda in until it turns to almost a paste. Put it on my hair and cover it with a cap; then leave it on there for about 5 minutes. Be careful though it will really lighten it up, oh and it kind of tingles. Almost a bubbly feeling on your head, but it doesn't hurt

[QUOTE=lJ.;2537969]Don't put dish soap in your hair. Usually things that lighten your hair are just really damaging to your hair. As already said, it takes away all the oils, which dries out the hair, and overall just damages it. Just consult your hairdresser. And don't believe stuff on the internet, half the time it will work depending on your situation, but it will seriously damage your hair. What is your age range? At about 20 years old, your hair actually begins dying, and it's important to take care of it. From dying your hair originally you should try repairing it, try using Moroccan argon oil, and hair repair treatments. Find a different hair dresser.

Has anyone else tried the baking soda and shampoo trick?

Hmmm best thing is to use lemon it naturally lightens and is good for your hair to just make a juice and leave it on overnight for a week then your hair will have lightened up to 2 shades
And the soap thingy it doesn't make your hair lighter if you really want to use soap for the celebrity rough look without damaging it with 40 products which last a day then best thing to use is a normal mild facial soap it makes your hair very puffy this is really good for people who have dead straight hair as me I use this technique and so do all of my friends if your scalp is dry then just use shampoo on the roots and soap on the end of your hair say up to 5 inches at the bottom it will give the same effect x

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Originally Posted by graylady

Has anyone else tried the baking soda and shampoo trick?

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I guess it does but I don't think baking soda on the roots is a good idea as it is a harsh agent on the skin just use it at the tips like half of the bottom of your hair?

A few corrections to be made here.
First of all, your hair is not alive - besides your root regions there are absolutely no nerve tissues within a strand of hair. So it is impossible to 'kill it'. The strand is made up of insoluble protein called keratin.
Also, Baking soda by itself is not toxic to your skin. It is actually used as a buffering component in your blood and gut (in the form bicarbonate).
Furthermore, I found myself in a similar situation and my friend, who happens to be a hair dresser of quite some time, advised this method.

HOWEVER,
This method will remove all oils (as that is the purpose of a detergent), so condition the hell out of it.
And I would not advise mixing the soda with anything but water as shampoos may contain some sort of component which might react with the bicarbonate- you probably don't want this happening on your head.

Good luck!

You did look at the date of the thread? The original post was sept of 2010. Almost three years ago. And they never posted a second time.

I want to make my hair lighter but I know bleaching it will ruin it like mad, and I've heard that if you mix washing up liquid and shampoo and some vitamin C tablets crunched up into power! And I'm wondering if it is safe for you hair?

No... plain and simple.

Vitamin C is an acid...bad for the hair as is dish soap which is just too hard and aggressive and the very wrong PH..

Wow, I have never heard of this technique to lighten hair before.
It sounds rather harsh to me. I know there are products on store shelves
to lighten up the hair, when I was in high school used a product called Sun In.