The internet is always buzzing with strange hair hacks. One of them is using toothpaste to lighten your hair. There is no scientific logic behind this hack. However, many beauty vloggers are going wild over it and claiming it works. If you have been thinking of trying this, hold that thought for a while and read this article to find out the truth. Scroll down.
In This Article
Does Toothpaste Lighten Your Hair?
There is no definite answer to this. Toothpaste may (or may not) alter your hair color a bit, depending on the type and formula.
Many toothpaste brands claim to whiten your teeth as they contain hydrogen peroxide. This ingredient is also used as a hair lightening agent in bleaches and dyes (1). In salons, hair colorists use hydrogen peroxide solution to lighten or bleach the hair before coloring.
This is one reason why people put toothpaste on their hair strands to lighten or bleach them. Does that mean using any toothpaste with hydrogen peroxide can lighten the hair? Not necessarily.
First things first, toothpaste is not meant to be applied to the hair. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide required for teeth whitening is way too low than you need for bleaching. Hence, leaving toothpaste on your hair for long may slightly fade the hair color, but the results may not meet your expectations.
Moreover, it is not safe to apply toothpaste to the hair. Most toothpaste formulas contain baking soda and other antibacterial ingredients that may dry out the hair and cause breakage (2).
While applying toothpaste to the hair is messy, removing dry toothpaste from the hair is tough. In the next section, we discussed easy ways to remove toothpaste from your hair.
How To Remove Toothpaste From Your Hair
- Separate the hair section with dried toothpaste and clip it away from the rest of the hair.
- Use warm water to soften the dried toothpaste and comb the section gently with a wide-toothed comb to remove the product.
- Shampoo your hair. Leave it on for a few minutes to dissolve toothpaste residue.
- Wash off the shampoo and repeat 1-2 times if the hair feels sticky.
- Detangle your hair with a wide-toothed comb after washing.
The bottom line is that you should not use toothpaste to lighten your hair. Most toothpastes contain hydrogen peroxide, which is the lightening (oxidizing) agent in many hair dyes. But the amount of hydrogen peroxide in toothpastes is much lower than in hair dyes. Also, it is advised not to apply toothpaste to your hair as it contains many ingredients that can leave your hair and scalp dry and lead to breakage. If you want to lighten your hair, you can try bleaching kits, getting your hair lightened at a salon, or trying some natural lighteners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can toothpaste dye your hair blue?
No. Toothpaste cannot dye your hair blue.
Do toothpaste and baking soda lighten hair?
A few toothpaste formulas with hydrogen peroxide may lighten the hair a bit. However, baking soda does not lighten the hair.
Can toothpaste cause hair fall?
Some ingredients in the toothpaste formula may irritate the scalp (if applied) and cause inflammation and hair fall.
Key Takeaways
- Hydrogen peroxide is present in hair-lightening products and toothpaste for teeth whitening.
- However, there is no evidence to support the claims that toothpaste can act as a hair-lightening agent.
- Applying toothpaste to the hair may dry your strands due to baking soda and other ingredients.
- Shampooing your hair at least twice and detangling it with a wide-toothed comb can remove any applied toothpaste on the hair.
Sources
Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.
- Hydrogen Peroxide in Tooth Whitening Products
https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_022.pdf - No Sulfates, No Parabens, and the “No-Poo” Method: A New Patient Perspective on Common Shampoo Ingredients
https://cdn.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/Document/January-2018/CT101001022.PDF
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Ramona Sinha
Ramona is an editor at StyleCraze. Prior to that, she authored over 200 articles on skin and hair care. She… more
Tiffany Young
(Certified Trichology Practitioner)Tiffany Young is the CEO and founder of ThinHairThick. She is also a recognized expert in the hair and beauty… more
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