I Gave My Hair the Lemon Treatment and Here’s How It Went

I’ve tried a lot of hair hacks – including the benefits of a mayonnaise mask – and one I’ll recommend every time is using lemon juice to get rid of dandruff…at least in the interim. 

Dandruff is one of those pesky skin conditions that’s genetic. Did I stand a chance of not inheriting it? Not really. The thing is, though, shampoos designed to treat dandruff (ahem, Head & Shoulders) eventually wound up leaving my hair dry, thin, and lackluster. 

Sick of always trying to reintroduce life back into my hair, I finally decided to give lemon juice a try. Here’s what happened when I gave my hair the lemon treatment:

How Does Lemon Juice Reduce Dandruff? 

But first – why lemons? What do lemons have that other fruits, let’s say oranges or grapefruits, not have? The answer is nothing; In fact, all three fruit juices aren’t just safe to use on your hair but can reduce dandruff, too. As for why I chose lemons, they just happened to be the first hair hack I wanted to try. 

But trust me, oranges and grapefruit are next on my hair hack bucket list. Back to the main question though: how does lemon juice reduce dandruff? That answer stems from an ingredient the lemon has called Citric Acid. What this does is balance your scalp’s pH level in such a way that it reduces both dandruff and dry scalp. Many shampoos on the market use citrus fruit for this exact reason.

Not only this, but lemon juice also has both vitamin B and C. Vitamin B is great for treating many skin conditions, especially those on the scalp, including seborrheic dermatitis, which is a leading cause of dandruff.

Likewise, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that repairs damaged skin cells, strengthens hair follicles, and helps with the production of collagen. Collagen improves your overall scalp health and reduces dryness and inflammation, which means you’re better protected against dandruff.

How to Apply Lemon Juice to Your Hair to Treat Dandruff

There are several ways that lemon juice can be used in your hair to treat dandruff. A lot of these usually require the lemon juice to be combined with other ingredients. Doing so yields even more benefits! A lot of these require using ingredients like coconut oil, tea, or water. Coconut oil, for example, can help get rid of dead skin cells. 

However, if you’re looking for an even more direct approach, using just lemon juice as a pre-shampoo treatment instead of using it in place of your shampoo or conditioner is probably going to produce some of the best results. Simply leave it in for a few minutes to let it work its way through your hair and then rinse it out before starting your shampoo.

How Often Should You Apply Lemon Juice to Your Hair?

The great part about using lemon juice is that you can use this every time you wash your hair without any issue. Since it’s all-natural, you don’t have to worry about limiting how much you use it. That being said, I would use it sparingly if your hair is naturally oily.

Are There Any Side Effects?

There can be side effects to applying lemon juice directly to your head. If you experience any burning, stinging, dryness, redness, or if your dandruff gets worse, stop using lemon juice immediately. 

Remember, everybody’s hair and tolerance are different.

Is It Worth Adding Lemon Juice to Your Hair?

As for my final thoughts on the use of lemon juice in the fight against dandruff, let’s circle back to something I mentioned earlier. That’s in the interim. 

Growing up, my mom always told me that hair can get used to shampoo. Recent studies have disproved that claim. In fact, according to Cynthia Alvarez, a celebrity hairstylist for Dove, “If your shampoo stops giving you the results you want, the condition and needs of your hair have most likely changed.”

Simply put: our hair is constantly changing. Whether this is due to a new climate, hormones, pregnancy, poor diet, medication, or the natural aging process, your shampoo isn’t really to blame.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth taking a break from. It’s during these breaks when you’re shopping around for your next brand that I recommend splashing some lemon juice in your hair. 

Though the shampoo may not be to blame, I still need to figure out what’s causing my hair to be so dry or frizzy while also treating and getting relief from the dandruff. On this front, I recommended spraying your hair once or twice a week to secure some relief. Best of all, your hair will smell ah-mazing! 

Have you used this hair hack? Would you?