Lemon juice highlights are a natural way to lighten your hair color. By applying lemon juice directly onto the hair (or diluted with water for a less striking effect) and then sitting in the sun, your hair will get lighter. It's less expensive than salons and you don't have to worry about artificial chemicals.

Lemon juice highlights are best for blondes or those with lighter-colored hair, but can work for those with darker hair too.

According to "Ladies' Home Journal," lemon juice is "great for natural blondes who just need to brighten up." Those with darker hair may need to undergo the lemon juice mixture and sun combination process several times before seeing any results. According to Beauty Fool, black hair can be highlighted but you may have to "do [the process] many times before you can see a difference."

Lemon juice can have a very drying effect on hair because of its acidic content. Since darker hair can require several lemon juice uses before you're satisfied with the color, you risk exposing your hair to more damage. A rinse with a moisture-rich conditioner, according to Sweet Cosmetics, is a good way to help battle dryness.

There are several natural alternatives to lightening hair in addition to lemon juice. Honey and cinnamon have lightening properties, as does chamomile. Different treatment ideas are available online if you do not want to use lemon juice.

Highlighting your hair with lemon juice is not an exact science. You cannot control the resulting color or where your highlights will fall. If you are particular, a visit to the salon for a professional highlighting session makes more sense.