Student Salon State Board Practice Exam

During hair lightening, the primary chemical reaction that occurs is oxidation. This process involves the removal of color from the hair strands, which is achieved by breaking down the natural melanin pigments present in the hair.

Oxidation in this context is facilitated by the use of hydrogen peroxide or other oxidizing agents, which interact with the hair's pigments. In this reaction, the oxidizing agent donates oxygen or removes electrons from the melanin, leading to a lighter color. This transformation effectively alters the hair's structure, as it weakens the bonds holding the pigment in the hair shaft, hence resulting in a change in color.

The other options do not apply to hair lightening as they describe different chemical processes. For instance, reduction refers to the gain of electrons or a decrease in oxidation state, which is not what happens in hair lightening. Neutralization involves an acid reacting with a base to form water and a salt, while evaporation pertains to the phase change of a liquid to a gas, which is unrelated to the chemical reactions involved in the hair lightening process.