Utah Cosmetology and Barbering Practice Exam

The technique that involves lightening hair by removing pigment is bleaching. This process entails using chemicals that penetrate the hair shaft to dissolve melanin, the natural pigment found in hair. By doing so, it effectively lightens the hair to a desired level. Bleaching is often used when individuals want to achieve a lighter base before applying a vibrant color or when they simply want to go several shades lighter than their natural hair color.

Highlighting, while it does involve lightening, refers specifically to adding lighter strands to the hair rather than fully removing pigment. Lowlighting is the opposite of highlighting; it involves adding darker shades to create depth and dimension in the hair. Color depositing, on the other hand, is when a color is added to hair without removing existing pigment, usually to enhance or change the tone temporarily. It focuses on depositing color rather than lightening. Thus, bleaching is the most precise term for the technique that specifically removes pigment to achieve lightened hair.