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What is the function of a hair lightener?

  1. To enhance shine

  2. To strip color from the hair

  3. To curl the hair

  4. To strengthen hair strands

The correct answer is: To strip color from the hair

A hair lightener is specifically designed to alter the natural pigment of the hair, making it lighter. The primary function of a hair lightener involves the application of chemicals that break down the natural melanin pigment in the hair shaft. This process effectively lifts the color, allowing for lighter shades to be achieved, hence the term "lightener." In this context, stripping color from the hair refers to the ability of the lightener to remove or diminish the existing color pigment, making way for a lighter appearance. This is essential for various hair coloring techniques, where lighter bases are desired for coloring or highlighting. The other choices do not accurately describe the function of a hair lightener. While enhancing shine involves products formulated specifically for that purpose, curling hair requires styling products or tools such as curling irons, not lighteners. Similarly, strengthening hair strands involves treatments focused on repairing and reinforcing the hair structure, which is outside the role of a lightening agent. Thus, the function of a hair lightener is clearly to strip or lighten color from the hair.