Does black henna cover your gray? Should I just go to a salon?

[mommyshoppinghabit]

I'm not really a DIY person. I still have mostly my natural color which is black but the hair in front of my ears and on top where I part my hair is starting to go white. Only three or four on top and a handful around my ears, but still enough to bother me. I've tried light brown henna since I have black hair with chestnut highlights and though it gave me more nice highlights on top of my black hair, it did nothing to cover the grays. I added the apple cider vinegar and mixed it w/black tea before applying like the directions said for covering grays, and tried one of those heat caps. I'm used to going to a salon so between the application, clean-up, and wait time, I'd almost rather go to the salon, were it not for trying to avoid the dreaded potential carcinogens in both permanent and semi-permanent color. So my last ditch attempt will be the black henna. But not sure it's worth the effort. Last go around, the light brown stuff almost looked like it slipped right off of each gray hair.

[jenP]

Yes, you can get black hair with natural dyes, but you have to do it in two steps. The "black henna" you see at stores is actually a mixture of henna and indigo. Henna actually only comes in red. All the other "colors" of henna are blends with things like indigo, cassia, and buxus. Blends work fine for varying shades of auburn and brown, but to get black you have to first put on the red henna, THEN apply the indigo. Go to "hennaforhair.com" for more detailed instructions and good quality products. I have been using their henna to make my hair red for several months now and I am sooooo much more pleased with the results compared to the stuff I used to buy at the natural foods store.
Good on you for wanting to go the natural route!! It can be a little more trouble, but I enjoy knowing I am doing something healthier for myself and the earth AND I really like the results better than when I used to use chemical hair dye.

Jen

P.S. Also, the henna works better if you cure it in lemon juice overnight then add just enough water to thin to the right consistency. That alone can make the difference between just getting highlights and actually getting gray coverage. I got that tip from hennaforhair.com too!

[mommyshoppinghabit]

After I wrote the first post, I stumbled on hennaforhair and spent an hour on the site! Is anyone here doing the 2-step henna/indigo or mixing the henna and indigo together in one step? Seems very time consuming