I am thinking of henna in my hair

[epdeans]

I am thinking about using some henna in my hair. I have never dyed my hair in any way and was wondering others experiences with using henna.

How long does it last in hair, does it cover grays, do you use special shampoo to maintain color, any tips on the application of it?

Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth in NC

[Ammaarah]

I henna my hair every now and then. I'm a brunette and I never notice roots, but henna is permanent. It just mellows considerably after a few months.

I mix body art quality henna (I order it online, usually on eBay) with lemon juice, let it sit overnight, and pack it on my head for 3-4 hours, then rinse and use conditioner to help get it out. I might put in some leave-in conditioner too.

Henna is great for your hair, but beware of anything called "black henna" or any color henna besides the stuff that turns your hair reddish. Anything you find in a drugstore is probably not going to be pure henna either, and those cheap henna blends can react with hair products or dyes if you have used or use them in the future, so it pays to take a little time to read up and shop around.

I love henna and it's safe for almost everyone. No stench of chemicals, nothing to worry about except dyeing your hands (wear gloves!)


http://www.hennaforhair.com/ This website has tons of info and also pics of people who have used henna, info on gray coverage and different mixes, really cool stuff.

[demetria]

Originally Posted by epdeans

I am thinking about using some henna in my hair. I have never dyed my hair in any way and was wondering others experiences with using henna.

How long does it last in hair, does it cover grays, do you use special shampoo to maintain color, any tips on the application of it?

Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth in NC

Essentially henna is like applying mud.
I love using it and often just opt for a neutral, but I have used colors close to my natural color. It really works wonders and my hair feels gorgeous after and the color stays for quite a long time. I love the henna at www.attarherbs.com I used theirs for the first time at 12.
It is so nourishing. I have naturally honey blond/reddish hair, but hard water dulls it and the henna just brightens it for me.
Henna is so much fun.

[demetria]

Originally Posted by Ammaarah

I henna my hair every now and then. I'm a brunette and I never notice roots, but henna is permanent. It just mellows considerably after a few months.

I mix body art quality henna (I order it online, usually on eBay) with lemon juice, let it sit overnight, and pack it on my head for 3-4 hours, then rinse and use conditioner to help get it out. I might put in some leave-in conditioner too.

Henna is great for your hair, but beware of anything called "black henna" or any color henna besides the stuff that turns your hair reddish. Anything you find in a drugstore is probably not going to be pure henna either, and those cheap henna blends can react with hair products or dyes if you have used or use them in the future, so it pays to take a little time to read up and shop around.

I love henna and it's safe for almost everyone. No stench of chemicals, nothing to worry about except dyeing your hands (wear gloves!)


http://www.hennaforhair.com/ This website has tons of info and also pics of people who have used henna, info on gray coverage and different mixes, really cool stuff.

So true, on the black and colored hennas. Make sure it is just henna

[Ammaarah]

Originally Posted by demetria

Essentially henna is like applying mud.

It is JUST like mud! Feels nice on a hot day, especially.

My suggestion is that if you do henna, you put dinner in the crockpot or order in so you don't have to do much, you rent a movie or get a good book and have someone watch the little creatures if you like, and really make a relaxing experience out of it. Paint your nails or give yourself a mani, or even take a nap (use an old pillowcase and make sure your head is wrapped up nicely with some saran wrap or a shower cap and an old towel.) I mean, there's nothing wrong with slapping on the henna and going about your business, but it can be such a relaxing pampering experience and I say go for it if you can! This has been "Remembering Your Spirit" with Ammaarah.

[lakeruby]

I have only used henna once, when I was in my teens, but I am thinking about doing it again. Rosemary Gladstar has a wonderful section on the merits of henna in her book The Family Herbal.

[JamieCatheryn]

I've done it 3 times, with storebought henna hair dye mixes for a reddish light brown on my light brown. I'm considering going lighter with chamomile and neutral henna.

[zinemama]

It all depends on what color your hair is. I used to do henna when I lived in Morocco. We'd mix it with lemon juice and sometimes a little olive oil. I love the smell of it, kind of a grassy, plant scent.

My hair is dark blond, so I'd leave it on just a short time, 15 minutes or even less, to get a slight reddish highlight effect. Folks with light hair have to watch out. Too long and you've got the Orphan Annie look. But if your hair is dark, you can get the most gorgeous, subtle red highlights.

[Theia]

I love henna too. I usually add a couple of tablespoons of ACV to it to help it hold onto the greys. It's like a recipe, EVOO, ACV, crushed rosemary, hot water. I have medium brown hair and left it on for an hour last time, it's now like a burgundy, but not really bright or dark, it's still subtle enough to pass for natural color. And the way it looks in the sunlight is amazing! I'll upload a picture of my henna'd hair on my profile if you wanna see.

It usually lasts about 4 weeks or so before I start to see my greys again, and the great thing is, that you don't really have a defined root line like with chemical dyes. At least not in my experience.

A good henna will also be a very fine powder without sticks and other large plant pieces in it. And as others said, beware the "black henna". You want 100% pure henna, nothing added. Be sure that when you rinse, you rinse a really long time. A really long time. The olive oil does help to make rinsing easier, but it's still gonna take a lot to get that stuff out.

I put plastic wrap on my head and wear either a black stocking cap over that or an old towel because the heat is important in getting the color to release from the plant and attach to your hair.

Anyway, go for it. It's super good for your hair, and you don't have to worry about roots or yucky chemicals. And it's much less expensive than a salon visit. What's not to like?

[shanniesue2]

I love hennaing my hair. So far I have only been brave enough to leave it on for 1 1/2 hours... my natural color is what I refer to as hair colored hair. Too dark to be blonde to light to be brown...pretty mousy really. And with henna, I get a nice rich color when I'm indoors and awesome coppery highlights in the sun. I have so many people tell me they can't believe I'm not a natural redhead (I got that comment the other day and the last time I henna-ed was last fall sometime... if that gives you any idea about how long the color lasts).

when I henna I usually do 1/2 henna 1/2 cassia obovata... then I mix (on a Friday night) in enough orange juice (lemon juice dries my hair out) to make it the consistency of mashed potatoes. I let that sit covered and at room temp overnight. Then on saturday morning I add more orange juice and some honey and some lavendar eo until its the consistency of yogurt. The acid in the OJ helps the henna release it's color... the honey makes it easier to rinse out of your hair... and the eos just smell nice (henna has a very earthy kind of musty smell... much better than chemicals, but I like to add a little more scent to it... that's just my preference). Anyway, put on a ratty shirt and some good quality surgical style gloves, slap the yogurty henna on my hair in sections starting at the base of my neck and working my way to my hairline. Then I wrap my head in saran wrap and let it sit. The redder you want to go, the longer you sit.

Then for rinsing... the easiest way I have found to do it is to use LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of conditioner. I will squirt probably 1/3 -1/4 of the bottle on my head, work that in and then rinse... and then repeat. Do the conditioner wash twice... and then rinse until the water runs clear... and then rinse some more. I just get in the shower to do this... much easier clean up.

The color is usually pretty bright at first, but darkens over the next 48 hours as the henna oxidizes. This is one reason I do it on Saturday... I haven't wanted anything too drastic when I go back to work on Monday. Plus, henna-ing is kind of a big process and I like to have the time available to relax.