Henna hair dying

[Prana]

Anyone ever use Henna to dye their hair? I'm just curious. Anybody have any before/after pics? Does it make your hair feel nice?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Henna is the oldest form of coloring hair...it's safe, and the results can be beautiful if done correctly.

However, there are some things you should be aware of being starting down that road...

1. Most stylist won't ever color over henna dyed hair. And forget about stripping it out. Henna is a stain, not a dye. Make sure you go in knowing this is EXACTLY what you want for the long haul unless you're willing to cut all your hair off or wait out the growth process.

2. Henna darkens over time. Many people who use it as their hair color will explain that reaching the desired shade can take multiple applications . Henna does not lighten hair only darkens it...and it is available in a variety of shades. Your first shot at it may leave your hair orangey and you may need to reapply to get what you want...but, I caution you, going overboard knowing that it will get darker can put you darker than you want and there is nothing you do.

3. Not all Henna is created equal. Make sure you do your research and find the best product you can. If possible, try to find a shop that does Henna (many Indian owned salons offer Henna coloring.)

4. Henna is rich in protein, so if you have moisture loving hair it may become brittle, or feel very dry to the touch. You can combat this over time with moisture rich treatments, I recommend if you need this finding a good professional line.

In the end, I guess I would question why you're leaning towards Henna over another method? Deciding what you can handle and what you'll live with is going to be your best bet!

Good luck!

 

[Lorelei]

Hi Prana,

I have used henna a lot to redden my hair, I also used to mix all sorts of things in with it to alter the result, red wine, beetroot juice...

It does condition the hair well and it does give a distinctive red, but it is horrible to use I found if you use natural henna powder. It is difficult to apply and it dries out on the hair, it flakes and makes a mess. Also it is very difficult to apply to any regrowth as it is so hard to work with. The hair also smells of it for a while after.

Unless you are set on using henna, I would consider a traditional colour or semi permanent colour, also your base colour can affect your henna result. If your hair is not very dark you will get a much brighter result with henna.

I would probably get a henna treatment done professionally rather than do it yourself, also be careful if you do it at home as the stuff is so messy and it stains!

 

[Echidna]

Where is Amethyste when we need her? I know she used to use henna...

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/henna-how-my-hair-loves-thee.146724/

 

[kelpie]

I have hennaed my hair at least 1-2 times a year for 15 years. I love the color it produces and how it never leaves roots as it grows out so I don't need to do it often. I use rainbow henna's persian red and mixed with some brown. You do not want to vary much from your own hair color and as Italia said it will not lighten your hair it only adds pigment. It's like my natural color but redder and richer. I usually use about 1.5 tubs and add lots of cinnamon for a pleasant fragrance. It can be difficult to rinse all the grit out, so combing with conditioner helps after the major cowpie-like goop is gone. It is a messy messy process so use your old or dark towels and apple vaseline to your hands, ears and hairline You must never use it on processed hair or the result while look fried but other wise it does leave hair feeling thicker and shinier.

ETA- Henna is not good at covering hair that has a lot of gray/white unless your base is really light blond and you are staying in the blonde range.

 

[Prana]

Henna is the oldest form of coloring hair...it's safe, and the results can be beautiful if done correctly.

However, there are some things you should be aware of being starting down that road...

1. Most stylist won't ever color over henna dyed hair. And forget about stripping it out. Henna is a stain, not a dye. Make sure you go in knowing this is EXACTLY what you want for the long haul unless you're willing to cut all your hair off or wait out the growth process.

2. Henna darkens over time. Many people who use it as their hair color will explain that reaching the desired shade can take multiple applications . Henna does not lighten hair only darkens it...and it is available in a variety of shades. Your first shot at it may leave your hair orangey and you may need to reapply to get what you want...but, I caution you, going overboard knowing that it will get darker can put you darker than you want and there is nothing you do.

3. Not all Henna is created equal. Make sure you do your research and find the best product you can. If possible, try to find a shop that does Henna (many Indian owned salons offer Henna coloring.)

4. Henna is rich in protein, so if you have moisture loving hair it may become brittle, or feel very dry to the touch. You can combat this over time with moisture rich treatments, I recommend if you need this finding a good professional line.

In the end, I guess I would question why you're leaning towards Henna over another method? Deciding what you can handle and what you'll live with is going to be your best bet!

Good luck!

Thanks for your post, Italia!
I was just more curious than anything. I don't color my hair, but I used to, and I found out about Henna and wondered if it was a better alternative than chemical dye.

Thanks for your expert analysis! I was hoping you'd chime in!

 

[Prana]

Hi Prana,

I have used henna a lot to redden my hair, I also used to mix all sorts of things in with it to alter the result, red wine, beetroot juice...

It does condition the hair well and it does give a distinctive red, but it is horrible to use I found if you use natural henna powder. It is difficult to apply and it dries out on the hair, it flakes and makes a mess. Also it is very difficult to apply to any regrowth as it is so hard to work with. The hair also smells of it for a while after.

Unless you are set on using henna, I would consider a traditional colour or semi permanent colour, also your base colour can affect your henna result. If your hair is not very dark you will get a much brighter result with henna.

I would probably get a henna treatment done professionally rather than do it yourself, also be careful if you do it at home as the stuff is so messy and it stains!

Thank you Lorelei! The redness is what sparked my interest. I have brown hair for the most part, but it looks auburn in certain lights, and I wish is was more red all the time. I used to dye my hair auburn/red, but haven't dyed it in several years. I read about Henna in the past, and was always curious about it. Seems like it's a tricky substance to work with though. I don't think I'll be trying it out any time soon.

 

[Prana]

I have hennaed my hair at least 1-2 times a year for 15 years. I love the color it produces and how it never leaves roots as it grows out so I don't need to do it often. I use rainbow henna's persian red and mixed with some brown. You do not want to vary much from your own hair color and as Italia said it will not lighten your hair it only adds pigment. It's like my natural color but redder and richer. I usually use about 1.5 tubs and add lots of cinnamon for a pleasant fragrance. It can be difficult to rinse all the grit out, so combing with conditioner helps after the major cowpie-like goop is gone. It is a messy messy process so use your old or dark towels and apple vaseline to your hands, ears and hairline You must never use it on processed hair or the result while look fried but other wise it does leave hair feeling thicker and shinier.

ETA- Henna is not good at covering hair that has a lot of gray/white unless your base is really light blond and you are staying in the blonde range.

Thank you Kelpie! Sounds like you know what you're doing. Maybe I'll consider it once I start to go gray. The product you use, the Rainbow Henna- is that like a product, or a brand of Henna?

 

[Prana]

Where is Amethyste when we need her? I know she used to use henna...

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/henna-how-my-hair-loves-thee.146724/

Thanks for the link Echidna! I just looked at it... I love Amethyste and her hair color! I hope she finds this thread and shares her two cents. Thank you again!

 

[pixies]

If you don't frequently change your hair color, henna may be for you. I am a compulsive hair color switcher so I don't know what compelled me to do it. I wanted red hair but red dye fades so quickly. That was the best thing about henna, long lasting auburn hair color. I got compliments all the time on the color. The worst ----- getting rid of it!

I had to bleach my hair multiple times and it kept pulling orange. I gave up and bought red dye. It turned cherry cola brown with red roots, yuck. So, I admitted defeat and colored my hair black. Black is admittedly not a good color for my skin tone so I bought hair oops, stripped the black, bleached once more, and toned it with temporary blonde hair dye. Finally my hair looked nice/normal again. Henna produces a beautiful color but I hope you learn from my mistake(s). There will be many tears if you decide to change your hair color. If you are wanting a natural/low maintenance way to color your hair, then you may want to investigate it.

These pictures of me were ugly so I blacked out my face lol:

This is an after henna picture, but my hair was about the same color before. It might of been a smidge darker. I'm the smiley face

 

[HopeDream]

I love henna!!!

I hennaed my hair for a number of years and had great results.

The folks over at http://www.hennaforhair.com will take good care of you.

They are an off-shoot of http://www.hennapage.com/ These folks are to henna what PS is to diamonds.
Good science-based info and no BS.

The henna dye molecule is very small and acts like a wax to coat and seal the hair shaft - your hair will get much smoother and silkier, but it also seals off the hair shaft, making bleaching/dying it with chemical dyes very very hard to do.

My favorite henna for a rich red is Jamilla, but you can blend different kinds to get different shades. Make sure you use pure body-art quality henna powder or there could be other dyes/metalic salts added that change the way the henna will affect your hair/scalp.

Add ginger to your mix to reduce the "herbal" scent of natual henna if you don't like it.

 

[Rae~]

Definitely ONLY use pure body-art quality henna (BAQ henna)!! As HopeDream mentions, some products claiming to be "henna" have metallic salts in them, and if you try to change your hair colour after using that sort of "henna", your hair can basically have a chemical reaction and melt away/fall out.

Even pure BAQ henna can have a drying effect on certain hair types, so you really need to be aware of that and not necessarily be discouraged after just the first application. It can get better! Especially with a couple of oil treatments. You can also "ease into" henna by trying a henna gloss, where you mix a little henna with a heap of (non-silicone-containing) conditioner. I used to do this as I was trying to avoid any red dye, but I still got an auburn tinge from them.