The vivid, orange-red dye produced by the henna bush is safer and more permanent than regular hair dyes. Henna is the subject of many myths and misconceptions, however.
Used to dye women's hair for millennia, henna is making a comeback in health food stores and the shelves of Indian grocers. Unfortunately, the reputation of Lawsonia inermis has been tarnished by misinformation and imposters. The main henna myths are as follows:
Myth - Henna is Henna is Henna.
Check the ingredient list; if the packet contains anything other than Lawsonia inermis, you do not have pure henna! "Compound henna", a mixture of henna and other herbal or artificial ingredients, has been linked to unfortunate chemical reactions with dyed hair due to the presence of metallic salts. Real henna cannot cause green hair; compound henna can. The best-quality, purest henna for dyeing hair is body-art quality henna, usually sold for mehndi.
Myth - Henna Powder Comes in Different Colours.
Compound hennas are often sold as "Golden brown", "Copper", "Auburn", "Mahogany" and so on – a sure sign that they are not in fact true henna. Real henna comes in exactly one shade – a vivid orange-red. This does not mean it will produce identical results on different heads of hair, however; henna binds to the keratin of the hair and combines its colour with the existing hue. As a result, a platinum blonde using henna is likely to end up with flaming orange hair, whereas a dark brunette may only see a slight reddish tinge in full sunlight. For this reason, strand testing your hair before applying the henna is vital.
So-called "black henna" is not in fact henna at all, but either indigo or an artificial compound containing PPD (para-phenylenediamine). The latter is extremely dangerous and can cause hair loss, blistering and scarring, as well as being carcinogenic.
Myth - Henna Will Lighten Hair.
Henna can only darken hair, although the brightness of its orange tone may cause some optical 'highlighting", giving the impression of lighter or brighter hair. Henna also darkens as it oxidises, meaning that the original orange tone visible after the henna is rinsed off may fade over a few days to a deeper red or auburn. Repeated hennaing also darkens hair. For this reason, many people henna their hair repeatedly until it reaches the desired shade, and then only touch up the roots as needed.
Myth - Henna is Natural, So it Will Wash Out.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that henna, being a natural product, is "gentler" or "weaker" than regular hair dyes in terms of colour permanence! Henna is virtually impossible to strip from hair. Some success may be obtained by repeated oil treatments, honey treatments and/or dyeing or bleaching over the henna, but to fully rid one's hair of the colour is next to impossible. Many people find themselves in the position of having to grow their henna out, or cut it off, in order to get rid of it.
Myth - Henna Will Damage Hair.
Compound henna and PPD-based "black henna" have given the product a bad name; however, true henna is actually beneficial to hair, as it provides a protein treatment. People with moisture-loving hair may find they need to apply a moisture treatment after hennaing to counteract any brittle or dry feeling; people whose hair loves protein have been known to henna solely for its conditioning benefits.
The copyright of the article Henna Hair Colour Facts and Myths in Hair Care Products is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish Henna Hair Colour Facts and Myths in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Can you use a hair relaxer (straightner) on henna?
Jan 8, 2009 9:24 PM
Sarah Tennant :
We're talking about chemical relaxant? I couldn't find any info on this,
but in theory pure henna shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't use any
compound henna, as the unlisted ingredients might do goodness knows what!
(If you're talking about straightening your hair with a curling iron, I
would never recommend it - it's immensely damaging to hair. In fact, so is
chemical relaxant for different reasons - have you tried any natural ways
of straightening your hair, such as the oil and saran wrap method?)
Some people who use henna find it actually relaxes their curls a
little - not so good if you want ringlets, but great if you want to tame
wavy hair!
Jan 28, 2009 12:18 AM
Guest :
do you have any idea how henna would react to what is called 'virgin' hair?
my hair has never been dyed or chemically altered in any way. my hair is
dark brown with red and copper tints. i would like to know if you have any
idea how my hair would react if i used true henna mixed with coffee bean
and a little bit of indigo.
Jan 28, 2009 1:00 AM
Sarah Tennant :
Henna works just fine on virgin hair; I use it on my virgin hair which is
naturally light brown with a hint of copper, and it produces a dark auburn
tint. I strongly advise testing your final henna mix on some strands of
hair from your hairbrush in order to see what the final result would look
like - make sure you leave the mix on your head for the same time as you
left it on the sample strands, or you may end up with a stronger or weaker
colour. Coffee beans really don't permanently affect the final colour
(although they do make the henna smell nicer!); indigo does, but while I've
never used 'henndigo' myself I believe you have to henna first, and then
apply the indigo later in the process. Worth Googling just to make sure,
otherwise you could end up with black hair!
Good luck. :)
One more thing: leave the sample hair for a week or so to darken to its
final colour. Often henna looks very vivid and orange to begin with, but
don't worry; it'll darken and deepen as it oxidises. Re-hennaing over the
top will darken the colour as well, but be careful - it's much easier to
get henna into hair than out!
Jan 30, 2009 8:49 PM
Guest :
Hi, I used Lush Caca Rouge henna on my hair about and I was really
disappointed in the results. I've been coloring my hair a really intense
red for over a year now (Feria R68). Some kid at Lush talked me into
trying it, he said it would give me flaming red hair, and the sign posted
with the product also promised the same thing. The truth was it looks more
like an old copper penny.
I want my intense, fiery red hair
back. Question is, how to get my hair safe again for chemical colors,
specifically Feria? I really like the results I get from it and really do
not like the color I get from the henna.
I have been washing my
hair a lot and I frequently put lots of EV olive oil and baby oil in my
hair and leave it in for days. I read this may help. But I can't get any
definitive answers from anyone as to what will render my hair safe again.
I will NOT cut my hair, no way, that is not an option. I would
rather be dead than cut my hair off.
Thank you! :-) Dee Ann
Scott..
Feb 3, 2009 12:10 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Hi Dee Ann
Dyeing over natural henna should be 'safe' in that it
won't cause your hair to spontaneously combust or fall out. :) Because
henna tends to be a lot stronger than other dyes it can sometimes 'show
through' the final dye job; the only way to tell is to do a strand test.
Using olive oil to remove henna is usually very unsuccessful; once it's in
there, it's in there for good!
I wouldn't give up on henna just
yet. The quality of the henna you use is EXTREMELY important. Get hold of
some pure, unadulterated body art quality henna (the kind used for mendhi),
do a strand test, leave it for a week until the colour develops and see
what you think. If you don't like it, going back to regular dye should be
fine. But you might be surprised! I had the 'old copper penny' look going
on for a while, but when I started using BAQ henna my hair turned RED.
Remember too that repeatedly hennaing will eventually darken the colour, so
if you want a redder (less orange) red a few more tries might get you to
the colour you want. After that, just henna the roots to prevent it going
too dark.
Mar 1, 2009 11:55 AM
Guest :
hi i have permed my hair should i not die it with compuound henna? i assume it is coumpoud henna since i bought a reddish colored henna
Mar 1, 2009 10:46 PM
Sarah Tennant :
A site for 'Rainbow Henna', a brand of compound henna, suggests that you
wait 3-5 washes before hennaing to make sure all the chemicals from the
perm are out of your hair. Compound hennas often contain metallic salts
that can react with the chemicals used for perming. If your hair was
permed a while ago, it should be okay in theory, but do a strand test first
to make sure! Some people have also noticed that henna relaxes the curl in
their hair a little, so bear that in mind.
Better yet, throw out
the compound henna and buy some body art quality henna!
Mar 10, 2009 10:31 PM
Guest :
Can you use henna after dying your hair with commercial hair dyes for
years.
Mar 10, 2009 11:29 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Yes. With pure body art quality henna (not compound) henna, it shouldn't
be a problem. Remember that the finished colour will be affected by the
colour of your dyed hair, so always do a strand test first!
Mar 16, 2009 4:21 AM
Guest :
can you tell me some way...i mean some other natural products which can be
used with natural henna...to balcken the grey hairs...i meant some how to
get black color using henna....
Mar 16, 2009 7:43 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Yes! It's called 'hendigoing', and it involves first applying the henna
paste, leaving it on for a few hours and then adding a paste made of indigo
(another natural plant-based substance) on top for a shorter amount of
time. The resulting colour is dark, either jet black or (with careful
application) a much darker red-brown than henna usually goes.
I've never used hendigo, so I'm not too sure why the indigo needs to be
applied with henna. I know it isn't as permanent as henna, so might
require retouching more often than a regular henna job. It's worth
Googling, though, I've seen some beautiful results! Good luck. :)
Mar 27, 2009 9:31 AM
Guest :
I've been hennaing my hair for about 2 years with body art quality henna...
now it looks like my ends and the bottom of my hair are much darker than
the top and roots of my hair. I know this is because the more you use henna
the deeper the stain becomes... I've been only applying the dye to the
roots the last few times and not the ends... but the ends are still now a
very COOL red while the top is now still an orangey warmer red... how do I
fix this with henna?
Mar 27, 2009 5:41 PM
Guest :
hello! i recently used (what i believe now to be) compound henna, due
to the fact that after I used it, my hair gradually became brittle, weaker,
and now it falls out easier. I have also noticed that its volume has been
significantly reduced. I have long hair (almost elbow length) but I really
really don't want to cut it off. I have heard that the metallic salts in
the henna permanently bind to the hair -- I have also felt as if the henna
has "ate away" at my hair shaft (its much more brittle and weaker
now).
My question is, can the metallic salts in the henna
PERMANENTLY damage the roots? I'm so worried, I wish you could understand,
I don't know what to do! Will my hair get back to normal? (It was thick and
very healthy before)
...Or is this disaster permanent? Please help!!
PS: Is there anything I can do to remove the
salts from my hair???? :(
Apr 1, 2009 2:18 PM
Guest :
What color would the henna turn dark brown hair with honey blonde NATURAL
highlights?
Apr 2, 2009 2:19 AM
Sarah Tennant :
Mar 27, 2009 9:31 AM: This is a tricky one! You want to stain your
roots as deeply as possible so they match your ends. Some people henna two
days in a row, finding it makes the stain much darker (as opposed to
leaving two weeks between hennas). Otherwise, you can keep the henna
'active' on your head by making sure the paste stays wet - mist it with
lemon juice periodically and leave it on as long as possible. Adding
coffee to the mix makes the henna look darker too, according to some, but
it's pretty subtle. Definitely don't henna your ends any more - I only
touch up my roots now I've got my length the right colour.
Mar
27, 2009 5:41 PM: I'm sorry to hear that! I'm afraid this is outside my
area of expertise, but it wouldn't hurt to take a sample of the henna you
used to be analysed. To get your hair healthy again, biotin supplements
are very good.
Apr 1, 2009 2:18 PM: It's impossible to say
exactly, which is why doing a strand test is essential - use shed hair from
your hairbrush so you get 'samples' of hair from all over your head rather
than a single lock. Dark brown hair will turn some shade of deep
reddish-auburn; the darker the hair, the more subtle the henna effect.
Your blonde streaks will probably go quite a bright orangey, fiery red -
the lighter the hair, the more orange it looks. Repeated hennaings will
darken the colour of both your brown hair and blonde streaks, and of course
the henna will take a few days to darken to its final colour (so don't be
startled if your hair looks quite orange at first!).
Apr 2, 2009 1:30 PM
Guest :
I just purchased a bo of Uttam Herbal Henna...the "Main"
ingredients as it lists are henna, alma, and shikakai. These last two
ingredients are just as good for your hair, or so I have found on numerous
sites. However, I am concerned about the other ingredients that are not
listed, if there are any. It also does not say "Body Art
Quality". Does anyone know if infact this contains the PPD or any
other hurmful stuff? Am I asking for trouble?
Apr 2, 2009 1:41 PM
Sarah Tennant :
I've used the Uttam brand myself. Where I live it comes in two varieties -
for hair, which contains amla and shikakai, and for mehndi (body art),
which is pure henna.
I've used both. The mehdni (BAQ) stuff
gives a better colour; the hair stuff makes my hair feel nicer afterwards,
but doesn't give as strong a colour. For root touchups it's OK. You don't
need to worry about PPD unless you're buying something labelled 'black
henna'. As far as I know, the Uttam brand only contains the listed
ingredients; but as always, do a strand test first!
Apr 8, 2009 12:44 PM
Guest :
I have really dark brown hair more of black color i used henna once and it
only change some of my hair color how can i change it to make it the same
color
Apr 8, 2009 2:58 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Are you saying the henna didn't penetrate all your hair? A patchy result
may mean you made the henna mix too thick. A thin-yoghurt consistency is
good for coverage - really squish it into your hair, and enlist a friend to
check for any 'bald spots'.
If you've only hennaed once,
hennaing your whole head again should result in a pretty uniform result.
Good luck! :)
Apr 11, 2009 9:47 PM
Guest :
Dear Sarah,
I have been using rainbow henna for a while and
found that it makes my hair look healthier but doesen't do much for my
color or for those few greys here and there. i just bought some henna
called Necha RAchni Mehandi, it is meant for hands and feet but the man in
the store assured me it could be used on hair. The ingredients say henna
powder, does it sound safe to you?
Apr 11, 2009 11:41 PM
Sarah Tennant :
I know what you mean about Rainbow henna - it's a compound henna and not
great for colour. I'm not familiar with the brand you mention, but I
suspect it's fine - body-art quality henna does tend to be pure, and if the
ingredients are labelled the label tends to be true (I'm always wary of
unlabelled henna!). Do a strand test, though - I know I sound like a
broken record on this, but you never regret a strand test! If you've never
used non-Rainbow henna you might be surprised at the vividness of the
colour pure henna gives you, especially on greys.
May 9, 2009 8:39 AM
Guest :
para-phenylenediamine has not been officially recognised as a carcinogen by
the Environmental Protection Agency. and there is no direct correlation
between this chemical and cancer. this article scared me until I went and
did a little research! just wondering overall is compound henna
actually OK to use (besides all the chemicals) as it gets a lot of bad
press.
May 9, 2009 6:35 PM
Sarah Tennant :
http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/24/3/483 addresses the
carcinogenic properties (paragraph 4 of the 'Discussion'). I address a few
other health concerns related to PPD here:
http://tattoosbodyart.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_danger_of_black_henna.
Obviously, not everyone who uses PPD-containing hair dyes
suffers allergic reactions like the ones listed above; the products would
hardly continue to be sold if that were the case! However, given PPD's
mutagenic properties it's an ingredient I'd prefer to avoid.
I've used compound henna. As compound hennas aren't regulated it's
difficult to make a blanket statement about whether they're "OK"
or not; different brands will contain different proportions of henna to
other ingredients, herbal or chemical additives and so on. It should also
be noted that most compound hennas do not contain PPD. I found the compound
henna I used gave a very dull and lacklustre effect compared to pure henna;
but if a strand test works for you and you like the result, you can always
try it. I suspect most henna users prefer real henna for colour quality as
much as health.
May 11, 2009 8:38 AM
Guest :
Would natural henna turn my very light red hair into a shade of orange?
May 11, 2009 2:53 PM
Sarah Tennant :
It's extremely possible. Red hair is usually brightened considerably by
henna. Remember that henna can't lighten your hair, though: so while it may
appear brighter, it won't actually be lighter. As always, the best way is
to do a strand test to check how it'll turn out.
May 18, 2009 10:47 AM
Guest :
Hi, i have dark brown hair and i used black henna over it ,and i cant seem
to get rid of it ,is there any way that i can strip it off my hair? please
advice me ,ill take the risks
May 18, 2009 2:15 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Black henna isn't henna at all - it could be anything from a herbal
compound with indigo to PPD to regular hair dye. Without knowing which it
is, I wouldn't like to advise you. I recommend taking the empty packet, if
you still have it, to a good hairdresser and asking what to do. The good
news is, nothing's harder to get out of hair than henna, so your non-henna
will probably be easier to deal with! Good luck. :)
Jun 5, 2009 9:49 AM
Guest :
im interested in the indigo, cos i want to darken the colour of the henna,
i dont really want the orange colour. so is indigo easily obtainable? i was
wondering if u cud give me more information on it. thanks
Jun 7, 2009 2:11 PM
Guest :
Hi, I have coloured my hair with henna and now colour comesout all the
time when I wash them or aven it all over my cloth,or on my pillow. What can I do?
Jun 7, 2009 4:32 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Jun 7, 2009 2:11 PM: That's strange! Did you use body-art quality pure
henna? When I was using compound henna my hair used to "bleed"
into the water when I washed my hair for a few washes after each henna; I
didn't notice it leaving colour on clothes or sheets, though. Now I'm using
pure henna I no longer have that problem. Make sure you rinse the henna out
really well - until the water runs completely clear - then ruffle your hair
under the shower, turn your head from side to side and make sure the
water's still running clear.
A baking soda wash will probably
help you at this point:
http://hair-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_wash_hair_with_baking_soda
_and_vinegar If you find henna dries your hair, baking soda might further
dry it, so follow up with a good moisturising treatment.
Jun 5,
2009 9:49 AM: I've been meaning to look into indigo for a while. Give me a
few days and I'll post an article about it; I'll leave a link here in the
combox. :)
Jun 11, 2009 3:38 PM
Sarah Tennant :
I don't see why not, although I avoid hair straighteners because they're
very damaging to hair. Henna doesn't react badly to heat.
Jun 17, 2009 6:58 AM
xosummerx9 :
I have black hair and I used the Reshma Henna brand to add reddish
highlights and it didn’t work. I added lemon juice with tea, had it sit
overnight, and applied it to my hair for a day. When I washed it out, my
hair was still black. Am I supposed to be using a different brand or
preparing the henna differently?
Jun 17, 2009 9:53 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Henna cannot lighten hair. Check your hair in the sunlight - does it have a
reddish sheen? That's about as red as black hair can get, I'm afraid. If
your hair doesn't look any different at all, even in bright light, I'd try
another brand of henna - body art quality stuff.
Jul 6, 2009 9:03 AM
Guest :
How does a person know whether they have moisture or protein loving hair?
Jul 6, 2009 3:30 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Trial and error, pretty much. :) Try a protein treatment such as a yoghurt
soak, and see how your hair reacts; then try a moisture treatment such as a
honey soak and compare the two. Some people's hair is fine with both. Mine
prefers moisture to protein - protein makes it "crispy"-feeling
and unpleasant.
Jul 7, 2009 8:29 AM
Guest :
Can you tell me where I can buy or how to make these 2 soaks?
Jul 7, 2009 2:15 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Oh, sorry! They're dead easy: the yoghurt soak is yoghurt, and the honey
soak is honey. :) Just massage plain yoghurt into your scalp and coat your
hair with it, trying to get your hair as saturated as possible; then wrap a
plastic bag around your head and leave it for an hour or more. You can heat
the yoghurt gently if the weather's cold, to make it feel nicer on your
scalp; and you can add essential oils to the mix, but it's not
necessary.
For the honey soak, do the same thing, but with
honey! You might need to mix the honey with just a little water to make it
easier to spread (not too much or it'll be very runny).
If your
hair responds well to moisture *and* protein, you can combine the two and
do yoghurt-honey soaks every now and then. You can also add a teaspoon or
so of oil to the mix for a really deep conditioning treatment; or brown
sugar for a scrub. It's quite fun to play around with ingredients. :)
Jul 13, 2009 11:18 AM
Guest :
I used to henna my hair every month with body art quality henna, Jamilla
Brand. I no longer use henna and I now want my hair professionally
permanently high-lighted. It's been over a year since my last henna
application and I've been doing olive oil and mineral oil treatments to
remove the remaining henna. My hair is very long and healthy and I don't
want to cut it right now.
Is my hair considered safe for this
procedure without ill effects and can I use the foil method for the
application of highlights? Also, what other methods are advised to remove
henna from hair, especially after 1 year of the last application? Thanks!
KT
Jul 13, 2009 10:34 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Unfortunately, henna is difficult if not impossible to remove. Oil
treatments are the only thing I've heard of to get rid of it, and you've
done those... out of curiosity, did you have any success? I haven't heard
of it working very well for anyone else, I'm afraid!
Pure,
body-art quality henna is safe to dye over, in that it won't cause scary
chemical reactions; but hennaed hair sometimes "takes" dye
differently to virgin hair, so what looks blonde on your roots might look a
different colour on the hennaed hair. It'd be well worth doing a strand
test first to get an idea of the colours you'll get.
Jul 19, 2009 7:23 PM
Guest :
hi i dyded my hair with black henna that i bought from an indian shop so it
must of been from overseas. This was 6 monhts ago. Now i want to lighten my
hair. I went to a hairdresser who did a starnd test and she told me it
showed nothing and said there is nothing she can do. Now when i got home i
notice the strand she did is a coppery brown/red. Does that mean i can
strip the henna out?? She must of not noticed.
Jul 19, 2009 7:32 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Whatever the black henna was, it wasn't henna. It may have been indigo or
any number of synthetic compounds. Stripping colour from hair is usually
pretty damaging, but if you really want your hair lighter you should let
the hairdresser know about the strand changing colour. If the "black
henna" was a mix of henna and indigo the stripping process may have
gotten rid of the indigo, which is less colourfast than henna, and revealed
the henna red underneath. Good luck!
Jul 19, 2009 7:34 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Jun 5, 2009 9:49 AM: Sorry this is tardy, but I finally got that article on
indigo up:
http://haircare.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_henna_and_indigo_to_dye_hair
Aug 3, 2009 2:44 AM
Guest :
Hi, i had chemically coloured black hair for many years and decided to go
lighter and bleached my hair which started breaking etc, hairdresser tried
dying my hair with chemicals but came out very faded so she suggested henna
saying it was good fo the hair so i thought id use that to put some coulour
in my hair till it was healthy enough to dye with chemicals...no one
mentioned(not the hairdresser or the lovely people at lush) that u cant get
it out of your hair or dye over it now im left with a horrible shade of
brown that i hate but dont want to use more henna and scared to use a
chemical sfter reading these articals. HELP!
Aug 3, 2009 2:25 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Sorry to hear that! I'm pretty sure Lush makes compound henna; that and the
fact that you ended up with brown, not red hair makes me think it wasn't
real, pure henna. If you want redder tones that will darken your current
colour, pure body art quality henna should work - but, as you know only too
well, it's very permanent! So tread with caution and do a strand test. I'd
also contact Lush if I were you: maybe they can tell you what was in your
henna besides henna, and/or how to remove it.
Aug 11, 2009 1:50 AM
Guest :
hi there just wondering i have never dyed or highlighted etc... my hair so
i have never used chemicals in my hair before i have ginger well kinda
ginger and kinda strawberry-bloned hair colour. After looking at all the
things that chemicals can do to you I'm not sure i want to dye my hair. Is
this "henna" a natural safe way to dye your hair? and what colour
if i decide to dye my hair what colour should i dye it? thanks:)
Aug 21, 2009 7:59 PM
Guest :
hi all, this past winter, I dyed my hair a very dark brown twice. I
loved the colour, however, the harsh ingredients made my scalp very
sensitive, and I started losing hair. so I bought "rainbow henna"
from a local health food store, and it seemed to get me the results I
wanted. but now, I want to dye my hair an auburn hue, but I am unsure of
wether it would be healthier and more benificial for my hair to just keep
using the rainbow henna, but in a red shade, or the natural but permanent
red dye ("naturcolor" brand) carried at the same health food
store. I am having a hard time making up my mind, because I'm not pleased
with the things I've learned about compound hennas, such a rainbow,
containing questionable ingredients and salts, but I'm also skeptical about
the chemicals (even in minimal amounts, such as in a natural dye) in the
dye, and/or how they would react with my hair, or the compound henna that
is already in my hair. which one is the better option?
Aug 21, 2009 9:12 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Have you considered using pure body-art quality henna and indigo? They're
both natural and don't contain any dubious salts or chemicals, and with the
combination of the two you should be able to get the shade you want.
Aug 22, 2009 8:59 AM
Guest :
I have dark brown compound henna in my hair, but I want to try the pure
body-art quality henna on my hair. my only hesitation is that it's been
mentioned above that pure body art henna has a brilliant orange hue. I
beleive I've seen pure henna hair color that is more of a rich, bright red,
and this is more desirable for me, but is the red color I've seen not pure
henna?
Aug 22, 2009 9:58 PM
Guest :
Hello, I have been doing a lot of research on Henna for hair and I was
wondering if anyone can tell me if Godrej Kali Mehendi is "black
henna" or "indigo henna"? Is it natural or a chemical? I
am confused! I have used the Reshma Henna in my hair twice and it has
turned my grey's into a fiery red when the rest of my hair is black with a
tint of reddish in the sunlight(I'm not sure what's worse... white hair or
fire red). I like the tint of red from the Reshma Henna but I would like
my grey's to be black. Do you suggest I mix Reshma and Godrej Kali Mehendi
together or just use one? What other natural ways can I turn my grey's
black? Please HELP a girl out! ! !
Aug 23, 2009 4:12 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Aug 22, 2009 8:59 AM: The dye itself is orange-red; you can see this if a
splash of henna gets on the bench while you're hennaing! Depending in your
hair colour, however, it can show up as anything from bright orange to a
slight mahogany sheen. Think of it as a transluscent colour that adds a red
cast to your natural hair colour - as opposed to chemical hair dyes, which
tend to cover your natural colour with an opaque layer of colour. So
orange-red looks very different in combination with platinum blonde hair
than it does in combination with black hair.
In other words:
yes, it's possible to get red, not orange, with pure henna. Darker hair
will produce a darker result, as will repeated hennaings. The only way to
tell what colour you'll get is to do a strand test (follow the link in the
article). Make sure you leave it for a few days to oxidise, as it'll go
darker.
Using henna and indigo will give a darker result as
well.
Sep 19, 2009 7:10 AM
Guest :
i have been using henna hair dye from lush on my hair for about 3 years. A
mix of the cacca noir and cacca marron. i want to go blonde and im willing
to let the henna grow out but is there anything besides henna i can use to
darken my hair in the mean time?
Oct 31, 2009 9:39 AM
Guest :
My hair is black hair and I would like to maintain this. I have one or two
grays and I hate them!. :) Is henna a healthy and appropriate option for
my hair? I am African American with shoulder length hair that is very
healthy.
Nov 2, 2009 1:02 PM
Sarah Tennant :
Hmm. I know henna sometimes loosens curl on white women, so I'm not sure if
it would affect the texture of natural AA hair at all. It does cover greys,
but because it works with the natural hair colour (black, grey or white) it
won't give your hair a uniform appearance. You can probably expect subtle
maroon highlights on most of your hair, with the grey hairs appearing as
orange to red depending how dark the grey is. Repeated hennaings will
darken the greys, but it's pretty labour-intensive.
The other
option is using henndigo - henna plus indigo. That will dye your hair black
and completely cover the greys. There's a link to my henndigo article
hidden in the comments here... somewhere! I'd still recommend strand
testing to check hair texture, though. Well, I always recommend strand
testing. :p Strand testing is good!
Jan 16, 2008
