Henna Hair Colour Facts and Myths

Natural, Safe and Permanent – Henna as an Alternative to Hair Dye

Jan 16, 2008
Sarah Tennant

'Uttam' brand henna powder - Sarah Tennant

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.

Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...

Comments

Jan 8, 2009 5:07 AM

Guest :

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!

Nov 25, 2009 10:23 AM

Guest :

I hennad my hair about 2 years ago. I had beautiful blonde hair and I hennad it a dark brown, thinking it would wash out in 2 months or so and ofcourse it didn't. That summer it went a reddish brown, and then faded to a mousey brown colour. Since then my hair has been growing out a greyish brown colour and its only a bit blond in the front and its been nearly 2 years! It did go a bit blonder in the last summer but not nearly as much as it used to be. I'm really scared that I've some how messed up my hair colour. I've been blonde my whole life, and I really miss my blonde hair. My mom thinks I just need to spend a lot more time in the sun this summer and maybe put some lemmon juice in my hair while I'm in the sun. I'm really worried that I've messed up my hair, do you have any idea whats happened and what I can do to solve it?

Nov 25, 2009 4:48 PM

Sarah Tennant :

The compound henna you used doesn't sound like it was of very good quality - real henna doesn't fade to that extent. Whatever was in it, it couldn't have affected your new growth. I suspect your hair just darkened - most blondes go through this in their teens or twenties. It's more noticeable at the roots, as hair is usually darker at the roots anyway - the longer a hair's been on your head, the more chance it's had to get bleached by the sun.

Lemon juice may help to lighten it, but be aware it does damage hair to a limited extent (much less than peroxide, though); so give your hair lots of moisture. And remember that real henna can never lighten your hair, and even the "golden" shades of compound henna probably won't.

Nov 28, 2009 12:02 AM

Guest :

Sarah
I have virgin black hair, I want to try henna in my hair but don't want a bright red tint, will adding coffee bean or black tea give it more of a darker red tint? & Is there something natural that I can add to the henna to dye my hair more of a dark brown color. Just looking for slight tinting result.

Nov 28, 2009 2:46 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Henna cannot lighten hair, so it won't make black hair red or dark brown. What it can do is add a dark reddish sheen to black hair, which may show up fairly well in the sunlight but will likely be invisible, or close to it, in the shade. For the first few days post-henna, the sheen might have a fiery orange-red appearance, but it will darken as it oxidises. The only way to tell what the effect on your particular hair colour will be is to do a strand test:

http://haircare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_perform_a_strand_test_for _hair_dye

I haven't personally found that using coffee or tea as additives to my henna has changed the final colour noticeably; but some people swear by it, so it's worth experimenting. The most important factor in determining the final colour with pure henna is your natural hair colour. Since you have dark hair, you probably don't need to worry about toning down the red with additives - your hair colour will do that for you after oxidisation.

Jan 25, 2010 9:53 AM

jayjaan85 :

Hi. I'm in real bad position with my hair. I've close to 40% grey hair. I always used to used chemical dyes to color for more than a year. Now, when I started to loose hair and I thought seriously about natural products. I recently purchased light mountain Black color henna(though the henna was in green color!) I applied it twice and I never felt my greys were colored.Ive black hair! my greys were colored to little awkward orange or light red color but my black hairs has nice brown color. Now, at work people ask or keep looking at my grey hair which is turned to red. I'm not sure if you go back and use hair dye or retry with indigo.Please help me since I really can't make a decision and very concerned about my hair these days. If you suggest me to use indigo can I expect it to turn my grey hairs to black? Please help me out in this...

Jan 25, 2010 12:39 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Hi Jay

As I guess you've figured out by now, black henna isn't real henna: I'm not familiar with that brand, but it may have contained indigo. Using real, pure henna will cover your greys, but it will make them a rather vivid orange instead of matching them to the rest of your hair. Repeated hennaings would darken that to a darker red, but it would also darken the rest of your hair so you still wouldn't match! Indigo or henndigo might be your best (natural) bet for covering the greys. I know several women who colour silver/white hair to black with it. Be aware, though, that it might give your silvers a bluish sheen. That can be counteracted by henndigoing - the red of the henna cancels out the blue of the indigo. But definitely strand test first, as paler hair shows up mistints more readily.

Jan 27, 2010 4:37 AM

Guest :

Dear Sarah,
i have middle brown hair and I already tried what I think was compound hennathe result was okay, since I had virgin hair. Do you think I could try a mixture of cassia, amla and henna (25%, 25%, 50%)? I never read about amla here. What do you think about it?
Thanks

Jan 29, 2010 1:08 PM

Sarah Tennant :

As it happens, I've just bought a packet of pure amla for the first time! I'm very keen to use it - I'll do some research and should have an article up in a week or so. I know several people who routinely use the cassia/amla/henna mix with no problems - I believe it helps combat the initial dryness some people get following a henna treatment. So I'd say do a strand test, and then go for it!

Jan 30, 2010 9:17 AM

Guest :

^^ Hi there, I'm sixteen and have dyed my hair abunch in the past, leaving it dry, brittle, and tangly at the ends. When I dyed my hair I had always used normal commercial hair dye for the beauty store, but it would often fade. I have always seeked that luxe red color for my hair. The ends of my hair are blonde, and I have one blonde strand in my bangs. So, I have three basic questions: 1) Will true quality henna damage may hair more, or will I benefit from it? 2) Will the henna fade over time? 3) Will the henna leave my blonde strains bright red?

Thanks bunch, Janelle.

Jan 31, 2010 12:34 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Hi Janelle

1. Henna should not damage your hair, but it is a protein treatment so you might want to follow every hennaing with a moisture treatment. The combination should make your hair stronger and shinier.

2. Henna does fade to some extent over time, but slowly. For the purposes of taking the plunge, assume you will never be able to get rid of it! Good BAQ henna fades less than cheap henna. If it does fade, it's not a huge problem: just henna again over the top next time you touch up your roots! You can also do a henna gloss (henna mixed with conditioner -- see my article on the topic) to brighten it up every now and then.

3. If your blonde streaks are pale like platinum blonde, henna will almost certainly turn them flaming Bozo the Clown orange. :) The darker the hair, the darker the red will be. If you want to avoid the orange, either dye your blonde streaks to match the rest of your hair, use a henndigo mix on those streaks or henna the blonde hair many many times to deepen the colour. I like the variation naturally streaky hair give to henna - it makes it look more dimensional and less like a dye job - but blonde hair goes BRIGHT bright orange, so beware. And strand test, of course. :)

Feb 6, 2010 6:34 AM

Guest :

hi, i put henna in my hair more then a month ago. if i put normal chemical hair dye in my hair, would it damage it in anyway?

Feb 6, 2010 11:58 AM

Sarah Tennant :

If you used pure henna, adding chemical dye to the mix shouldn't fry it or turn it green or anything (no guarantees for compound hennas!). But you may find the dye doesn't take very well - henna often shows through chemical dyes, and even bleaching sometimes doesn't entirely get rid of the orange tones. Plus of course, a lot of chemical dyes are inherently damaging to your hair, particularly if you're trying to go lighter.

If it's darker hair you want along the brown-to-black range, trying using henna and indigo. If you do prefer to go with a chemical dye, PLEASE do a strand test. Wash the strand with shampoo and conditioner several times afterwards to see if the henna bleeds through the dye.

Feb 6, 2010 6:52 PM

Guest :

1. i have henna-ed my hair 3 times in the past four years. i have naturally brown, curly hair, and i REALLY want my hair to be red, like a noticeable red. what should i add to my henna mix to make it a brighter red?
2. last time i henna-ed my hair ( maybe 3 mos ago) i combed it out and only half of my hair came out wavy, the top half was still super curly. how can i make it so that all my hair will be wavy?

Feb 6, 2010 6:57 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Make sure your henna is body art quality pure henna: it gives a much more dramatic result than inferior henna. If your hair is light to medium brown, it should be showing up as a dramatic red: if it's dark brown you'll get more of a maroon sheen. Unfortunately, henna can't lighten hair, so it won't make dark brown hair Anne of Green Gables red no matter what you add to the mix.

Some people find henna relaxes their curl, but not usually to the point of making spiral curls turn into gentle waves. I can't think off-hand of a natural product that would help with that. You could try braiding your damp hair and leaving it until dry - it might set into braidwaves - but that'd be a temporary solution at best. I envy your curls, though!

Feb 7, 2010 2:52 PM

Guest :

you can HAVE my curls! they suck and are so hard to control .
the henna i used was body art quatily and straight from the arab store, if i added passion tea ( has a purple red hue), will that affect the color of the red henna?
and if i re did my henna every month, will the color of my hair get any redder?

Feb 7, 2010 3:38 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Hmm. If it was good-quality henna I'm stumped as to why it didn't give you a good colour. How dark is your hair? Did you leave the henna on your head for a good long time (two hours plus), and keep it moist and warm with a plastic bag and towel on you head? Are you sure the henna achieved dye release before you applied it? You didn't oil your hair before applying the henna (which could block dye absorption)? This is a mystery!

Re-hennaing every month will make your red more vivid, but also darker, so beware of that - otherwise you could end up veering into mahogany shades pretty quickly.

I haven't tried passion tea specifically, but in my experience *most* henna additives only affect the colour temporarily, if at all, and then wash out. Worth a try though. :) I know people who add coffee to their henna mix to darken it, and paprika or beet juice to fire up the red: but don't count on it lasting the whole time between hennas.

Feb 7, 2010 5:26 PM

Guest :

my hair is the colour of damp dirt in the sun with red hues, , but with some medium brown hues.
i left it in 2 hours and sat in the sun ( hair was covered in countless layers of plastic wrap)
i wasnt really happy with it, so i re did it cause i had a bunch left over and left it in overnight.

Feb 14, 2010 12:20 PM

Guest :

Henna is NOT safe for your hair.. it adds build up over time and WILL break the hair.

Feb 14, 2010 12:22 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Would you care to provide some sources to back up that statement?

Feb 16, 2010 6:25 AM

Guest :

I have strawberry blonde/auburn hair and want to make it redder as the roots grown since i was out in the summer sun are very dark, will henna make my hair go a very vibrant and unnatural red or will it look normal?
PS i have never dyed my hair before

Feb 16, 2010 12:57 PM

Sarah Tennant :

The only way to tell for sure is to do a strand test and see how it looks after oxidising. I think my henna (a darkish red) looks "unnatural" because I know what my natural hair colour looks like, but I'd had a lot of people either assume it's natural or ask whether it is. I think people in the know about henna tend to recognise it more readily, whereas people who are used to boxed dyes (ie. most people) tend to be fooled by the multi-tonality of henna and assume it must be real.

If your hair's already reddish your skin tone should be able to pull off the henna look pretty well. It all depends on how orange the initial henna turns out, and whether you're willing to do repeated hennaings to get a darker shade if required. I'd say it's worth a shot, but do strand test and don't freak out at the initial Bozo the Clown pre-oxidation colour!

Feb 26, 2010 9:30 AM

Guest :

Hi
Do you know any good henna hair colour brands and if i dye it with henna how long does it usually stay for. Will it damage my hair? can i straighten my hair with a hair straightner if i dye my hair with henna? My hair is already thin and i have hair loss so do you think if i dye my hair with henna it will affect my hair in a good way? What if i want to colour my hair with henna the second time but the colour i originally coloured it to is still there, so if i colour my hair the second time would it work?

Faria

Feb 26, 2010 11:53 AM

Sarah Tennant :

You'll find more complete answers to your questions by browsing through my many Suite101 henna articles. But briefly... henna won't damage your hair, though you may need a moisture treatment afterwards; it doesn't affect straightening or hair loss (other Indian herbs are good for hair loss though!); the colour is permanent, though some people find it fades a little after a long time; and dyeing it twice will deepen/darken the colour.

I live in New Zealand, so I'm not sure if the brand of henna I use (Uttam) is well-known worldwide. Any pure, body art quality henna with no additives should be OK, just make sure you do a strand test first! Luckily henna is cheap, so you could buy a few different kinds to compare if necessary.

Mar 4, 2010 1:23 AM

Guest :

That's a very clear overview, thanks so much! I have a question. My housemate noticed that I'm using shampoo with a henna extracts for my brown/reddish hair (chemically dyed). She claimed that I should be careful with using this, because Henna would fade the color faster. Is this true?

Mar 4, 2010 1:30 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Is the shampoo designed specifically for redheads? Having henna in shampoo *might* help keep red hair bright, although given that shampoo is usually put on and rinsed off in seconds, I doubt it would have much effect at all. So the henna extracts are probably for conditioning/protein-adding purposes, not for colouring. In which case, you don't have to worry.

If the henna were depositing colour it wouldn't "fade" the chemical dye per se, but henna coats the hair so it might cover it with a stronger henna red. I doubt a company would sell a shampoo that did that without specifically marketing it as a dye, though. So my guess is that your hair is perfectly safe!

Mar 14, 2010 9:20 AM

Guest :

hi

my mum and i just dyed my hair 'auburn' with henna. it has gone sliiightly redder than we thought, and i'm a bit worried about school tomorrow!! but what i wanted to ask is:
will straightening my hair (using the heat thingys) do something wierd to my hair? i know its not very good for it, but i use a really good conditioner and my hair has always been fine with straightners. but i dont want to straighten it tomorrow morning and have all my henna-dyed hair fall out!! also, its gone a kind of flame red, and it says on the pack it will gradually fade away. when it says gradually, how gradually does it mean?
thank you!!

Mar 14, 2010 12:38 PM

Sarah Tennant :

The flaming orange will fade away in a couple of days as the henna oxidises, and the colour will become darker and richer. If it's still not as dark as you'd like, do another henna treatment in a week or so. Straighteners shouldn't be a problem with pure henna.

Mar 15, 2010 6:19 AM

Guest :

thanks! got some..'mixed reviews'...at school today!! the flame red has already died down a bit.

Mar 19, 2010 7:31 AM

Guest :

Hi Sarah,greetings from Indonesia ^.^
I've bought hopefully a pure henna, as It's all written in arabic, let me show u the link to the pic:
http://agengrosir.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/007ee9 8b83d74960bd9396bcb6860410.jpg
Could you inform me somehow to identify/test if the henna is pure or compound? I read it in a glance somehow when I googling but I totally forgot. I've made a mix of it with lime juice and have been leaving it in plastic wrap before using it to have tested on pieces of my hair from my comb tomorrow. my hair is very dark brown / black with some greys, will see how it would look on the sample hair first before fully applying to my hair.thanks

Mar 20, 2010 6:06 PM

Guest :

This is a common mistake - Rainbow Henna - is not actually compound henna. It is sometimes a mixture of henna and indigo - but it clearly states that - and their red colors are pure henna.

They even claim that "Rainbow Henna has no additives, chemicals, or pesticides." _ Rainbow henna is PURE HENNA - not compound. It may not be the best quality - it doesnt come out super fire red - but it is safe to dye over commercially.

Mar 20, 2010 7:54 PM

Sarah Tennant :

The Rainbow Henna site lists the ingredients of various colours of their henna mixes. Some contain just cassia and indigo (which they curiously refer to as "black henna", which it isn't) - others contain ingredients such as marigold flowers, cassia and chamomile. These are all fairly benign herbal ingredients, but their presence does make Rainbow brand henna compound rather than pure.

Apr 4, 2010 5:22 AM

Guest :

hi
i died my hair auburn (with henna) and it was really nice (once the flame red had faded a bit). however, it is starting to fade a bit now, and i have read that auburn henna will fade a sort of ginger colour. this is happening, and at the moment it is ok, but i dont want to be a sort of whispy ginger colour!! i was orginially a brown colour, quite dark. i liked the auburn colour, although i wouldve liked it more deep than it was, so should i henna again with auburn? or should i use a brown henna. will anything strange happen (like go a wierd colour)?
thanks
happy easter

Apr 5, 2010 5:02 PM

Sarah Tennant :

You used compound henna, which tends to fade. If your hair is naturally darkish but light enough to fade to ginger, using pure body-art quality henna will probably give you an auburn colour. You'd have to do a strand test to make sure (if your hair's too dark, the henna will give you more of a burgundy/mahogany colour). BAQ henna hardly fades at all, so once you got your desired colour - it could take a few applications - you'd only need to touch up your roots.

Apr 9, 2010 2:05 PM

Guest :

Hi, can you help...where in London can I buy pure henna. I have googled but no luck so far.
I have been hennaing my hair for 10yrs or more my hair comes out orangey and i would like it to be a darker colour?
I use to dye using permanent colours and my hair gradually greyed and since then i have been using henna.

Apr 9, 2010 3:28 PM

Sarah Tennant :

It shouldn't be hard to find good henna in London - try an Indian-owned grocery store. It doesn't have to be labelled "for hair" - in fact, Indian hennas for hair are often mixed with other herbs like amla and shikakai (which can be fine, in fact amla might help you get the darker tones you want, just be aware of it!). "Mendhi" or "mehendi" henna, or henna that's labelled "body-art quality", is what you want. And make sure it says "100% pure henna" or "Lawsonia inermis" as the only ingredient.

Otherwise Google "Catherine's henna store" and buy it online. :)

Apr 9, 2010 10:05 PM

Guest :

Is henna permanant?

Apr 9, 2010 10:07 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Extremely.

Apr 10, 2010 3:28 AM

Guest :

Hi, what can i add into the henna to make it a darker colour? As its turn orange on my hair. Any suggestions?

Apr 10, 2010 3:46 AM

Guest :

Hi, what can i mix in heena to make it darker and how do i mix it? My henna hair comes out orange. Any suggestions?
I looked at "Catherine's henna store" and there are different types of body art quality henna.......i am confused......which one do i chose? please help.

Apr 11, 2010 8:03 AM

Guest :

Hi "Catherine's henna store".......its confusing for me as there are many types of henna there. Any suggestions or should i go for the one that states body art? Also the henna i use does not state what's in it,(it's made by MDH) it's just henna. I am hoping that it's OK.

Apr 11, 2010 10:47 AM

Guest :

Hi,
I hennaed (sp?) my hair last Sep/Oct repeatedly with Lush Henna blocks to try & get it really dark, but I wasn't satisfied with the colour so I stopped using it with the intention of chemically colouring my hair again. Only then did I find out that there was quite a lot of controversy over the subject of using chemicals on hennaed hair. I read a few horror stories of peoples hair melting & falling out and such :(, & I've been too scared to do anything about it since. The colour has now faded a lot (I'm a natural redhead so the roots really don't show that much) & grown out by a few inches.
I now want to dye my hair dark brown but am really wary of using a chemical dye especially as on the instructions of most it says do not use over henna. Would it be safe to use? Is there a way of dying my hair dark brown with henna? Most of the ones I've come across seem to have a lot of red tones, & as my hair is red anyway I'm not sure it would create the desired effect :-/
Any advice would greatly appreciated!
Apologies for the lengthy post :P

Vinara xx

Apr 11, 2010 3:04 PM

Sarah Tennant :

I'd go with the body art quality henna from Catherine's site.

You can make henna darker by adding various things:

http://haircareproducts.suite101.com/article.cfm/mixing_henna_to_dye_hair

If you want brown hair, your best (natural) bet is to use henndigo, a mixture of henna and indigo:

http://haircare.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_henna_and_indigo_to_dye_h air

I know several people who've achieved very natural-looking brown hair with this method (as well as several who have jet-black hair, so watch your proportions and strand-test!). The blue of the indigo counteracts the red of the henna, so you can get quite a cool-toned result.

Most Lush henna is compound henna. I believe their additives are mostly (all?) herbal, but their henna itself isn't very good-quality. Try a body-art quality henna and you'll be amazed at the difference. I recommend contacting Lush directly to ask about dyeing over their henna with commercial dyes - my feeling is that it *should* be OK, but don't take my word for it!

Apr 12, 2010 11:19 AM

Guest :

Hi, I did use minoxidil on my hair and stopped sometime ago. There is an itching on my scalp that does not go away. I use henna only. I have tried lemon rinse but the itching remains. Is there anything else I could try?

Apr 18, 2010 1:12 AM

Guest :

hi
i m 25 yrs. n have grey roots....i used henna in d beginning for say around 6 mnths. thn some beauty advisors told me to switch to colouring as henna damages the hair cuticles and opens the pores. so i have been coulouring for almost 3yrs. now however my hair looks even worse now...its v dry, dandruff, hair fall, dull and fine and no shine....so i decided to switch back to henna...i have applied only once though.......now once again my hair stylist are asking me to stop using henna as it will further damage hair cuticles... I am very confused as in which is better to cover premature hair....henna or hair colour.....plz advise.... my email id is ashtbeauty@gmail.com

nikki neels

Apr 18, 2010 10:56 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Your hairdressers were probably taught that henna is evil based on the dubious reputation of some compound hennas. Pure, body-art quality henna does not damage hair - in fact, it acts as a protein treatment. Plus, I wouldn't trust hairdressers who are making your hair dry, dull and dandruffy! :p

Apr 25, 2010 11:19 PM

Guest :

What do you know about dying hair with walnut dyed water? http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/254422/how_to_darken_hair_with_nat ural_walnut.html?cat=69

I have dark brown henna/indigoed hair, but due to its time commitment I wondered if this would be a quicker alternative. Do you know anything about it/know where to find more information? Thank you so much!

Apr 26, 2010 1:34 AM

Sarah Tennant :

I wouldn't. I confess I hadn't heard of the concept before now (although I once tried unsuccessfully to make walnut dye as a kidling); but I did a bit of research and walnuts have some serious toxicity issues. A paper catchily entitled "The natural toxin juglone causes degradation of p53 and induces
rapid H2AX phosphorylation and cell death in human fibroblasts" makes me wary of using hull preparations - the short of it is, walnut hull preparations have been linked to certain cancers. Plus, my reading suggested walnut isn't much of a dye in any case. It's more for brightening hair that's already more or less the shade you want it, and it's only semi-permanent. One woman also mentioned the walnut hull preparation she used was extremely messy to apply and rinse out. So - as irritating as the henndigoing process can be - you might find the walnut thing is just as much of a pain!

Just a thought - do you freeze your henna/indigo mix? If you mix up a big batch and freeze it it cuts down on prep time. I haven't noticed any loss of dye quality in my henna, although I only do root touch-ups these days and am not too fussy about the colour.

Apr 27, 2010 10:26 AM

Guest :

I hennad my hair with compund henna just over a month ago. Its fading a sort of weak ginger/brown which i really don't like! I've read on this webstie and others that in my case, I should use BAQ henna, but i can't find many places that stock it--the few that do are very expensive. I have been considering dying my hair with non-henna dye, but am worried about the chemical bit! I have found these 'natural' dyes:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/page/product_detail.asp
?pid=857&prodid=925
(this is the colour i would like to go). becuase it is a 'natural' dye, do you think it will work? (as in not go a wierd colour/make my hair fall out) also, we have to start swimming at school soon--will the chlorine do something wierd to my hair??
thanks

May 2, 2010 12:55 PM

Guest :

Im an african american woman looking to try a henna treatment. I have dark brown hair with tight curls. I wasnt able to find BAQ henna but found the "light mountain natural" brand at whole foods and sprouts(another health foods store). They call it red color but the only ingredient listed in the lawsonia leaf powder. It claims to be 100% chemical free, usda/nop organically grown, botanical hair color. This is my first time with this process. ive never dyed my hai before. Does anyone have any ratings or opinions of this brand. Id like to get feedback before i try it.

Also, are there any other AA women who have used it and tell about the experience ( moisture,breakage,color)
Thank you

May 2, 2010 3:13 PM

Sarah Tennant :

I'm not familiar with that brand, but I checked their site. The label says "Ingredients: 100% botanical hair color containing red henna (lawsonia inermis)". That sounds to me like there are other ingredients present. It might be OK - you could do a strand test to see - but ordering BAQ henna online might be a better bet for pure, good-quality henna.

May 3, 2010 7:27 AM

Guest :

what do you think about using naturtint over henna??
thanks

May 3, 2010 10:34 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Some Naturtint dyes contain PPD, which I'd definitely avoid. Dyes over henna are often dodgy - the henna sometimes shows through more than you'd expect, or lasts longer than the other dye. You could try a strand test, or alter the colour of the henna with amla or indigo.

May 4, 2010 1:15 PM

Guest :

ok thanks. do you know any good suppliers of amla? i want to try it out!!

May 4, 2010 6:13 PM

Guest :

Hi, i saw a package of henna hair treatment in a black hair care store, i didnt know what it was, but it immediately caught my eye, so ive been reading about it, which is how i came across your article.

i was wondering if you could tell me, can henna add protein to hair permanently? i.e. can it make the actual hair strands thicker permanently? i read on one site that this certain affect washes out after a few days, but maybe that was a compound henna.
i have very fine textured, naturally almost straight, light brown hair, and i have been desperately looking for something to make the actual strands permanently thicker.

i also am planning on getting a perm; im just wondering what the effect will be with the henna. i was planning on getting the perm first, so that maybe the henna could help repair any damage done to my ends, but i saw in some of the above questions you said that it can loosen curls, and i dont want that. i also am planning on getting my hair cut after, so i was wondering whether i should do the henna treatment before, between, or after these things?

great info ive read here and THANKS!

May 4, 2010 7:04 PM

Sarah Tennant :

I'm honestly not sure if henna makes hair permanently thicker. It feels like it does on my hair, and I know many people who say the same thing, but that's an anecdotal rather than a scientific opinion! These are people from a natural haircare forum, so they may have discovered henna along with other gentle haircare techniques that made their hair thicker. If you want thicker hair by reducing breakage or shedding, rather than making each individual strand thicker, you should definitely look into shampoo-free washing, herbal haircare and so on. Any steps you take to treat your hair more gently will give you a thicker ponytail in the long run.

Pure, BAQ henna won't react disastrously with a perm, but nor can it "fix" split ends and heat damage, sadly. You might find your hair needs moisture and protein after the perm - henna provides the latter, but not the former, so combine it with a moisture treatment.

There is the curl issue. How much curl drops out due to henna really varies on the individual - unfortunately, I can't think of an easy way to strand-test it!

May 8, 2010 8:07 AM

Guest :

hi
what sort of consitency should henna (compund) powder be? whenever i do it i make to a sort of thick-ish paste, but on the insturctions it says you could use a comb--my paste is too thick for a comb to go through...
thanks

May 10, 2010 11:01 AM

Guest :

Dear Sarah, you have posted that 'Catherine's henna shop" sells pure henna, but I can't find it. When I googled it I came across store called "mehndi" but those hennas there only contain 2.4% of Lawsonia, and as you indicated they should be 100%. Or am I just confused and missed something? Can you please point me more specifiacaly into right direction? Thank you. Gabi

May 10, 2010 2:47 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Re consistency: it doesn't really matter. Some people prefer a thicker mix, some thinner. I make mine the consistency of Greek yoghurt. Basically, a thinner mix will penetrate sections of hair more easily, but will also be drippier. You can get around the drippiness by adding pectin to the mix, but I've never bothered.

Re the henna shop: Yes, the Mehendi site is the one I mean! The 2.4% thing refers to lawsone, ie. the active ingredient in lawsonia inermis. The hennas are pure, they're just from henna bushes in different areas, some of which are slightly stronger than others. Mehendi hennas come highly recommended, although I'm still very happy with the results I get from my super-cheapo Indian grocery store stuff.

May 13, 2010 4:28 PM

Guest :

used naturtint to lighten my hair last night. bad idea. can i use henna tonight to fix the multi-colored outcome?

May 14, 2010 7:49 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Possibly! Henna acts differently on different coloured hair, so if you have some blonde hairs, some orange and some brown you'll end up with lighter/oranger and darker/redder streaks, not a monochromatic look. But henna can smooth out uneven tones to some degree, and it may make any lighter streaks on your hair look more natural.

May 16, 2010 5:22 PM

Guest :

HI, I just dye my hair with henna but my roots are still very dark, I dont want the hair toooo red so can I dye my hair dark brown or black with a regular commercial brand like loreal or some other?

May 17, 2010 5:17 AM

Guest :

Hello everyone, I need help :-) Yesterday I used chemical colour black/blue http://www.essentialcolor.com/index.php?id=92 and it looks really strange. I need more live in my hair :) Do you think that use Red (Caca Marron) LUSH henna is a good idea? Thank´s a lot!

May 19, 2010 8:27 AM

Guest :

hi
I'm thinking of dying my hair a black colour. Will Indigo work? If so can you give me the names of any good suppliers? Also some places say it should be mixed with henna to get the right colour (or it will go blue). Is this right? What quantities should I use, or can you get it 'ready mixed'?
Thanks

Jun 10, 2010 8:36 AM

Guest :

well,I have a cassia+henna problem. I've read that even 1 tsp od henna can overwhelm 100g of cassia. so I mixed: 100g of cassia,1 tsp of henna, 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 cup of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of strong tea and 3 of chamoille and a little bit of cloves,cardamom and turmeric. I left it for 11,5h (21 degree) and 1,5h (23 degree). I had it the paste on my hair nearly 3,5h and.... and nothing. really nothing happened with my hair colour. even on my completely white hair. is it possible I did sth wrong? how do I know when such a cassia&henna mix is ready to use (released dye)? please,give me some advise...

Jun 11, 2010 12:16 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Hmm. I'd have used a little more henna, but still, even the cassia ought to have coloured your hair slightly. Are you sure about the quality of the ingredients? You should have had dye release by then (if you're not sure, a good way to tell is to put the henna in a ziplock bag and place the bag on a sheet of paper. When dye release occurs, the paper will turn orange. It's kinda neat!).

You could start over with ingredients from a different store, strand-test, and maybe use a tad more henna. I'd decrease the lemon juice too - that mixture could be quite drying. You can just replace some of the juice with water, or use a milder acid like wine.

Jun 11, 2010 3:19 AM

Guest :

thx for your suggestions :). as to the colour of my paste,it changed very,very,very slightly to light brown,but there was no orange stain on the piece of toilet paper I put on the foil used to cover the paste - maybe because of 98% cassia not henna? everybody says about how to know when henna mix is ready to dye hair,but what about cassia&henna mixes? should those be as dark as henna after dye release?
I am pretty sure about quality of the ingredients (the label said: 100% pure, no pictures on it, simply a powder like it should be inside, the smell correct etc.). I started to think that maybe my hair are to dark blond yet not to see the slightly gold (after my mix) grey still as white when compared. I've also read somewhere yesterday,that it should be 4 parts of cassia and 1 part of henna to get golden blond,so probably I should use 2,5-3 TBs of henna to overwhelm 100g of cassia. it's possible,isn't it? I'll try that next time :).
as to lemon juice I was surprised myself but it was just fine: I even didn't need to use any conditioner after (maybe because of my oily scalp = naturally greasy hair).
now I consider to treat my hair with some henna (only) gloss (3 TBs of henna+lemon juice and then +yogurth+honey, rinsed after 1,5h maybe?). that should deal with those greys,I suppose,but I wander how permanent whould that be. can it be less permanent than regular cassia&henna treatment?

Jun 12, 2010 6:40 AM

Guest :

well,I believe I already know what I did wrong. it was honey that killed henna dye. it wan't do it totally probably when a little of it is added but I did certainly to much if compared with amount of henna.
the gloss with henna,lemon juice and jogurth did the job just like I wanted.

Jun 13, 2010 9:58 PM

Guest :

Hi, I just started to use henna because I heard that it can make hair stronger and of course adds color. I found that it left my hair feeling dry and hard I also use a chemical relaxer every few months to keep my hair striaght and some what manageable. Could you give me some tips on how I can keep my hair from being so hard and possibly damaging it any futher the next time I use henna. Aside from the relaxer I'm trying to use more "natural" products in my hair.

Thanks

Jun 14, 2010 1:16 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Read this article. :)

http://hair-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/why-does-my-hair-feel-dry-after -henna

Jun 16, 2010 8:10 PM

Guest :

After the first time you use henna, will it start to washout? I held mine in for 5 and a half hours and I feel like its coming out after I washed it 4 times. My natural hair color is medium brown. When I re-apply in a month, will it stay for longer and will the color be brighter?

Jul 31, 2010 1:28 AM

Guest :

plz i need ur help..my hair was light brown with shades of blond..i used henna and its a good one but the color on my skin tone is a disaster :( whenever i wash my hair i can see some colored water..would my henna washed away by time?!! or there is anyway to restor my brown hair??its my first week..so i hope to wash it all away...although it softened my hair but the color s my problem thnx alot !

Sep 22, 2010 6:16 PM

Guest :

Hi, i just wanted to ask about a dilemma i may seem to have. The last time i've dyed my hair, I used a product called Sta- sof- fro and before that I used Bigen. I'm not sure if each of these products are compound hennas but now I want to use a semi-permanent dye (D&L reviving colours) over my hair which was last dyed in april. Am I still able to use the dye, even though I've previously used 'compound dyes' a while ago?

Sep 23, 2010 4:54 PM

Guest :

Which henna dye do you recommend for hair? I wanna try giving my dark brown hair a red shine to it. I was told that Lush was a good brand, but now I'm beginning to have second thoughts.

Sep 28, 2010 12:45 AM

Guest :

hi everyone.this might sound dumb but,my hair has really natural red highlights in the sun already.what will henna do to to my hair.

Oct 4, 2010 1:36 AM

Guest :

hi! i was wondering what are any brands of henna that you could recommend that i could find in a store. i'm not sure if i'm going to be able to buy anything online anytime soon, and those also seem to be more expensive anyway. are there any brands of henna that can be found in stores, that you can recommend, that have none of the additives youve warned about? thank you

Oct 9, 2010 8:15 AM

Guest :

Hello, I have plain medium brown hair, it is very dull and I would like to change it. I want my hair darker and a little redder to make it look healthy, I do not want bright red hair or aznything to dramatic. I can only buy black henna or (a brand that does not have any details just labelled henna for hair). My parents wont let me artifficailly dye my hair and I would like to know what color it will go and if there are any side effects. It would be great for your help.

Oct 9, 2010 2:12 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Look up my article on henndigo - a mixture of henna and indigo. It can be used to give you reddish-brown hair, cool brown hair, or even blue-black hair with the right proportions.

I would NOT buy anything labelled "black henna" - it could be as innocent as a henndigo mix, but it could also contain PPD or other nasties.

Oct 18, 2010 4:51 PM

Guest :

this was AMAZING! Thank you so much, so when I'm going to get my Henna (do I have to wait three months due to my fruitless attempts to dye it with hair color?) what SHOULD I look for in the ingredients list?

Oct 18, 2010 4:54 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Look for pure, 100% lawsonia inermis. If you get that, you shouldn't need to wait three months - it's additives such as metals in compound hennas that cause issues with previously-dyed hair.

Oct 22, 2010 11:40 AM

Guest :

has anyone used rocky mountain henna colours

Nov 4, 2010 7:03 PM

Guest :

hi im looking into ways of brightening my hair and came across your article, but my question isnt for myself its for my mother. shes in her 50s and has been dying her hair with commercial hair dyes for years to cover the grays that she has and try to keep the very deep brown shade that is her natural colour, but recently her hairs been falling out and i was wondering if the cause could be the chemical hair dye? and if she used a mix of henna and indigo would she be able to get a similar shade but naturally, and not end up with flaming red grays aswell?

Nov 4, 2010 7:15 PM

Sarah Tennant :

Significant hair shedding could be due to any number of things, from chemical sensitivities to thyroid issues - it's probably best if she gets that checked out by a doctor. As for henndigo - she could certainly get a nice deep brown, but be aware that indigo fades sooner than henna - so if she didn't keep up with her applications her greys might start to turn redder and redder as the indigo wears off. I have an article on henndigo somewhere on this site if you're curious.

Nov 6, 2010 4:26 AM

Guest :

Question about henna: I used lush caca compound henna twice. The first time I got a slight itch. The second time, I got itch, rash, red bumps, burn etc. Still have traces of this a week later. Feeling a bit desperate as I loved the colour. I never had any reaction before to chemical hair dyes. Do you think I may be ok with BAQ Henna? The lush products contain henna, indigo, coffee grounds, cocoa butter, perfume, lemon juice etc

Nov 9, 2010 1:59 PM

Guest :

hi, the colour of my henna powder is light brown, i applied some in my hand , but couldnt notice any colour change , is my henna powder real or fake, does this damage my hair

Nov 15, 2010 6:14 PM

Guest :

Hi!
Once, I dyed my hair black and I didnt like it so about a month later so I colored over it with reddish dye. What happened then was disasterous. My half inch of roots turned bright red, and the rest of my hair stayed pitch black. My hair is curently dark reddish brown, with two or three inches of roots that havent been colored at all. The rest of my hair has been colored maybe 4, or 5 times. Would this happen again to my hair if I tried to henna it?

Nov 18, 2010 12:54 AM

Guest :

I have natural black hair and I just got a box of Light Mountain Natural Hair Color and Conditioner. . . it claims to be 100% pure hair color and the only ingredients are Lawsonia Inermis leaf powder. I would love to straighten my hair with a chi straightner after but i'm not sure if its safe to do so after using henna.

Nov 22, 2010 4:04 PM

Guest :

Hi,
This is not a question, but I just thought “Sarah Tenant” deserved a thank-you,
for all of the help. I know I've asked a question or two before, and all questions seem to be very promptly answered, and are answered with very thoughtful, knowledgeable
responses. I appreciate this very much, especially after beginning school to become a hairdresser. This kind of accommodation is surprisingly not so common, even in a world of hair people!
Thanks so much!
-Isabelle

Dec 11, 2010 5:55 AM

Guest :

Follow up to comment on 6/11/10 about reaction to lush caca henna. I have now tried pure baq henna - yemeni with nothing added and got the same reaction! So its not the added ingredients in the lush henna that caused it - I'm obviously allergic to pure henna

Dec 11, 2010 10:13 AM

Guest :

i have chamicaly dyed my hair red, but i dont like it i want dark brown hair, and i dont want to use anymore chemicals so is there a hanna for me?

Dec 11, 2010 11:01 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Dec 11, 2010 5:55 AM: Wow, that's unlucky! True allergies to henna are pretty rare. I hope you can find some other kind of dye that works for you - I've heard good things about Manic Panic in terms of naturalness and vividness, but they aren't available here so I can't comment firsthand.

Dec 11, 2010 10:13 AM: Look up my Suite article on "henndigo" - a mixture of henna and indigo. You should be able to mix yourself a dark brown shade.

Dec 14, 2010 5:57 PM

Guest :

Wow, you are a fount of knowledge when it comes to henna!
I've been using henna for about 20 years now to brighten my once red hair.
Luckily I'm in my 50's and have no grey hair but I've lost a lot of the red pigment and find henna restores it somewhat. I have a couple of questions...
1) I've never been sure whether it's better to condition and wash hair before hennaing or after. does the henna adhere better to clean hair or that with a bit of natural oil in it?
2) to mask the ends which are too red from previous henna I once put vaseline on them..it worked but took forever to wash the petroleum jelly out..Is there anything else you can suggest to keep the ends from absorbing too much colour?
Thanks

Dec 17, 2010 11:17 AM

Sarah Tennant :

Henna "takes" better on clean hair. It can be wet or dry. I've touched up my roots with oily hair before and the colour doesn't stick quite so well.

Nowadays I only touch up my roots, as I'm happy with the colour of my length. I don't bother protecting my length with any product - I just apply the henna where I want it and leave the rest of my hair un-gooped! If you really want, you could give the ends of your hair a heavy oiling. It'd still take a while to wash out (particularly if you use natural/gentle washing methods), but if you apply the oil to damp hair it's a good moisture treatment, whereas I imagine Vaseline would just be nasty and cloggy. Use jojoba oil if you have fine/medium hair, or coconut oil if you have coarse hair. But really, it probably isn't necessary. Unless your henna mix is very very runny, it won't "bleed" too much from the places you applied it.

Dec 28, 2010 9:16 AM

Guest :

What type of shampoo would you recommend for henna treated hair (besides henna shampoo)? My friend said that I shouldn't use any that have sulfates.

Dec 30, 2010 2:40 PM

Sarah Tennant :

I've used plenty of different hair washing methods, including a conditioner with sulfates, on my hennaed hair. A lot of natural hair care people prefer to avoid sulfates, but I'm not sure if they're considered particularly bad for henna. Sulfates tend to be quite harsh cleansers, so there's a chance they'd make henna fade a wee bit faster; but honestly, good-quality henna doesn't fade much. I wouldn't worry about it - use whatever hair washing method makes your hair look and feel nice! If you hunt around my Suite articles I have lots of articles on alternative washing techniques, such as conditioner-only washing and herbal hair washing.

Jan 9, 2011 1:36 AM

Guest :

HI SARA (:

I'M ASIAN AND MY HAIR IS BLACK.. CAN U GIVE ME SOME BEST TIPS
ON HOW TO MAKES MY HAIR FLAMING RED USING HENNA??
IS LEMON REALLY HELPS? I THOUGHT IT WILL MAKES HAIR DRY.

PLEASE HELP ME SARA.

Jan 13, 2011 2:48 AM

Guest :

Hi. I put henna on my hair a few months back. The brand was Reshna I want to dye my hair now. Will my hair break off?the dye I have is a permanate. I have short natural kinky hair.

Jan 17, 2011 10:56 AM

Guest :

can u straighten your hair if you have just dyed it with henna

Feb 20, 2011 12:20 AM

Guest :

I wonder If This henna Product dye works....Light Mountain Natural Hair Color it says 100% premium henna..Does anyone know???

Feb 20, 2011 1:37 AM

Guest :

I wonder If This henna Product dye works....Light Mountain Natural Hair Color it says 100% premium henna..Does anyone know???

Mar 23, 2011 7:08 PM

Guest :

I have been dying my hair for almost 20 years with permenant regular salon dye. I would like to stop using these chemicals on my hair, but I am approx. 80 % grey. I have dark brown hair. Is it possible for me to use a henna to cover the grey and still have medium/dark brown hair with some red?
I believe that all natural henna turn your hair red. I think I would rather be grey then a vibrant red head.

May 7, 2011 10:39 AM

Guest :

im a burnnete and i never dyed my hair or anything so i was wondering what will my hair color maybe if i dyed it with hena :s can someone please tell me!

May 23, 2011 1:08 AM

Guest :

hi. i was just wandering if henna will work. see i want to get like an orange/red streak in part of my hair. but my hair is really thin and yellow/blonde so i dont want to use anything with chemicals. any advice?

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