I'm curious--if you henna, do people assume it's natural or dyed?

I was in hospital (having a baby!) this week, and it was hilarious how many people mentioned my hair. At least three nurses said variations of 'Ooh, I wonder if the baby will have red hair like you', and a midwife told me I might have trouble breastfeeding because 'redheads have sensitive skin'. I mentioned it as a joke to my main midwife, and she looked faintly shocked and said 'Isn't that your real hair colour?'

The funny thing was, I haven't hennaed my roots for about a month and they seem blindingly obvious to me! I guess it helps that I have pale skin. In fact, I ended up having a slightly surreal conversation with a doctor who'd just had to do something rather painful to me, about whether or not henna would suit her skin type. That was weird... chatting about haircare to a medical professional who's covered up to the elbow in one's life-gore, while slightly high on nitrous oxide, is probably one of the odder experiences I've had this week. But I digress.

Do you fool people? If so, do you admit it? I always feel bad and apologise that it isn't 'real'. :p

Congratulations on the baby first of all. As far as the henna goes it depends on who it is. Sometimes I just give them a cheeky grin and say nothing and sometimes I 'fess up. Thing is I feel like I was born to have red hair and love, love, love it. I think the blond was a mistake at birth!


Edited to add: I understand what you say about the wierdness of explaining the pros and cons of henna to a professional who is about to do something to you. I once had that discussion with an anaesthetist who was about to put me to sleep for an op. Very wierd. I thought I dreamt it until she came around later in the evening to talk some more after all her surgeries.

I have to say, it sounds weirdly fun to talk about something as everyday as hair while you have, as you put it, your very own life gore everywhere.

Congratulations on the baby! :) I don't henna but my brother's girlfriend used to, she was naturally a mid-brown and Mike's a dark brown, and it looked pretty natural. One time he and she were sitting on the couch together and my Dad walked behind them and started petting her hair while talking to the rest of us. She was getting a little creeped out, and her facial expression was HILARIOUS, until my Dad looked down and jumped.

He thought he was petting MIKE'S head.

She hennaed her roots the next day.

Sorry to go entirely off-topic, but I just had to pop in to say:
Congratulations on the new baby, Smokering!!!!!! I hope both you and the baby are well any enjoying this very special time together!

katharine

P.S. Brilliant story MadPirateBippy :D !

congrats!:) Yes, my henna fools people. But many seems to be unsure, do you dye or is it natural? I think it looks natural but the intensity might give people the feel of "hey, that looks natural, but it still is something that isn't right about that colour" but then many people have assumed it to be natural. But fellow hennaheads usually says, oh you henna, pretty!;)

I have to say, it sounds weirdly fun to talk about something as everyday as hair while you have, as you put it, your very own life gore everywhere.

Congratulations on the baby! :) I don't henna but my brother's girlfriend used to, she was naturally a mid-brown and Mike's a dark brown, and it looked pretty natural. One time he and she were sitting on the couch together and my Dad walked behind them and started petting her hair while talking to the rest of us. She was getting a little creeped out, and her facial expression was HILARIOUS, until my Dad looked down and jumped.

He thought he was petting MIKE'S head.

She hennaed her roots the next day.
XD Bwahahahahaha.


My henna doesn't look natural. Sometimes I wonder if that could be because of the three working on four inch root sare midnight black....

Then I think 'nah, no way'. xD When I first dyed it though, my mom thought it looked natural.

My henna colored hair is only light, more of a sandy red color, so it's not that obvious it's henna. But people are so used to my ever changing hair color, I don't think they think it's real.

I always get this.. my henna makes my whites into red highlights.. and leaves the rest with a reddish tint (very dark).. so I get a lot of comments on my hair color.. and when people see me who know it's not natural and have seen my whites, they always comment on how well done my highlighting job is!


And congrats on that new baby!

Congrats on the baby :D

People constantly think my henna is my natural color. I always tell them it isn't and then try to gauge how much I can blather about henna ;)

since i was in my teens i chemically colored my hair, staying around blonde though i would venture off to black, brown, red, you name it. About seven months ago, i said screw it all and started using henna. When i started, i had a hair chop off from a chemical disaster, so i went reeeeally really short.

I walked around with extra short blonde hair, then henna'd my hair. Within days I got...."oh its so nice your letting your natural color grow out".

other than my family (one sister thinks the red is WAY too intense which tells me its perfect lol), everyone thinks its completely natural. I seem to be the only one noticing my completely WHITE roots.

Congrats on the baby!!!

I henna, but I haven't had anyone assume its natural yet, probably because friends/family/co-workers were use to my hair changing color every few months before I found henna.

Congrats on the baby!! I haven't had many people comment on my henna'd hair, probably because my natural color is pretty dark so you don't notice the red much unless I'm in the sun or something (and then it reflects quite red). But I do think depending on what your natural hair color was, henna can look very, very natural.

I always wanted red hair. I sometimes colored it with semi permant dye. When I joined LHC I learned about Henna Gloss, which is giving me exactly the shade of red I always wanted. Not too far away from my natural color (my hair is slightly red). Now many people, even close friends of me, mention that my hair has a nice shade of red. Even if I haven't hannaed they wouldn't dream that my color is a fake. I think this really is an advantege, because that means that the color suits me and doesn't look unnatural.

Congratulations on the new baby, Smokering!

All the time. Either they assume it's natural or they're extremely unsure. I think it's funny. :)

There was an old couple a few people behind me in line at the DMV and I had my hair down that day. I heard the old man whisper to his wife "wow, look at that pretty red hair! You think it's real?" and she said "I think so" and then I heard "You can't get that from a bottle" I was SO tempted to turn and whisper "No, but you can get it from a plant!" But I didn't, I decided to enjoy the hair compliment. :D

I actually have had people ask if my 2-3" of henna red roots is my "natural color" coming back after all the chemical black.

But, more than that, I just wanted to LOL at your story. Definitely a weird experience. :D

Amazingly, it did. I thought the color looked so awful, garish, and unnatural on me, but I met someone while I had it and came across her number a year or so later and called. She said "you're the red-head, right?"

I've always had a few red streaks in my dark brown hair as a child (my father is a redhead) so most people automatically assume that as I've gotten older, it's gotten redder. And now that my dyed black hair (too dark, even for me) has started to grow out the henna really takes to my roots and people are sure it's real. Most of the time I don't even bother explaining.

congratulations on your baby!

as for henna, yes it did fool people, back when I was only using henna and no indigo. my hair is medium brown and henna simply turned it auburn. once I started to indigo, it began to look obviously colored (indigo went way to dark on me, maybe 3-4 shades). as the indigo is growing out, I am back to the auburn color underneith the canopy and at the roots and it looks so much more natural - it looks as if I intended to add dark highlights now.

I guess I go against the grain. I can usually spot henna because it looks "like henna." It is a different shade and look to me than a natural of chemical red.

For me, there is something almost neon like about henna.

I don't use henna only,I henndigo and have a darker almost black hair color,I already had dark brown hair so even my brother didn't find out the color of my hair has changed. If I had used henna only though, I probably could not fool anyone with my thick black eyebrows:lol: everyone would see it's not natural.
And congratulations Smokering for the baby! :flowers:

I guess I go against the grain. I can usually spot henna because it looks "like henna." It is a different shade and look to me than a natural of chemical red.

For me, there is something almost neon like about henna.

:agree: One of the reasons I personally don't like henna is how unnatural it looks to me. If you can successfully get a color that actually occurs naturally in human hair, then you might 'fool' someone, but most hennaed hair is a color that never occurs naturally in hair. :twocents: Also, if you're using henna to get red hair, you usually won't have a natural redhead complexion, so the mismatch makes it easier to spot.

I had a blog entry about this just yesterday! One of my students was shocked to hear that my hair wasn't red!

Mine mostly looks natural, but slightly more intense. And I have a red head's complexion, so it works out. Many blonds (as well as other people, I'm not saying only blonds) can do henna because red heads and blonds often have very very similar coloring. I think it's important to really work with the color though--it involves a lot more time than some are willing to put in. I also, think henna has the potential to look more natural than many chemical reds.

I have the opposite problem - I can't convice anyone my red is natural. Even when I was growing out after I'd colored it jet black, people would ask me how I'd managed to dye just the roots red.

Personally, I can't tell when someone's hair is colored. All you hennaheads are gorgeous! :D

I dont turn all red but a few asked me if I dye my hair...obvious isnt it? Where does blackish brown hair with red really exist in nature?

Some people are surprised I have dark roots growing in. ;)

You guys are lucky. No one around here says anything at all about my hair (except sometimes, "Wow, I didn't know it was so long!") so I have no idea if they think my henna is natural or not.

It helps that I was a strawberry blonde as a kid though, and I have tiny coppery freckles over my cheeks. So henna works well with my complexion.

I'd love to henna my hair, but I am a brunette, and I don't think it would work with my hair or my complexion. I am getting pretty gray, too, so I color my hair a dark auburn brunette to give it some highlights. That's as close to red as I get! When I had short (shoulder-length) hair, I used to have my stylist color it red, but it always looked purple to me, so I stopped doing that. There's just nothing like that beautiful henna red.

I have had a natural redhead think that my hair is natural.

I don't want to lie to people who think I am natural when they ask, but I don't always want to tell them I henna, either......

The weird little smile works....

:agree: One of the reasons I personally don't like henna is how unnatural it looks to me. If you can successfully get a color that actually occurs naturally in human hair, then you might 'fool' someone, but most hennaed hair is a color that never occurs naturally in hair. :twocents: Also, if you're using henna to get red hair, you usually won't have a natural redhead complexion, so the mismatch makes it easier to spot.

I'm the anomaly. I *am* a natural redhead, but I don't have the usual redhead complexion like my sisters do (they are also natural redheads). My older sister has natural strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin w/freckles. My younger sister is a true carrot-top, lighter blue eyes, white skin + freckles. I have green eyes, fair skin but not the white my younger sister has, and NO freckles. My hair is a natural medium auburn.

I henna to cover grey and brighten up the color a bit. I love it. Not many people I know (except those who know me really well) even realize that I do anything to the color at all. Henna doesn't give me a startling change. It just makes what's there a little brighter.

Congrats on the baby. Wise to use natural color while pregnant rather than the chemical stuff. I have yet to color my hair. I am kind of tentative about it. Maybe I will try henna before I reach 40.

Oh, duh, Congrats on the baby!!!

Congratulations on your baby!

Yes, people think my henna hair is natural. My natural hair is strawberry blond, I'm pale and have freckles. The henna over my blond gives off a strong orange outside. I blend right in with freckly red-heads.

Thanks for all the congratulationses. :)

Oddly enough, little Rowan was born with dark hair--really dark, almost black. My husband's hair was blonde at birth, and is now a kind of nondescript mousy colour. Mine was slightly strawberry blonde, and is now also kinda mousy--except that I henna, obviously. So the baby's dark hair was a bit of a shock! She must take after her grandmother.

I suspect the fact that my hair was strawberry blonde as a baby helps my henna look 'natural'. I have the Celtic-pale skin, blue eyes, freckles thing going on, so I can see how I could be a redhead. But I'm always in two minds about whether or not my henna looks natural. In certain lights the length looks almost like it always has--just a slight tinge of colour, not obviously red. Other times I feel like it's screaming 'fire engine'! But I guess anyone who thinks it looks fake is kind enough not to mention it, so that's okay. :)

Course, now the baby's here I'm really starting to wonder when I'll next have time to henna my roots! They'll probably be inches long before I get around to it, and I don't think any amount of complexion will be able to pull that off...

I usually get asked if that's my natural hair color, "because it's so lovely!"

Belated congratulations on your baby!


http://bestsmileys.com/angles/18.gif

im freckly and pale.. i have auburn hair naturally so my roots dont show up as bad as they would if i had brown hair naturally. and yes almost everyone who i meet thinks its my natural color...

Indoors, people did use to think it was my natural color sometimes. Outdoors, no way. Absolutely no way. What naturally red hair is dark auburn inside and neon orange in the sun? No way. I agree with dancingbarefoot, henna is extremely recognizable, and not a shade that occurs in nature. Pretty, but not natural looking.

Iris

Congrats on the new baby. I've not hennaed in a long time (other than the henna in my colour enhancing conditioner), but my hair is quite dark, so the results are pretty subtle.

Indoors, people did use to think it was my natural color sometimes. Outdoors, no way. Absolutely no way. What naturally red hair is dark auburn inside and neon orange in the sun? No way. I agree with dancingbarefoot, henna is extremely recognizable, and not a shade that occurs in nature. Pretty, but not natural looking.

Iris

Yeah, I'd have to go with that. It can often look pretty, but not natural looking to me.

The again, I come from a family with many natural redheads and may just be more used to seeing natural reds.

Smokering- congrats on the baby!! Ah, there's nothing like a baby! :flowers:

I have a set of 4 --:)-- they have various colors and textures of hair. Oldest (he's 19) tight dark blond curls, he grows it and donates it. #2 (she's 17) fine natural blond - no eyebrows they are so blond. #3 (he's 11) fine dark ash blond/brown and #4 (he's 8 ) thick wiry dark brown. Dad was blond as a kid and now it is so dark - it looks black. I hendingo my fine dark brown/gray hair and people can't tell. I straight henna and people comment on the color of my highlights (that is my gray) The guys at work like it better than the gray. I like the way the henna looks so layered, not all one color. I throw a little amla in to tone it down sometimes, but it is a nice color no matter what I do!

Although keep in mind that natural reds vary *alot* and not all henna is neon in sun.

Completely OT, but celticcurls, I never would have guessed you color your hair. I know you don't henna, but I would have assumed that that's your natural color. Well done. And, when you want to come over to the henna dark side, your color is totally achievable with henna, as it is nearly the color I have. ;)

Although keep in mind that natural reds vary *alot* and not all henna is neon in sun.

Completely OT, but celticcurls, I never would have guessed you color your hair. I know you don't henna, but I would have assumed that that's your natural color. Well done. And, when you want to come over to the henna dark side, your color is totally achievable with henna, as it is nearly the color I have. ;)

Thank you! I'm a dishwater blonde, so red isn't a big stretch...

There probably are hennaheads out there that I have thought were natural. I wouldn't know unless I aksed though. :lol: I do see a lot of hennaheads among the customers at work. Pretty and vibrant, but there is that hard-to-define henna brightness there. Squiggyflops Feb '08 siggy pic is a good example. Beautiful color, great shine, and to me, looks like henna. That's not a good or a bad thing, just something I notice. I only once commented IRL about someone's henna. I told her that her henna was pretty, and she looked a bit put out that I didn't think it was real.:shrug: I won't do that again unless it is here - it'll be taken in a more positive light here.

I did try henna twice, and I know that once was BAQ. It just felt weird texturally for some reason - like a protein treatment I couldn't get rid of, so I'm still chicken s**t about it. If my goal length was less modest, I'd think harder about reconsidering.

oops, I got your name wrong. Sorry. I was mostly teasing; I don't think you should henna since you've got the color down pat.

Isn't that funny that someone would be miffed that you complimented her henna. :D I guess she wasn't used to people being in the know... we see so many pictures here, our eyes are trained to pick out chemical color, henna and just about everything else.

Oh, don't worry, prosperina, it was no biggie. If you just want to use rcc since it's shorter, that's fine too. I should've thought of the downside of a long name before I originally picked it!

Yes, I do think that one learns to be much more hair observant here. I've read about all sorts of things that i would have not known about otherwise.

I get my hair cut professionally about once a year, always by the same woman. Last time I went in, I had been hennaing (instead of dying my hair red) for about 7 months, and my stylist commented on how nice my natural hair color was. She didn't even notice the half-inch of unhennaed, medium brown roots I had showing.

My hair does have some natural reddish-gold highlights, though, so maybe that's why henna looks so natural on me. :shrug:

I think you have to know the red amber of henna to recognize it.

I think you have to know the red amber of henna to recognize it.

I'll second that. Also, I want to amend my earlier post. I don't think the cooler henna-only burgundy looks natural on me, but I do think my lighter, coppery henna/cassia mix does, and since that's closest to my face that's what people base their guess on :)

Whenever I henna, it just makes my dark dark auburn hair slightly reddish - I actually haven't hennaed since October/November, and I have a pretty natural looking transition between the red/brown and the brown/red.

I actually stopped henna-ing because it didn't even really look very different (unless you were outside, then the freshly hennaed glimmered in a very lovely way!)

I already have reddish hair, so the henna just hides the gray. But, I have a younger co-worker who couldn't believe how old I was ... her comment "But you don't have any gray hair!" LOL! That's because it's covered by the henna!

RCHORR'