I've been using henna about every two months for over two years and somehow have never heard about henna build up before. Then I clicked on the "Blogs" button and saw this term in the person's blog that popped up.

I did a google search and the only half-way useful information that I got was here (http://www.irunwithscissorsthesalon.com/wuAll_About_Henna.html). It says Constant build up of henna from over coating the hair can also cause the hair to become brittle and break. So now I'm concerned.

How much/often is "over coating"?

I have noticed some breakage in the lower 1/2 of my hair but that's also the hair left from when I severely damaged it with and ammonia bleach about 2 1/2 years ago. Could the henna that did such good things for my hair in the beginning be damaging it now?

Please share any information you have about this.

TIA

Huh. I always thought henna build up referred to the accumulation of a deeper, darker colour from repeated henna'ing.

Maybe I'm wrong :shrug:

-- Natalie

If it happens to be my blog you're referring to, I just meant that I didn't want the color to accumulate too much.

I've never heard of henna building up in a way that would make the hair brittle. The closest thing I've heard is that Iris (I believe it was her) stopped getting as much shine from henna after awhile. I suppose if you hennaed very frequently without adequately conditioning the hair inbetween, your hair might get dried out or mechanically damaged by the grit. I've also heard people say their hair reacts to henna rather like it reacts to protein, so I can see where repeated henna treatments might cause some brittleness that way.

How often is too often? No idea...I suppose doing it once a week or more for an extended period of time might become overkill.

ETA: Also, considering that your source is a hairdresser's webpage, and hairdressers are notorious for associating henna with horrible, horrible things that we know BAQ henna doesn't do, I'd be inclined to doubt your quote as accurate. I mean, she also says, "It is found usually in four shades; black, auburn, a lightener, and chestnut." and we know that isn't true.

Henna "build up" no matter how many times you henna will NOT damage hair. Repeat, Not damage hair. Most laymen don't understand henna and a lot of information on the net is bogus and uneducated, sorry to say.

And henna doesnt "coat" the hair. Real body art quality henna BINDS to the keratin protein in the hair shaft, in essence its IN the hair, not ON the hair :). Only compound henna "coats" as its metalic salts adhering to the hair and that can damage hair.

Body art quality henna does "build up" in color. the more you use it, the deeper/richer it gets (with some often to burgundy). But it causes no damage to hair no matter how often you use it.

I agree with everyone else that 1) that site doesn't seem to know much about henna and 2) henna will not make your hair break.

The only type of buildup seems to be that of color. People like AlleyCat have deepened bleached/permed blonde to darkest auburn with henna without issue.

Well, I have to say, my hair became very split prone after henna. My hair has never before been as split prone as after henna.
I definitely feel there is henna in my hair, like the hennaed part of my hair feels very unnatural. It didn't feel like that after the 2-3 first times but I did feel it changed over the time. I did almost always full head treatments, so there is much henna in my hair.

I've been using henna about every two months for over two years and somehow have never heard about henna build up before. Then I clicked on the "Blogs" button and saw this term in the person's blog that popped up.

I did a google search and the only half-way useful information that I got was here (http://www.irunwithscissorsthesalon.com/wuAll_About_Henna.html). It says Constant build up of henna from over coating the hair can also cause the hair to become brittle and break. So now I'm concerned.

How much/often is "over coating"?

I have noticed some breakage in the lower 1/2 of my hair but that's also the hair left from when I severely damaged it with and ammonia bleach about 2 1/2 years ago. Could the henna that did such good things for my hair in the beginning be damaging it now?

Please share any information you have about this.

TIA


Seriously, I wouldn't worry about "over coating" from henna, if I were you. I think that your breakage has more to do with your former chemical use or misuse ;) than henna buildup. When I was using henna, I had a terrific buildup on my hair. I used it frequently and it never made my hair dry or caused breakage. My hair was always soft, silky and stronger because of it.

If you feel that your length has enough henna on it, you could always switch to roots only applications, just hitting your length with full strength applications or glosses when you feel your colour may need a little refreshing or the condition indicates it wants more henna. :)

Henna can do a lot to make chemically damaged hair look and feel better and can help to strengthen it, too. But it doesn't repair it. And you will still have a certain amount of breakage until you have trimmed away all former chemical damage.

ETA: I just clicked the link you provided. This person isn't terribly well informed about henna. Some of her conclusions are inaccurate, from my own experience with henna. I would take what she has to say with a huge grain of salt. :)

I totally agree with everyone here. Not sure if you were reading my blog or not, I'm working on getting more henna 'build-up' :grin: but I'm not sure if I actually mentioned it or not. I'm wanting that deeper color, that's all the 'henna build up' is. Henna will make your hair stronger, not cause it to break. I love henna :cloud9:

Ah. I actually had issues with 'over-hennaing' my hair when I first started using it.

My problem is that I was using it too OFTEN. I was henna'ing once a week, and the 'layering/coating' that henna gives your hair wasn't getting a chance to rub off, even a LITTLE bit, before I slapped the next one on.

My damaged (bleached/dyed) hair LOVED it - but I started getting some of the freakiest splits at the root of my hair, where the fully virgin hair was getting brittle and complaining about the henna overload.

I shifted my frequency down to once a month, and my hair was PERFECTLY happy.

So, I think you'll be fine, using it every two months (which is my current schedule). And I suspect the breakage is just from the old damaged hair finally giving up the ghost - without the henna, you most likely would have seen the breakage MUCH earlier....

HTH!

If you feel that your length has enough henna on it, you could always switch to roots only applications, just hitting your length with full strength applications or glosses when you feel your colour may need a little refreshing or the condition indicates it wants more henna. :)

I totally agree with this. I have red hair already, and I use roots-only applications full strength to deal with my very persistent and resistant greys, and then just gloss once or twice a month to brighten up my color without really changing it much. I mix my left over henna with a very generous amount of conditioner, slather, bag and sit in the sauna for 20 - 45 minutes (depending on how big a rush I'm in), rinse and condition lightly again. The SHINE is huge and my color doesn't change much, if at all.

The person in the link you provided doesn't know much about the realities of henna. I would be much more inclined to follow the advice of veteran hennaheads here than listen to anything that comes out of a stylist's mouth regarding henna.

I would be much more inclined to follow the advice of veteran hennaheads here than listen to anything that comes out of a stylist's mouth regarding henna.
Absolutely. I know a woman that owns a small chain of apparently expensive salons in the lower BC Canada area. She commented on my hair color and how much she loved it. I told her it was henna. She told me to be careful because henna was a clay and will make hair dry...at the time unfortunately I didn't know enough about henna and her comment really surprised me. All I was thinking was, it's a plant...it's not clay; but I didn't feel confident enough in that to say it. She was however stunned at how soft my hair was, but attributed it to my use of my own hair products.

If it happens to be my blog you're referring to, I just meant that I didn't want the color to accumulate too much.

In fact, it was your blog but all I saw before going to Google to search was "henna build-up":oops:

I figured what every body has said was the case but I wanted to be sure.

Thanks everybody for answering.

....She told me to be careful because henna was a clay and will make hair dry......
Clay? Weird and even if so there are beneficial clays for caring hair if I'm not wrong. Something just cannot be drying because it's only clay.
I have drying issues after henna applications as well. But I've figured out that it'S due to not being able to rinse all of the mud from my hair. I have thick and also very long hair so no matter how much conditioner I use there's still some residue. Once all the mud is cleaned I got shinier and smoother hair than I naturally have.
I've henndigoed like 7 or 9 times until now and some there's only two weeks in between. I never got build-up in a way that will make my hair brittle though it may have got brittle if I applied it weekly because that's when all the mud is cleared and my hair starts behaving well.

I think she may have been referring to a clay scratching the hair shaft and making it rough. I've noticed not many hair dressers like henna, it makes me wonder if they are told incorrect information in schools. Either the henna they are taught about is the type with metalic salts in it or if they are simply fed poor information since chemical dyes are more common and cost more.

After you mention the drying zift it did make me realize I always have some dry issues the first few days after henna until my 1st or 2nd actual wash after hennaing. I thought that was normal, but what you've said makes sense - it's hard to rinse anything out of thicker hair.

The only drying I have experienced with henna is when I have used lemon juice in my mixture.

When I just use hibiscus tea in my mix I have had less problems.

I've had color buildup in the 2 years I've been using henna on my hair. My initial color was a dark coppery color, more orange than red. Now my hair is a shade of burgundy.

I haven't noticed the buildup giving any dryness or problems with my hair, other than an initial dryness the first day after hennaing (which is just from overwashing to get all the grit out).

According to these links, henna actually contains more resin than it does lawsone.

However, most people, from what I have read on the boards, do not henna too often.

Enough of the resin, which would coat the hair, must wash off in between treatments, so the hair does not become brittle.

Henna Constituents
"Dried, powdered leaves of henna contain .... 0.5 to 1.5 percent lawsone .... chief constituent responsible for the dyeing properties of the plant ...."
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/henna.html (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/henna.html)

Henna resin content - Bureau of Plant Industry - Manilla
"They add that the leaves also contain about 2 per cent of a resin."
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:5zV6qzd1hSIJ:www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/s/sinamono.pdf+hennatannic+acid+resinous&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ca (http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:5zV6qzd1hSIJ:www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/s/sinamono.pdf+hennatannic+acid+resinous&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=ca)

Henna 'buildup' has taken me from i/ii to ii/iii. So, yay for henna buildup!!!

OK, I'll be the only one to say this then...
I used to henna in the past, maybe once a month or once every two months, and I DID notice my ends getting dryer than normal.
The henna was good quality henna. I didn't henna too often. I took care of my hair and moisturized it. So sorry to say so, but henna CAN make the hair dry. Isn't it true that hanna is recommended for greasy hair? Why is that, other than the fact that it has a drying effect? Of course it has a lot of benefits for the hair, but it's not a magical "cure-all"; for me, it sure wasn't as I stopped hennaeing and think my hair is doing better now.

I've noticed color will deepen and darken over time, so I've started doing roots only. I have only had good results on the condition of my hair. I henna about once a month, and have been doing it for about a year.

I noticed drier hair when my mix was too acidic. Some people around here do not add any acid (relying on tap water to be minimally acidic), some people say acid is not neccessary or even inhibit dye release. For my self, I am an anal retentive crazy person and I use a litmus strip to test the liquid. Since I have not found those snazzy specific Ph test strips, I do a comparison sample. I have the liquid I want to use sitting next to ACV (which is what I used to use and knew was too drying). I dip the litmus strips at the same time and as long as the liquid I want to use turns it less red/pink than the ACV I know I know I am fairly close to where I want to be.

For my self, I am an anal retentive crazy person and I use a litmus strip to test the liquid. Since I have not found those snazzy specific Ph test strips, I do a comparison sample. I have the liquid I want to use sitting next to ACV (which is what I used to use and knew was too drying). I dip the litmus strips at the same time and as long as the liquid I want to use turns it less red/pink than the ACV I know I know I am fairly close to where I want to be.

Okay, I just think that's cool.

When I first started hennaing, I used lemon juice or ACV in my henna mud. My hair turned out too dry and I didn't like the texture. I switched to plain old well water and not only do I get faster dye release and better uptake, but the issue of dryness and texture weirdness is completely gone. In fact I put a big glob of AVG in my henna mud last time and I've gotten awesome results with that, too.

I wish I could just use tap water. However, ours is Ph neutral and heavily chlorinated, so dye release is almost nil with it. I have most recently used clove water made with distilled water and ground cloves, which turns out is somewhat acidic. It worked rather well.

I use tap water.. it works wonderfully and no dryness.. I have gone from i to ii, when combined with the new growth and less shed from my new routin, I expect that to become ii or more when I finally get that new growth into a pony and measure next month.. it just barely reaches finally.. but I want to measure for my 1 year anniversary, so waiting for that...