Hennaed hair too dark!

[Amber_Maiden]

So, I've been hennaing my hair off and on for 4 years. I say off and on because I stopped for two years due to choosing cheap bad henna with chemicals in it (drugstore henna! YUCK!) :justy:
Anyways, to get to my point- I began hennaing again in August, and have hennaed anywhere from twice a month to once a month... I was using Maroon by Lush, and then decided it made my hair look weird, so hennaed my hair brown... big mistake. I've tried marooning over it, but almost all red is gone.. it just looks... brown. And I am not liking it at all... obviously. :( My natural hair colour is auburn- to very red in the summer, and this is just too dark... How do I lighten the henna? Should I just hope some of it washes out more? (Its been a month since I last hennaed), and then use red henna hoping to make it a bit redder?

Thanks everyone! :)

btw- I know it sounds creepy, but I've been watching the community for awhile! I thought everyone was pretty nice and helpful, so decided to join!

[jeanniet]

What henna did you use? If it was Lush, Rainbow, or something like that, the brown is achieved by mixing henna and indigo, and indigo will often fade after a few weeks. I can't get indigo to stick more than about three weeks. You might try doing a clarifying wash with an SLS shampoo or even a baking soda wash followed by an ACV rinse. BS washes seem to really pull indigo from my hair. Then you can do a regular henna to bring the red back up.

Oh, and welcome! :)

[Sister13]

You might check out the Sun-In threads. And I do think dandruff shampoo fades henna -- more than olive oil or mayo.

Best of luck!

[Veer666]

If the dark part was achieved by using indigo, it will probably fade within a few weeks on its own (the henna will most likely not fade that much, so it will get more red). As mentioned before, you could also try rinses and dandruff or other very strong shampoo to achieve some lighting effects.

Good luck!

[jojo]

It sounds like you may have hennaered a little too often which has caused build up and darkened the colour. Honey or baking soda may help lighten it, be careful with the baking soda to follow with a moisturising treatment as it can be very drying.

You may like to read the following thread
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19317

and welcome!

[Amber_Maiden]

jeanniet- I'll definitely try the baking soda, and then using red henna over it! :)

jojo- thank you for the thread link! It gives me hope! :)

[jeanniet]

If you do use baking soda, just make sure you follow with an acid rinse or your hair will really be a mess. :)

[smcm1232]

I have read about the honey and the sun in. Good to know bout the baking soda :)

[Alvrodul]

I agree with those who think that you have been hennaing too frequently - frequent application of henna will build up! I usually do a full strength henna on my roots only, and put a henna gloss on the rest of my hair - this way the length doesn't get too much henna, yet I still get all my hair nice and glossy and soft. :D

As for indigo - be very, very, very careful of anything containing peroxide if indigo has touched your locks! It has been reported that you are likely to end up with greenish-blue hair if you add bleach to indigoed hair! :blueeek: Try out gentler methods first, and if you are able to wait, try to let the indigo fade by itself as much as possible. Certainly do any bleaching slowly and gradually!
Good luck!:)

[NouvelleNymphe2]

There is a new thread about Cinnamon too. So I would try Honey and Cinnamon and see what kind of lightening/stripping effect you get.

[NouvelleNymphe2]

Also check out this thread about lightening henna. The results are wow-worthy: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=19317

[song4sky]

I have the same problem where my hair keeps getting darker every time I dye it. I use Light Mountain Color the Gray. I started with so-called light brown. It was nice the first time, but kept getting darker. I switched to Mahogany because for this product I think that color has less indigo than light brown. However, the damage is done because my hair is already too dark to notice any difference. They are all just henna and indigo, but the ratio isn't specified (darn).

Here's a link showing the contrast over time. Any thoughts on whether it is the indigo content or the henna that is the main culprit? Next time I will try just the roots as suggested here. Hopefully that gives the rest more time to fade? I usually have to dye it every 3 weeks because the white hair shows up a lot more on dark hair, so I guess that's too much!

http://picasaweb.google.com/song4sky/Hair?authkey=Gv1sRgCOTv3K7wy7ajjwE&feat=email#

[LisaEvans]

I accidentally found a way to lighten hennaed hair. Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Shea Butter Shampoo. Most likely to be found in organic markets. I tried it because it looked pretty good, but I started seeing henna residue on my towels and the brilliant red started to fade. I stopped using it after 6 or 7 washes and the fading and towel residue stopped.

I don't know exactly how much fading you would get from it since I didn't use it all that long, but if nothing else works you can try it.

I hennaed my roots this weekend. I don't wear gloves because I absolutely cannot color my hair effectively with gloves on, and the shampoo did a spectacular job of removing the orange from my hands!

The website for the products is beautifulcurls.net

[indigonight]

Mix ratio 1 tbsp very simple clarifying shampoo, 2 tbsp baking soda, 1 whole fresh lemon mix in a non metal bowl using a non metal tool. Pour on head and fully cover hair. Leave 30 mins.
Shampoo, watch the henna pour off your head, condition twice. Rinse as usual.
Over time this will pull the henna from your hair. Do it every wash day and it wont damage your hair!!

[song4sky]

I accidentally found a way to lighten hennaed hair. Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Shea Butter Shampoo. Most likely to be found in organic markets. I tried it because it looked pretty good, but I started seeing henna residue on my towels and the brilliant red started to fade. I stopped using it after 6 or 7 washes and the fading and towel residue stopped.

Interesting. Was your hair recently hennaed when this happened and/or was it the first time? Or were you using henna for a while? I know it gets harder to remove with time, so I was curious what your situation was.

[Amber_Maiden]

Had been using it over time!

Sorry for not thanking everyone properly earlier- THANK YOU!!!! :D

[Ann Marie]

I would try 1/3 henna 2/3rd cassia for roots only...
even glosses build up!

But I am in your same boat....except demi color build up...
I was darkening to a med brown....build up from roots turned almost black! I have natural blond hair...

I used henna hut light brown....on roots only....It has indigo...did only a root gloss...hence...the demi color faded and the henna hut did not!
Don't know if it has metallic salts in it or not...but the indigo did not fade a lot.... So I have a band...it is blending as it grows....

I would suggest a cassia diluted henna since your base is darker than mine...and you will avoid the henna build up...once the indigo starts to fade....the red will show...and you can do a light gloss to blend....If yours is Lush"s henna it should fade better than mine..

Honey lightening also helped....there is a thread here...
Also you can try a weekly hard water removal treatment...removes mineral deposits...This was very gentle and removed about 25% of the color... Quickly...and gently...This was better than honey lightening...I think because honey remove a bit of the "base" of your natural color...and the build up remover actually removes what is attached to the hair:confused: I could be wrong! :cool:

Now the "band" is lt brown as opposed to drk brown...:rolleyes:

The chelator was called Ion hard water treatment....I still use the shampoo weekly....I co wash the rest of the week mostly...
This does have some sulfates...(the shampoo) But the Treatment is very gentle...just add water....it turns to a Gel...

Hope this helps and welcome!:D

[Ann Marie]

I would try 1/3 henna 2/3rd cassia for roots only...
even glosses build up!

But I am in your same boat....except demi color build up...
I was darkening to a med brown....build up from roots turned almost black! I have natural blond hair...

I used henna hut light brown....on roots only....It has indigo...did only a root gloss...hence...the demi color faded and the henna hut did not!
Don't know if it has metallic salts in it or not...but the indigo did not fade a lot.... So I have a band...it is blending as it grows....

I would suggest a cassia diluted henna since your base is darker than mine...and you will avoid the henna build up...once the indigo starts to fade....the red will show...and you can do a light gloss to blend....If yours is Lush"s henna it should fade better than mine..

Honey lightening also helped....there is a thread here...
Also you can try a weekly hard water removal treatment...removes mineral deposits...This was very gentle and removed about 25% of the color... Quickly...and gently...This was better than honey lightening...I think because honey remove a bit of the "base" of your natural color...and the build up remover actually removes what is attached to the hair:confused: I could be wrong! :cool:

Now the "band" is lt brown as opposed to drk brown...:rolleyes:

The chelator was called Ion hard water treatment....I still use the shampoo weekly....I co wash the rest of the week mostly...
This does have some sulfates...(the shampoo) But the Treatment is very gentle...just add water....it turns to a Gel...

Hope this helps and welcome!:D

(Just saw you are from Canada....There may not be a Sally's but they have a website...if not just look for Hard water treatment for hair...):poot:

[Amber_Maiden]

Huh... I might try that just for fun :)