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Orangerthanred
October 25th, 2011, 05:26 PM
I might henna my hair for the sake of making my hair stronger, since my hair is damaged. I have some questions.

Is there any way to 'tone down' the colour of henna? [My hair is already naturally orangeish, I don't want to turn my hair super red.]

Where can you buy henna [not online] cheap?

What are the downsides/side affects of henna?

How do you apply it on your own hair without making a giant mess?

Should I get cassia instead?

caribou55313
October 25th, 2011, 06:15 PM
You can tone down the color of henna by not using very much of it - dilute a tsp or Tbsp in a cup of conditioner and do it as a gloss for about 2 hours. That will just add a little bit of orangey warmth to your hair, and a bit of shine and strength- not as much as a full strength henna treatment.

Or you can add buxus or indigo to the henna for a browner color.

You can often find henna cheap in your local Indian or Pakistani grocery. Jamila is a good brand to look for. The kind sold for body art will usually be stronger, fresher, and better sifted.

Downsides? It's permanent. It's orange/red. It may change your hair texture in a way you don't like (your hair may feel thicker, less fine, less wavy - or not). All of these things are benefits of course, but if you don't like them, you may consider them side effects.

Your first time applying it you will make a mess :) and after that you will get better with practice. Watch some youtube videos about applying henna and you'll see how people do it.

You should get cassia if you don't want a permanent orange/red dye in your hair. It will add thickness, some strength, some shine (not as much as henna, IMO) and won't change your color unless your hair is white, gray, or light blonde, in which case it will add a light yellow-gold color.

lastnite
October 26th, 2011, 09:45 AM
you can do a gloss like suggested.

IMO -the benefits of henna fade overtime. it'll still have some of the shine and thicker (coarser?) feeling strands of hair, but not like the weeks right after a henna. it's one of those things you have to keep using to see the benefits, and you'll have to accept the hair color henna gives you if you want those benefits.

you could try cassia first, or you could also try catnip tea rinses which can help improve the condition of your hair without going more red.