Henna vs. Protein Treatments?
I'd like to strengthen some of the soft, fine hairs around my hairline and nape. I've used a light protein shampoo and conditioner before and liked the result, so I don't think I'm protein sensitive.
I've thought about henna, since I hear it functions a lot like protein, but I'm chicken about permanently altering my hair. I'm not sure about starting something that I have to keep up. That said, I might be over-scrupulous. My hair is level 3, or about as dark brown as hair can be before it starts getting confused with black. The henna might not show up, I suppose.
Has anyone here used both henna and protein treatments? If someone could compare the two for me, I'd really appreciate it. Otherwise, I'd love to hear from dark-haired henna users. Protein treatment recommendations would also be welcome. Thanks!
Re: Henna vs. Protein Treatments?
I love the way you describe your hair color -- dark as brown can be before it's called black-- and before I started hennaing, I'd have described my hair the same same way.
I use smelly Aphogee protein every couple of months, and I also occasionally use conditioner with protein. I've henna'ed about once a month since September. I'm planning to step up the henna now.
There's really no way to compare the 2 treatments. The protein treatment strengthens my hair, and that's about it. I've done it for so long that I don't even remember what my hair was like without it. I assume whatever protein you use, you see benefits from it? I'm hoping I understand your question.
The henna is a horse of a completely different color. It's given me a whole new head of hair, and I don't remember feeling that way about the protein. It's done nothing but good for me. I caught myself in a store mirror the other day and the beauty of my hair color nearly floored me. I get non-stop compliments on it.
You need worry about a color change, IMO, only if you have significant gray close to your face.
When I first started hennaing, I thought of myself as a very dark brown-haired person with premature gray streaks :-( It turned out I was wrong about that. In addition to the gray strands, I have 2 clusters of solid gray right at my temples. But they weren't part of my self-concept. So I picked a henna based on how it would look on brown hair, and went for it.
The henna I chose looked fantabulous on my brown-- and ridiculous on those gray clusters. I mean Bozo the clown ridiculous. I ended up doing a lot of work (fun work) to get the color on my grays where I wanted it, and I started by re-thinking of myself as a gray-haired person. That was a bit traumatic. (I don't have the makings of a Renegray.)
So I say, go ahead, but think about your grays, if any. You can mix henna with cassia or indigo to play with the color, and you can use cassia if you really want no color change. Henna's conditioning benefits have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and the color is magnificent. The only thing you might want to watch out for is if you don't want to go into the burgundy range. Other than that, I think henna can only make your hair color more beautiful. With hair as dark as yours, you really can't go wrong.
Re: Henna vs. Protein Treatments?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
glossyshine
I love the way you describe your hair color -- dark as brown can be before it's called black-- and before I started hennaing, I'd have described my hair the same same way.
There's really no way to compare the 2 treatments. The protein treatment strengthens my hair, and that's about it. I've done it for so long that I don't even remember what my hair was like without it. I assume whatever protein you use, you see benefits from it? I'm hoping I understand your question....
...So I say, go ahead, but think about your grays, if any. You can mix henna with cassia or indigo to play with the color, and you can use cassia if you really want no color change. Henna's conditioning benefits have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and the color is magnificent. The only thing you might want to watch out for is if you don't want to go into the burgundy range. Other than that, I think henna can only make your hair color more beautiful. With hair as dark as yours, you really can't go wrong.
Ditto on what glossyshine said.
Personally, I make a hair mask. I save the egg yolks when I eat egg whites. I blend a couple yolks with a whole avocado, approx. 1 tsp of evoo and 2 tsp. honey, then glop it on my hair. Wrap with saran wrap. Work at home for 30 minutes or longer (up to 2 hours if you want), then rinse out. I follow up with a 5 minute natural conditioner. Some people would use a mild shampoo and conditioner afterwards, but I need all the moisture I can get.
Sometimes, if I'm short on time, I mix the egg yolks into my organic conditioner that I buy from www.JustNaturalHairCare.com and I think that gives my hair the protein it craves. (At least, I hope so!) They also have an organic protein treatment that is supposed to be excellent. I haven't tried it yet, but here's the link: http://justnaturalhaircare.com/hair/...-for-hair.html There is also a glossy conditioner called, "So Natural" by Saba Botanicals that I use when I cowash and sometimes I'll add yolks to. Wrap hair with saran wrap and leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse out. I do my "egg yolk" treatment about once a week.
I henna my hair to either soft black or jet black depending on how much time I have on my hands. If I'm in kind of a hurry: it's soft black. I use "Lustrous Henna", an all natural pure henna mixed with indigo. When I have time on my hands: it's jet black. I use pure henna, then follow-up with indigo. I buy all my henna stuff from www.SabaBotanical.com because it's natural and lab-tested. I like their new blog too: www.LustrousHenna.com
I wish you lots of happiness with your hair!:cheese:
Re: Henna vs. Protein Treatments?
Thanks glossyshine, that was very helpful. I don't have grays, but I do have some natural highlights. They're medium to light brown and might go pretty orange with a full treatment. I think I'll start with cassia or a light henna gloss and build up from there. Slow and steady never hurt, right? I haven't used any protein treatments before, just a strengthening shampoo and conditioner, but I'm going to add one in.
I may take your suggestion, nylatinjazz, and use the egg. I hear it can be potent, so I may start with one yolk to a cup or so of conditioner and leave it under a processing cap. I'm also eyeing these treatments with amino acids. There's some research floating around that they might actually reverse damage inside the hair. I'm skeptical, but who knows?
