Tea Tree Oil for Henna/ Hendigo Removal

**Gigglyfart** · January 28th, 2014, 10:45 AM

I've been lurking and lurking in these forums since I was unable to register and post here, but now that I can, I have to tell you about my tea tree experiment!

A little back history:
After a few year break from using henna, I put some on about six months ago. (I love it, love how it smells, love how it blends with my hair, it's great and wonderful... )

But then about two months ago, I got the bright idea to throw some indigo in the mix. This was an attempt to distract myself from wanting to cut bangs. I did about half henna/ half indigo. Big mistake. I didn't anticipate it being so... indigo colored? The blue and purpleish burgundy tones made me look like a little witch leftover from halloween. Not good with my skin tone, and looked very artificial. At this point I started to just want my regular ol brown hair back.

I almost cut it all off. I used some jazzing in a dark brown shade to temporarily cover the yuck tones. I tried to not look in the mirror. I bought color oops and did a test strip and it didn't do a damn thing. I read every single thread in this forum about henna and indigo removal... or so I thought.

Two days ago I ran across a little thing someone suggested about tea tree oil helping to loosen henna, and thought "what the hey!"

I mixed about a tablespoon of tea tree oil with about two tablespoons of my regular shampoo (Shea Moisture moisture retention) and put it on damp hair, and covered it with a fancy plastic grocery bag and left it on for an hour. Then i rinsed it out.

I followed that with a hot coconut oil treatment.

IT WORKED. The purply parts are pretty much gone, the henna is lighter all over, and I can see my natural highlights!!! I bet that it'll be back to natural in three or four more shampoo treatments. I'm collecting pictures and will post them as soon as I figure out how!

**spirals** · January 29th, 2014, 02:24 AM

Oh, cool! I've been hesitant to do henna since it's so permanent. If I know there's an out, I may do a henndigo.
And it's always good to have tea tree on hand anyway.

**JLeighs** · January 29th, 2014, 06:29 AM

Yep! I posted a thread about that (not sure if it's the same thread you're referring to) and it definitely works! I removed an application of henna using tea tree oil. I was very, very happy.

**Gigglyfart** · January 29th, 2014, 09:56 AM

Yes JLeighs, it was your thread! Thanks so much for sharing. I'm so psyched! !

**heyred** · January 30th, 2014, 02:09 PM

Hi Gigglyfart (terrific name!), did you take any pics of your success?
Thanks,

**Gigglyfart** · February 22nd, 2014, 02:50 PM

If it's ever sunny again, I will take some pictures to share! Ive done another treatment and the indigo is totally gone, and henna is only on my ends and my greys.

**LadyAdelina** · March 19th, 2014, 03:59 PM

Hi.
I'm wondering how this would work with henna over damaged, bleached hair. I have about a year's worth of virgin (blonde) hair and I'm getting so tired of the orange lengths. Does this dry or damage your hair at all? Mine's bad enough, I'm looking for a method that won't make it worse.

**lindsayhv** · March 20th, 2014, 07:22 AM

I did a vitamin c treatment last night to try and lighten my henna, but have not done the tea tree treatment yet. My goal is to keep it with SOME henna but to lighten the top part for a better transition to my roots which would be a darkish blonde (ashier) color so I have only done this treatment on the top of my head, like to my ears. I like the red....so I don't want it gone completely....I don't think, but then again, I go through phases....The color under my length's henna is damaged, bleached blonde.