Using black walnut to dye??

[FarmGirl]

Has anyone ever used black walnuts to dye their hair? I've heard both horror stories and people who absolutely loved their hair color afterwards... my hair color now is kinda cinnamon/mahogany color (hard to describe), so I'm not sure how the final result would look.
I guess I'm just looking to see if any of you have ever done this and how it turned out.

[TrudieCat]

I haven't done it but I've made ink from black walnuts and PHEEEWWWW does it smell!! Even the walnut ink you can buy in art stores smells a little, but nothing like the fresh stuff. Blecchhh. Lovely rich color, though.

[linda g]

Just... wear gloves. Black walnuts stain! (Which, I suppose is the point!)

[SpinDance]

I've not used it on hair, but I've dyed fabric with it. If there is iron in the solution it will range in color from very dark gray nearly black to gray. If there is copper in the solution it will give a sort of brassy bronze color. In all cases this is more a stain than a dye, and will wear out over time. If you think of the color called Confederate Gray in the US, that is sumac with iron. The fabric was most likely dyed in iron pots. I've gotten the same or darker color dying in a plastic bucket with nails in it.

[autumn_aqua]

I remember using the black walnut powder Henna for Hair used to sell; all I remember was it was a sludgy, grainy mess that didn't give a lot of color. Since then I've heard scary things about the juglones in walnut dye possibly being toxic. Not worth it, in my opinion.

[christine1989]

I've never heard of dying hair with walnuts. I assume they darken hair? Is it a temporary dye or a permanent one like henna?