Henna Demarcation Line - Is it even a possibility?

[RavenBaby]

I'm exploring the option of maybe henna-ing my hair, I'm just wondering if anyone knows from experience how henna blurs demarcation lines between light and dark hair. As I want to keep my length.. (and longer) I will have a demarcation between my blonde highlights (and some lowlights) and my medium brown roots for a long time. Will henna-ing my whole hair cause the demarcation line to appear more noticable/less and about the same? I'm afraid the henna would look really bright red on the blonde streaks and dull-ish and barely noticable on the medium brown virgin hair. I should do a test patch but I'm not sure what mix i should even use if I was to henna. (the mixes confuse me) what do you guys thinks?

[Magalo]

It depend what type of henna you use (dye content) and how big of a difference there is between your roots and highlights. I dyed my hair with box dye myself during like 5 years before I started using henna, so my color wasn't even AT ALL and henna blurred it perfectly! It's now all even. :)

[RavenBaby]

I'd use BAQ henna, the biggest dye content I could get a hold of :P

[Magalo]

Yeah but BAQ Jamila per example, have a lower dye content than BAQ Rajasthani! Chose wisely! :p

[RavenBaby]

is 3 grams of rajasthani henna enough for a good test patch (I think i'll chose a streak section of hair on my head and wrap it like tin foil of something) this website seems to offer a 3g test amount for 1.50 dollar with no shipping free to ireland http://www.mehandi.com/shop/hairhenna.html

is rajasthani's dye content one of the highest ones? (2.6% lawsone content) I'm looking for the high dye content possible.

[Magalo]

On hennasooq red raj is 3.29%! There! (http://www.hennasooq.com/red-raj/)

[HylianGirl]

As far as I know red raj is the one with the highest dye content (over 3%), rajasthani being very close though. But I heard that rajasthani tends to darken easily when many rajasthani henna layers are applied, so if you don't want it to go too dark, just redo the roots with it.

[RavenBaby]

If I want a colour that is not too dark or likely to get dark with multiple uses should I go for a lower dye content then? Like 2% or less or more D:

[SleepyTangles]

With multiple applications, any demarcation line under the henna will became more subtle. Maybe, if the difference is great, a little henndigo gloss on the lighter part can balance things out, but I'm not sure it will be needed.
You'll probably need to rock a ombrè look, but I think it will be subtle enough to seem "wanted", not a "I'm growing out old dye" stage.
As far as the demarcation line of henna on your brown roots... I don't find mine too blatant, although it is certainly visible.

edit: if you don't want a dark red, I think it's better to define your priorities. If the colour needs to be even as possible, you'll need to go on 2% of lawsone or more. If you are focused more on the kind of colour your virgin hair will have, stick with lower lawsone content hennas like Jamila.
What kind of red would you like? Warm red (auburn, copper) or more on the burgundy side?

(I did some henndigo before turning to henna. This evened out my medium/dark brown roots and my lenght, that was dyed caramel. Now roots and ends are still different, but for the opposite reason: ends are burgundish due to the high lawsone henna I used, roots are bronzey brown for low lawsone baq henna that I am using now. )

[RavenBaby]

What's holding me back is how dark the henna would get with multiple applications.. I'm afraid it'll go to a colour that is as dark as blackish brown which doesn't suit my skin tone.

[browneyedsusan]

My first henna was over a growing out salon dye (brunette) and faded red highlights. My natural color is medium ash brown and a lot of gray over my ears. I used a high lawsone henna and left it on 5 or 6 hours. It blended everything beautifully. You can see the results in my profile pic--same as my May 2012 siggy. I still have to touch up my roots every 3 weeks or so, but the obvious, white ones are on the sides, so they don't show too much!

Be sure to test, or use a hairball from your brush. (I had a pixie, and carefully collected 2" long sheds from the vanity top to test!) Wrap in in saran wrap or plastic wrap, I've heard henna can react with metals, but haven't had that experience. Mixes aren't a big deal. All the ingredients are just personal preference, and don't alter the color much. The key is to use BAQ henna and water, and wait for the dye to release.

You probably already know, but henna is rock-solid permanent for most people. Once it's in your hair, you won't be able to lift it. Ever. No highlights, no bleach, no nothing. If you want it out, you'll have to grow it out and cut it off. (You can dye over it a darker color, but the red will still flare in the sun.) You need to want red hair for a long time if you use henna.

[HylianGirl]

I only speak from what I've been researching online, I intend to henna my hair for the first time soon. Since I'm going for an auburn color I decided to try some jamila henna I ordered from ebay, which has lower dye content, since I'm not a fan of the burgundy color, I want it to look as natural as possible, but it's taking a while for it to get here (damn you international shipping *curses at the sky*). Still, I have virgin hair so I haven't really been seaching much about demarcation lines, though from what I heard henna tends to be very gentle on that, I heard that even the roots as they grow don't get the same defined line a chemichal dye job gives, specially if you're not straying too far away from your natural color.

Still, I think it wouldn't hurt to get a sample of rajasthani and testing on some shedded hairs.

[RavenBaby]

I just ordered the 3g rajasthani 2.7% test patch, Hope it comes soon. My shedded hairs are always just balls of hair on the brush so I can never see a good colour result looking at it after I dye it, I think i'll just dye a strand of my head hair lol.

[CrystalStar]

When I started hennaing over my bleached blonde hair I had no demarcation line at all, and the 2 colours were like night and day to each other! :) If you get yourself some good strong henna, get it right into the roots and leave it for 8 hours the dye should be so good that there wouldn't be a huge worry.

[browneyedsusan]

2 more cents: The top of my hair grows out very nicely, with no obvious demarcation line. I'm still mostly brown-headed up there, and the henna overlaid on the brown is moderately subtle, and the few grays aren't obvious. It's the snow-white temples that need the touch ups, but I do all of my roots at once, just because I like how the henna brightens it up. My temples stain a brighter than the top, but you can only notice it when I pull the sides back, and it looks very intentional. After you get the length the color you like, just do the roots as they grow out, and you'll have some control over the buildup. It takes a long time for henna to build up, but henna can't make your hair lighter, only darker. When you first henna, the light parts of your hair might be day-glow orange. Don't freak out. It will oxidize and brown down in the next few days. (I really like the bright copper of a fresh henna, and wish there was some way to keep it!)

[browneyedsusan]

2 more cents: The top of my hair grows out very nicely, with no obvious demarcation line. I'm still mostly brown-headed up there, and the henna overlaid on the brown is moderately subtle, and the few grays aren't obvious. It's the snow-white temples that need the touch ups, but I do all of my roots at once, just because I like how the henna brightens it up. My temples stain a brighter than the top, but you can only notice it when I pull the sides back, and it looks very intentional. After you get the length the color you like, just do the roots as they grow out, and you'll have some control over the buildup. It takes a long time for henna to build up, but henna can't make your hair lighter, only darker. When you first henna, the light parts of your hair might be day-glow orange. Don't freak out. It will oxidize and brown down in the next few days. (I really like the bright copper of a fresh henna, and wish there was some way to keep it!)

[coffinhert]

You should do the dark and light separately. Do the dark parts with a more dilute henna (I mix mine half with cassia). Do the blonde part with a thicker paste for more dye content and you might have to do a couple layers to get it darker.

I had my hair dyed light red and it faded and didn't match my medium brown roots and I used henna+indigo to even it out gradually over a couple months. Now I just put henna+cassia on my roots and never do the length because it is the right darkness to match my roots. Worked like a charm. I think you can see pictures in my albums.

Henna is permanent though so I hope you want red hair for many years if you're doing this.