Henna for black hair? & I don't mean African hair :/

[DrachenBelladon]

I am of Pakistani descent & I've been hennaing for a few years; I started in 7th grade, and have continued using it thrice a month. I am now entering 10th grade. My hair has taken on a coppery hue but still, at the same time it's black. The hue doesn't just show under sunlight, it show's through the black... does that make sense? :/
I was wondering how many applications of henna would it take to get the potential coppery red that it's been known for? I've tried Google-ing countless times, but always it shows results of African hair and how good it is, never really answering my question. Ugh, if only I was a brunette, I am sure it would show more easily :(

[Isilme]

Coppery hair? I'm not sure I understand what you mean but since henna can not lighten your hair it will never get lighter than the hair it was applied over. I don't think you can get coppery hair unless you bleach and then henna, your hair is too dark.

[jeanniet]

You can't get the coppery red henna color on your hair without lightening it first, no matter how much henna you use. You'll just get what you're getting now--the shine through the black--and with repeated applications the red color will become deeper, which can look very lovely.

[Anje]

I expect your hair will continue to look the way it currently does -- mostly black but apt to flare some fiery colors in the sun. Like Isilme said, henna on its own won't lighten your hair, and you seem to want results that are lighter than your natural hair color. It's mostly blonds and lighter brunettes that get a drastic color change -- you barely notice the fact that I'm growing out henna with my auburn hair, either.

Do some thinking about it, but what if you were to bleach some streaks in your hair? You could at least get some boldly henna-orange-burgundy stripes then. Saturating your hair with coconut oil a few hours before bleaching and then using the bleach right over the oil seems to prevent a lot of the damage.

[DrachenBelladon]

You can't get the coppery red henna color on your hair without lightening it first, no matter how much henna you use. You'll just get what you're getting now--the shine through the black--and with repeated applications the red color will become deeper, which can look very lovely.

That's exactly what I meant, I apologize for my poor choice of words. I want the color to deepen. I guess the copper tones can't be achieved without lightening the hair, but maybe a dark auburn? If so does anybody know the exact number of applications to achieve this?

[Nae]

I don't think the color is going to change from what you have. If you have been using henna three times a month for 2 or 3 years it is as deep as it is going to get. My hair is dark and hennaed as well, any red you see in the siggy is where I have grey hair. Sorry to disappoint.

[Nightshade]

I have to agree with everyone else, henna adds a translucent orange tint to the hair, so it's very much affected by your starting color. With naturally black hair you'll get an orangish glow in the sun, but it won't lift your hair at all.