What am I doing wrong with my henna?

[prettyinpink]

Hey guys!

I've been attempting to make my already strawberry blonde hair more red. The color dosent stain the bottom half of my hair, where I use to sun-in like a mad women. It's not damaged though. I have been mixing 1-2tbs of moroccan henna with anywhere from 1 drop-1tsp of warm lemon juice and some water. I let it sit in the dark for 1.5hrs (moroccan henna activates quickly) then I mix with conditioner, and let sit in my hair for 40min. My hands will be slightly orange for a few days and my nails are stained. The top half is a pretty firey orange, and the bottom is still blonde. I got my henna from a guy with a good reputation, i dont think he would sell old henna

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

ps, is it strange my nails are stained orange? Shouldnt it be red?

[Salmonberry]

I've heard of henna not taking as well to bleached hair. Sun-in is basically peroxide, so it sounds like it's not sticking well to the bleached parts of your hair. Your bleached parts could need more time with the henna on them, or maybe a stronger concentration. You could also try a light protein treatment on the lightened parts only, but I'm not authority on that. It's just a guess. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

Oh and henna is an orange-red dye. At low concentrations it stains orange and then builds up to red the longer you leave it on. Multiple applications can build up to more red, even burgundy, with time.

[Flor]

Do you pile hair up on top, use plastic wrap and wear something warm (hat, scarf, towel)? Henna needs heat. If you don't provide even heating, your roots will warm up from your body heat and length will be left cold.

If that's not the reason, then it's simply different hair properties at the roots and the ends.

[lapushka]

Mixing with conditioner means you're only doing a gloss instead of a full application, which is weaker.

[Flor]

Mixing with conditioner means you're only doing a gloss instead of a full application, which is weaker.

Not the point here, since she gets the color she wants on the roots.

[MonaMayfair]

I've never done a gloss, only full strength henna or henna/cassia mix, so I don't know if that is a typical amount of time to leave the mixture on, but it's obviously because the ends are bleached and are taking (or not taking) up the color differently. The only solution i can think of is to just gloss the ends (for a longer time) and see if the color shows up.

[prettyinpink]

You are awsome! I re-hennaed my hair and used a cap, then rinsed with ice cold water to try to seal the color in, and now i have even color

THANK YOU!!! :happydance:

[Isilme]

You may experience some fading on the damaged parts as it tends to not hold colour as well as virgin hair. Just keep hittin it with henna and it will stick. Just be careful to not over do it.

[Anje]

Glad it's working for you now. Just wanted to add that it's not word that your nails go orange. I intentionally henna my nails and they tend to be a terra cotta color at best. Shorter exposure to henna would definitely make them yellow to orange.