What is indigo?

[Long_hair_bear]

Hey chappies! Forgive my noob question, but I searched the threads and couldn't find a satisfactory answer. What is indigo? What color does it turn your hair? Does it apply like henna? Do you need to do more than one application? Where do you get it?

Thanks in advance!

[Loviatar]

Indigo is a b*stard ;)

Rule 1: it does not bleach out. Ever. Ask me how I know. Twice.

It's the ground up leaves of indigofera tinctoria plants. It yields a blue dye. Bright blue. If applied on top of henna in a two step process it gives black hair (or very very dark brown in my first whole head application.) if mixed with henna it pushes Henna red more towards brown shades. But I find it is hard to work with. I wanted to keep my first-application dark brown, was a total noob so didn't do roots-only, and so after two full heads I had pure black.. Which I was then stuck with. Until I tried to bleach it out. I'll find a photo and show you what happened!

It does work for many folks. But not me.

It smells worse than henna IMO, powder is bright green and having it on my head makes me feel nauseated, especially on an empty stomach. It is harder to apply because it's like wet sand. You can mix xanthan gum into it to make application easier.

You can get it from most henna vendors, mehandi, henna boy, henna sooq I think.

It does not bleach out... Have I mentioned this?!

[Lissandria]

Indigo is very tricky and very fickle. It is very sensitive to pH- it will render itself useless (ie little colour deposit) with the slightest acidity. Sometimes it will stick really well in two-step root applications, other times it will not for no apparent reason.

In favour of indigo- the two-step henndigo brown/black is very natural looking, completely different from conventional black hair dye which usually looks very false IMO.

[Hairitic]

Indigo is what was used to dye Levi's blue jeans originally. ;)

Lots of fiber crafters still use it to get that certain shade of blue, particularly on cotton, and very often on wool, silk and blends of natural fibers. It works on animal and cellulose fibers.

[Long_hair_bear]

Mk, bad idea.... check! :run:

[jeanniet]

Indigo often doesn't stick when you want it to, and is impossible to remove when you don't. ;) Like henna, don't do it unless you're really, really sure you want it.

[Loviatar]

That's exactly what I found, jeanniet! It's like it knows what you want and then does the opposite :lol:

[Unofficial_Rose]

Mixed with henna it used to give me a beautiful chocolate/coffee bean brown colour, which sadly fades and leaves a dull brick red.

Even when you think it's all washed out, because you cannot see a trace in your hair, hair will go a nasty green shade if lightened.

Loviatar is right, it is a b*stard. Unless you want two step black hair and are happy to grow it out and cut it off when you're done.

[RavennaNight]

I've had success with indigo, but my needs are simple. Black hair. And, Black hair. ;) I don't plan on changing that, if I did I would go the hard way and grow it out the dark blonde that it is. I have considered, but I'm not ready for that step.

I agree with Loviatar regarding the upset empty stomach syndrome caused by indigo. It's a curious anomaly and don't know the science behind why that happens. If you use it, I encourage eating a full meal beforehand and maybe snacks for during.

[Isilme]

I once read about an older member (haven't seen her in ages and don't remember exactly who) she wanted blue black and it would take, but then after the first wash it would always fade to a dark brown. Her hands were blue if she handles her hair wet when freshly dyed. I think it was indigo she used.
A couple of years ago I had a black streak at my temple which I used to dye with indigo, despite it being several years and with two sessions of Color B4 and some sun-in I can still see where the indigo is.
http://www.hennaforhair.com/indigo/

[RedRavenCurls58]

How does henna react over the 2 step process? Like, if someone were to do the 2 step (henna, then indigo) and a week later do just henna?

[RavennaNight]

How does henna react over the 2 step process? Like, if someone were to do the 2 step (henna, then indigo) and a week later do just henna?

No. You can henna over it, the henna will stick, and you will gain the conditioning benefits of the henna. You will not see much red. Maybe just a glow under sunshine, but the difference will be negligible.