So I bought henna today to try it...

[MariaPon]

But being the MAJOR WUSS I am, I only applied it to the ends of the left half of my hair (lol).
Now I'm wondering what on earth have I done, feels scary but good scary!

And a question- I mixed my henna with some chamomile tea, and it color-released pretty fast. As in around an hour. Is that normal?

Also, any tips on how to decide what to do with my hair? As in, do it all or not? I just really like my natural hair color, but that orange! It's magnificent!!!

ETA: So I washed it out. And then realized that it's magnificent and put more henna on a much bigger part of my hair, now symmetrical. At the rate this is going, tomorrow I'll be a complete henna head :magic:

[lapushka]

O-oh. I see trouble headed this way. ;) :p No, just kidding. Congrats on going to the dark side (haven't been there in years). :lol:

[Nightshade]

Hahahhaa yes, if you mixed up your henna with warm chamomile tea, it will dye release very quickly!

I look forward to your henna-bug induced pictures :lol:

[Anje]

I probably should warn you that repeated layers of henna will get darker and more red than orange. I wish someone had told me that when I fell in love with that flaming orange color and kept trying to get more.

ETA: That said, roots applications are pretty easy and really forgiving for things like overlap. I use a bottle like this, loaded up with henna paste, to fill them in. I usually put my hair in about 4 quadrants to make sure I get it all.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17676&d=1434123464

[browneyedsusan]

Welcome to the club!

Yours in hennaing her roots every few weeks,
browneyedsusan

[MariaPon]

O-oh. I see trouble headed this way. ;) :p No, just kidding. Congrats on going to the dark side (haven't been there in years). :lol:

Ooooh so much trouble xD I'm in too deep...


Hahahhaa yes, if you mixed up your henna with warm chamomile tea, it will dye release very quickly!

I look forward to your henna-bug induced pictures :lol:

Pictures coming right up! I have some pretty ones in the sunnnn


I probably should warn you that repeated layers of henna will get darker and more red than orange. I wish someone had told me that when I fell in love with that flaming orange color and kept trying to get more.

ETA: That said, roots applications are pretty easy and really forgiving for things like overlap. I use a bottle like this, loaded up with henna paste, to fill them in. I usually put my hair in about 4 quadrants to make sure I get it all.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17676&d=1434123464

Thank you! I know it will end up red with multiple applications... A shame it won't just become brighter and brighter orange :P
Sadly, I'm still not at the root point... I put henna pretty much from my ears down at the moment :)


Welcome to the club!

Yours in hennaing her roots every few weeks,
browneyedsusan

Why thank you! Not going anywhere soon *-*

[MariaPon]

So what ended up happening is, I put henna on the ends of the left half of hair, then loved it and put some henna on both sides from ears down approximately. However, I woke up and realized that my right half is not as bright and AWESOME, so right now I'm sitting here with henna on the right half to make up for it :P
Thankfully, over here there is ALWAYS sun, so taking pictures was fuuuuun :)

Right after the first application, ends vs. roots
http://i63.tinypic.com/111i6tj.jpg

AND NOW WITH FLASH
http://i68.tinypic.com/10dac7a.jpg

Today in the sun
http://i64.tinypic.com/drb6he.jpg

Today without sun
http://i67.tinypic.com/10moux3.jpg

God, this made my natural-honey-ish cold blond into this GORGEOUS orange-shiny-glowy :magic: kind of color. I'm in love.

[lapushka]

Looks like you got some henna highlights. Very pretty! :D

[browneyedsusan]

ooh! :eye:
Super snazzy! :)

[MariaPon]

Looks like you got some henna highlights. Very pretty! :D

They're not going to be just highlights for very long ;D I'll let it be for a few days to see what will become of it and then decide if I'm all in :)


ooh! :eye:
Super snazzy! :)

Thank you! Now to hoping that it'll stay this way :P

[Nightshade]

Oh so pretty! Just don't overlap and you'll be fine. Repeat applications will darken it up on you.

[MariaPon]

Oh so pretty! Just don't overlap and you'll be fine. Repeat applications will darken it up on you.

Thank you :D But if I just let it be will it stay this fiery orange or will it fade drastically?

[gingerknits]

Welcome to the henna side! :happydance:

[Nightshade]

Thank you :D But if I just let it be will it stay this fiery orange or will it fade drastically?

It'll dull a little as it oxidizes, but it shouldn't fade :)

[Angela_Rose]

Ooh, how pretty!!

[MariaPon]

It'll dull a little as it oxidizes, but it shouldn't fade :)
Well I'll just need to see how much is "little" ;)


Welcome to the henna side! :happydance:

Ooh, how pretty!!

Thank you both so much! :D :flower:

[browneyedsusan]

Ya. It'll brown down a little over the next few days.

[MariaPon]

Ya. It'll brown down a little over the next few days.

Is there any way to keep it from dulling? :( I'm in love with the vibrant orange and would hate to have it go away :'(

[Nightshade]

Is there any way to keep it from dulling? :( I'm in love with the vibrant orange and would hate to have it go away :'(

Hahahahahha Welcome to the battle Anje and I face. XD We both like "can be seen from space orange."

Sadly no. Diluted henna blends do oxidize less (I use 65% cassia, 35% henna) and it stays more coppery. Another option is to hit it with something like Sun-In to brighten it up, but oxidization happens :(

[MariaPon]

Hahahahahha Welcome to the battle Anje and I face. XD We both like "can be seen from space orange."

Sadly no. Diluted henna blends do oxidize less (I use 65% cassia, 35% henna) and it stays more coppery. Another option is to hit it with something like Sun-In to brighten it up, but oxidization happens :(

You break my heart :wail: So should I use the blend as a "now and again over what's hennaed" thing, or is it what you use as the dye itself?
I am going to find the solution one day, and then we'll all be seen from space as moving-orange-glowy beings.

[Nightshade]

Ah, all any more henna, even diluted, is going to do is make it darker :wail: It's unfair, I know.

That said, Sun-In will make it more orange again, but sit it out and see how much you darken up first :)

[maborosi]

Hahahahahha Welcome to the battle Anje and I face. XD We both like "can be seen from space orange."

Sadly no. Diluted henna blends do oxidize less (I use 65% cassia, 35% henna) and it stays more coppery. Another option is to hit it with something like Sun-In to brighten it up, but oxidization happens :(

Whaaaat. I never knew this. No wonder my diluted blends come out so much more vibrant.

[Nightshade]

Whaaaat. I never knew this. No wonder my diluted blends come out so much more vibrant.

Well yes and no? There's just less henna TO oxidize, so the net color once it does so is still more orange :)

[maborosi]

Well yes and no? There's just less henna TO oxidize, so the net color once it does so is still more orange :)

Oh yes of course, that makes a lot more sense.

[lapushka]

Is there any way to keep it from dulling? :( I'm in love with the vibrant orange and would hate to have it go away :'(

Nope. It will dull down. Nothing can beat the first application! Nothing can near it, is what I'm saying. If you want to have this color forever, you'll *only* need to do root touch ups from now on, not go over the length again!!!

[MariaPon]

Ah, all any more henna, even diluted, is going to do is make it darker :wail: It's unfair, I know.

That said, Sun-In will make it more orange again, but sit it out and see how much you darken up first :)


How long should I wait to see it's "final form"? :(


Nope. It will dull down. Nothing can beat the first application! Nothing can near it, is what I'm saying. If you want to have this color forever, you'll *only* need to do root touch ups from now on, not go over the length again!!!

But if I only do roots it won't keep the rest bright and orange :(

Oh well, so far it doesn't seem to darken up too much... Hopefully it'll stay like that.

Also, is there a certain amount of applications that will result in red? Because so far I've done two and they're not too red, but I noticed that I missed a few strands so I'm considering doing my entire head, including the parts that are already hennaed to cover EVERYTHING...

[lapushka]

But if I only do roots it won't keep the rest bright and orange :(

Oh well, so far it doesn't seem to darken up too much... Hopefully it'll stay like that.

Also, is there a certain amount of applications that will result in red? Because so far I've done two and they're not too red, but I noticed that I missed a few strands so I'm considering doing my entire head, including the parts that are already hennaed to cover EVERYTHING...

My henna never faded, so it should normally keep its color, of course it will oxidize, but after that the color should still be there. Also depends in what light you view it. I always got a brown shade indoors, but a bright fireball red in the sunshine. So, that's henna for you.

I think you will still see the highlights in it after consecutive applications, because there's more henna in some strands, because you applied more times to those strands.

[Nightshade]

Final Form should occur by the end of the third day.

That sounds really ominous.

[Nightshade]

How long should I wait to see it's "final form"? :(



But if I only do roots it won't keep the rest bright and orange :(

Oh well, so far it doesn't seem to darken up too much... Hopefully it'll stay like that.

Also, is there a certain amount of applications that will result in red? Because so far I've done two and they're not too red, but I noticed that I missed a few strands so I'm considering doing my entire head, including the parts that are already hennaed to cover EVERYTHING...

In this case, I would do a more dilute blend for your whole head. The bits that have henna won't darken up as much, the bits that don't will be brighter, and then you can just do your roots :)

[MariaPon]

Final Form should occur by the end of the third day.

That sounds really ominous.

xD The henna oracle has spoken, now I must bring a blood sacrifice and preform the ancient ritual.


In this case, I would do a more dilute blend for your whole head. The bits that have henna won't darken up as much, the bits that don't will be brighter, and then you can just do your roots :)

Makes sense... Can I use regular senna to dilute it or should I try to get cassia and not risk it?

[Nightshade]

xD The henna oracle has spoken, now I must bring a blood sacrifice and preform the ancient ritual.



Makes sense... Can I use regular senna to dilute it or should I try to get cassia and not risk it?

If by regular senna you mean senna Alexandra then yes :)

From my blog:

Senna alexandrea is a close relative to Senna italica, which most people refer to as Cassia obovata. The yellow color in Senna comes from Chrysophanic acid, which is also what gives it the conditioning benefits to both scalp and hair. After some testing, we've found Senna alexandrea that has very, very high levels of Chrysophanic acid.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axUg9KpML6I/VVnr2l1LH6I/AAAAAAAANRg/046QOTo_WlM/s800-Ic42/Cassia-vs-Senna.jpg

That's Senna italica (cassia obovata) on the left and Senna alexandrea on the right, tested on white mohair for 2 hours
I was a little skeptical when I investigated this, but I was happily surprised to find that not only did the Senna alexandrea produce great stain, but the mud also had a gel-like consistency, much like one finds with henna.

[MariaPon]

If by regular senna you mean senna Alexandra then yes :)

From my blog:

Senna alexandrea is a close relative to Senna italica, which most people refer to as Cassia obovata. The yellow color in Senna comes from Chrysophanic acid, which is also what gives it the conditioning benefits to both scalp and hair. After some testing, we've found Senna alexandrea that has very, very high levels of Chrysophanic acid.

That's Senna italica (cassia obovata) on the left and Senna alexandrea on the right, tested on white mohair for 2 hours
I was a little skeptical when I investigated this, but I was happily surprised to find that not only did the Senna alexandrea produce great stain, but the mud also had a gel-like consistency, much like one finds with henna.

Oh god Nightshade, you just made my day <3

[Nightshade]

hahahhaa you're welcome :D And so henna-bitten I just find it adorable XD

[MariaPon]

hahahhaa you're welcome :D And so henna-bitten I just find it adorable XD

What can I say, henna is just wonderful :crush:
(Also suddenly discovering it's awesomeness consumed me lol)