Henna Questions!

[Cherriezzzzz]

I've a few questions about what your experience with henna has been on the texture of your hair...

I've tipped my big toe into henna only by trying a Chagrin Valley henna shampoo bar, so inexperienced doesn't even begin to describe me. I've used almost all the other shampoo bars from CV, and the henna bar made my hair crazy frizzy.

But real henna, does it make your hair feel thicker? Smoother? My bestie uses henna and she says her hair tangles now? I thought since henna coated the outer cuticle of the hair, that would result in smoother hair?

As far as my pathetic attempt to "try" henna in a shampoo bar, if henna is, as I've read, so conditioning, why the crazy amount of frizz?! I can't seem to put the puzzle together.

As a natural redhead I eventually want to start using henna to keep my red bright and youthful looking as I get older. Would a henna gloss, which I barely even know what that means, be better suited to my needs?

Random thought: are there any gentlemen with hennaed hair on LHC?

Thanks for any and all thoughts!

[Obsidian]

Henna really helped a lot with my frizz and did make individual hairs thicker. My fine hair went to normal after a few full head applications.
I had softer, smoother hair except for the first few days after application. Henna leaves a resin on the hair that always felt weird to me but it washed out after a couple washes.

I lost curl, that was the one big draw back for me. My curls are weak, doesn't take much to lose them.
Henna like everything else, acts differently for everyone. Some people get really dry, frizzy hairs. Others like me, get great conditioning. The henna bar could have other reasons why it makes your hair frizzy.

A gloss is a way to freshen color or add lighter amounts of henna. You take 1/2-1 cup conditioner and mix in a couple tablespoons of dye released henna mud. I don't know how much color this actually deposits, I only did it a few times and by then, my hair was pretty dark.

[lapushka]

I got (contrary to what most experience), more frizz, more waves in my hair, much more "poof", and the texture felt like it had been bleached. I just couldn't take the henna. My hair felt a lot drier than usual. That meant that the first week I barely needed to wash it. But the second week the oily roots were back, but my ends remained dry as hay.

No way, no how. No more henna for me!

[Cherriezzzzz]

Ok... I do have some fine hair (at my temples) but the rest isn't fine. Obsidian my bestie has fine hair, even though hers tangles now, she loves her henna head! But my curls are also very easy to loosen!

Lapushka I think, we might have similar hair? I'm absolutely worried my hair would do the same thing as yours. Have you ever found color other then permanent dye, which isn't henna that had more favorable results?

I'm crazy about using natural hair products, but I also have developed recent sensitivity to commercial shampoos about a year ago now. So I'm hesitant to ever use dye. I've used it in the past... but my Dr is looking into autoimmune issues with me, so it could be just my body changing.

I think trying henna with conditioner (henna gloss) perhaps on the underneath portion of my hair would be my first step. Maybe even a patch test on my wrist? Or my back hahaha no one can see a red spot on my back!

[lapushka]

Ok... I do have some fine hair (at my temples) but the rest isn't fine. Obsidian my bestie has fine hair, even though hers tangles now, she loves her henna head! But my curls are also very easy to loosen!

Lapushka I think, we might have similar hair? I'm absolutely worried my hair would do the same thing as yours. Have you ever found color other then permanent dye, which isn't henna that had more favorable results?

I'm crazy about using natural hair products, but I also have developed recent sensitivity to commercial shampoos about a year ago now. So I'm hesitant to ever use dye. I've used it in the past... but my Dr is looking into autoimmune issues with me, so it could be just my body changing.

I think trying henna with conditioner (henna gloss) perhaps on the underneath portion of my hair would be my first step. Maybe even a patch test on my wrist? Or my back hahaha no one can see a red spot on my back!

I think I would test on shed hair first. Take your time collecting sheds.

The thing is how your scalp is going to react! I have had good results with L'Oréal Préférence; that is my favorite dye!

[Obsidian]

Yep, test sheds to see how it makes your hair feel. If possible get straight sheds instead of a hair ball so you can run your fingers down it. Most people don't get dry hair with henna but its always a possibility.
Are you looking to full on henna orange or just a strawberry blond? Depending on your natural shade of red, you might be able to get away with a cassia/henna blend. I would have liked to use cassia and went more strawberry but my hair didn't like cassia, made it feel weird and coated.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I think I would test on shed hair first. Take your time collecting sheds.

The thing is how your scalp is going to react! I have had good results with L'Oréal Préférence; that is my favorite dye!

I get my hair from my grandmother... That is her dye too! Haha

[Cherriezzzzz]

Yep, test sheds to see how it makes your hair feel. If possible get straight sheds instead of a hair ball so you can run your fingers down it. Most people don't get dry hair with henna but its always a possibility.
Are you looking to full on henna orange or just a strawberry blond? Depending on your natural shade of red, you might be able to get away with a cassia/henna blend. I would have liked to use cassia and went more strawberry but my hair didn't like cassia, made it feel weird and coated.

I'm a bit brighter then Isla Fischer. Although if we were standing next to each other we'd probably look identical, unless we stepped into the sun... closer to Angie Everhart in brightness.

Strawberry isn't possible for me I'm too dark. I'd love it though... My son has the most gorgeous strawberry blonde ever! My level is 7. Cassia... It's henna without colour deposit?

I really got to get pics up on LHC LOL! My one year growth pics are next month... then I'll have pics in an album to refer any help to!

[Obsidian]

Should be able to match your natural color pretty well with henna. If you decide to try it, message nightshade, she is the queen of henna blends and will be able to give best advice. She also sells blends on etsy and can help you pick the best one.

Cassia is not henna without color though thats how it is often marketed. Its a whole different plant that produces a yellow dye. On darker hair its pretty much colorless but on light hair, it can give a yellow or golden tiny. Unlike henna, it is not permanent. Some people get conditioning properties from it but I found its best use is for diluting henna to produce a lighter and brighter orange.

[Nightshade]

I don't think a very alkaline shampoo bar is a good test of what henna will do. My hair frizzes to hell and back with shampoo bars but is fine with henna.

Henna did knock down my waves, boost the shine, make it glossy as hell, but I do notice if I pet my hair backwards (from tip to root) it can feel a little grabby. It's like glass from root to tip, though.

[Nightshade]

Should be able to match your natural color pretty well with henna. If you decide to try it, message nightshade, she is the queen of henna blends and will be able to give best advice. She also sells blends on etsy and can help you pick the best one.


Aww you're so sweet Obsidian :grouphug:

Cherriezzzzz , I'm not convinced you can't get strawberry blonde, at least going by your avatar. Do you have another picture that shows your hair color I can take a gander at?

[Cherriezzzzz]

Aww you're so sweet Obsidian :grouphug:

Cherriezzzzz , I'm not convinced you can't get strawberry blonde, at least going by your avatar. Do you have another picture that shows your hair color I can take a gander at?

I do not at this time. My hair is just like Isla Fischers or Angie Everhart. My hair is darker then it is lighter. My avatar has my fav hairstyle, but it's entirely not at all a good representation of my colour. My son's hair is strawberry blonde because my sister in law has it. If he stands next to her it looks like he's her son, not mine! Haha

I don't want to use an image host to post pics. I was going to ask my tech savvy hubby to help me figure it out. It could also be my Chinese smart phone lol!

I should be able to get one up tonight!

[Cherriezzzzz]

http://www.personal.psu.edu/~u0y/pics/IMG_20171002_180222_black.jpg

Hair pic! Yay! Special thanks to the hubby!

[Obsidian]

Oh, you have beautiful red hair. I so wish I had hair like that. I agree, no way to do strawberry with that level but henna will definitely keep your red nice and bright. After strand testing, I would go with a gloss or a cassia blend so you don't go too dark.

I have medium ashy blond/grey, this is what multiple applications of straight jamila gave me http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0e5g6.jpg

[Nightshade]

Oh, you have beautiful red hair. I so wish I had hair like that. I agree, no way to do strawberry with that level but henna will definitely keep your red nice and bright. After strand testing, I would go with a gloss or a cassia blend so you don't go too dark.

I have medium ashy blond/grey, this is what multiple applications of straight jamila gave me http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0e5g6.jpg

I agree, I think a 15-30% henna blend is what you need :)

[Pierre]

Random thought: are there any gentlemen with hennaed hair on LHC?
I am a man and I'm hennaing right now!

[Cherriezzzzz]

Oh, you have beautiful red hair. I so wish I had hair like that. I agree, no way to do strawberry with that level but henna will definitely keep your red nice and bright. After strand testing, I would go with a gloss or a cassia blend so you don't go too dark.

I have medium ashy blond/grey, this is what multiple applications of straight jamila gave me http://i66.tinypic.com/2s0e5g6.jpg

Jamila... I'll be googling haha that's a really decent red! It looks natural!

Thank you for the compliment :) I've come a long way with acceptance with my hair. I can hardly believe what I used to do to it...

[Cherriezzzzz]

I agree, I think a 15-30% henna blend is what you need :)

I'm not yet ready to jump into "hennaing" (is that a word?) Hubby has asked me to wait, and we're still hopelessly in love and I cannot refuse him! He is the most excited person about my 46 inches goal length haha

My issue is I know exactly what's coming with my hair colour as my grandmother and I are hair twins! It turns peach with a white streak in the front haha as cool as it sounds, I'm going to attempt to hold onto my colour as long as I can.

I REALLY appreciate the personal consulting!

[Cherriezzzzz]

I am a man and I'm hennaing right now!

Yay, interesting! I'll be checking out your pics!

[Nightshade]

I'm not yet ready to jump into "hennaing" (is that a word?) Hubby has asked me to wait, and we're still hopelessly in love and I cannot refuse him! He is the most excited person about my 46 inches goal length haha

My issue is I know exactly what's coming with my hair colour as my grandmother and I are hair twins! It turns peach with a white streak in the front haha as cool as it sounds, I'm going to attempt to hold onto my colour as long as I can.

I REALLY appreciate the personal consulting!

Well, until then, you can at least save hair for strand testing! :)

[Katia_k]

I'm weird and henna makes my curls pop like crazy. It does make my hair a little grabby, but it's nothing so bad that I can't handle it. I also condition the bejesus out of it when I rinse out, so that probably helps. And I mean bajesus; like half a bottle to 2/3 of cheapy conditioner.

I love the effects on my hair; it gets crazy shiny and curly. I've been doing it for a bout a year and a half now and I hope to never have to stop.

[Dixie Derelict]

This is a different SORT of henna question : I have Reeshma Henna which is labeled as 'giving a natural golden brown color ' Is this cassia? There are no ingredients listed!

[lapushka]

This is a different SORT of henna question : I have Reeshma Henna which is labeled as 'giving a natural golden brown color ' Is this cassia? There are no ingredients listed!

If it promises to give a golden brown, it's pre-mixed henna, and probably has indigo in there, and will give you brown and not red. :)

[Anje]

This is a different SORT of henna question : I have Reeshma Henna which is labeled as 'giving a natural golden brown color ' Is this cassia? There are no ingredients listed!

Hard to say. My guess is that there's probably cassia, henna, indigo, and amla (tends to tone down the red of henna when blended with it) in there, but it'd be hard to say for sure. Likely there is not a lot of henna.

Do be very careful if you use a peroxide-based dye or decide to lighten your hair. Strand test very well, and not on anything attached to your head. If it does have indigo, there's a possibility that the post-peroxide result will have a green tinge to it. If that happens, you don't want to find out about it the hard way!

[TabSpo]

I've read that after the first henna coloring that it builds it's conditioning layer. Mine has started to look glossier after my second application.

[Hexana]

A question about dye content. I read somewhere that if you don't want you color to saturate too much, you can use a Henna that holds less dye (supposedly some hold a lot and some less, depending where they are grown, season of harvest etc.). So I was wondering if anyone has experience on this? And if you have henna that holds a lot of dye, can you compensate by having the Henna on your hair for less time or will the dye still turn out darker (richer)?

[Nightshade]

I've read that after the first henna coloring that it builds it's conditioning layer. Mine has started to look glossier after my second application.

I'm not sure where you heard that, but it's not true.

Henna has two types of conditioning properties (http://bit.ly/2Zb9ew9). a. The first is the lawsone molecule, which binds to the keratin in hair and permanently makes makes hair red-orange, stronger and thicker. Also a desert plant, henna leaves a permeable coating on hair similar to that of Sedr’s. This coating fills in rough spots on the cuticle and helps reduce damage from outside sources such as combing and styling. This permeable coating, however, fades after 4-8 weeks.

So while you can add more lawsone over time, the permeable wax coating needs to be refreshed. I don't think that's quite what you're inferring to, though.



A question about dye content. I read somewhere that if you don't want you color to saturate too much, you can use a Henna that holds less dye (supposedly some hold a lot and some less, depending where they are grown, season of harvest etc.). So I was wondering if anyone has experience on this? And if you have henna that holds a lot of dye, can you compensate by having the Henna on your hair for less time or will the dye still turn out darker (richer)?

This is also not true. Here I tested 6 types of henna on human hair. It's all the same plant and dyes exactly the same (http://bit.ly/33AJdJT).

If you want it to stain less you can leave it on less time, or, even better, cut it with other herbs like senna :)

[Hexana]

Thanks Nightshade! I made some tests with different times (one sample had Henna 1,5h on and one for 6h), and I was surprised that the samples look the same after 4 months. In the begining the sample with less time looked lighter (as expected), but after a little more than 4 months both look the same! I have a picture on my home computer I can post later.

[Nightshade]

Thanks Nightshade! I made some tests with different times (one sample had Henna 1,5h on and one for 6h), and I was surprised that the samples look the same after 4 months. In the begining the sample with less time looked lighter (as expected), but after a little more than 4 months both look the same! I have a picture on my home computer I can post later.

I've experienced similar to this with some of my tests, actually. Generally I've found if you want a lighter color, it's always best to dilute the henna.

[Hexana]

I've experienced similar to this with some of my tests, actually. Generally I've found if you want a lighter color, it's always best to dilute the henna.

Did you also notice with the diluted Henna (diluted with Cassia) that the color goes more towards a brownish rather than orange color? Or is that just my henna :/

[Nightshade]

Did you also notice with the diluted Henna (diluted with Cassia) that the color goes more towards a brownish rather than orange color? Or is that just my henna :/

I disagree with that immensely. I find my hair is much brighter orange using Fire Genasi (which is henna, senna, cassia and other herbs) than it was with straight henna or henna + cassia.

Ask anyone here, orange hair has been a goal of mine for years here :lol:


I think the difference is in the shade. With less henna, your hair can look more brown in the shade or low light than henna, but I'd rather than than the cool burgundy I got with straight henna when I was in the shade.

[Hexana]

Thanks, I will try and experiment further to get to my desired color, but in the end, as long as my hair is healthy, the shade of the color is not as important ��