1st henna

[Comfrey]

Hello everyone :)

A few days ago I did my first henna (well my first where I actually did it properly, thanks to this forum) and although it's really quite lovely, in places its still very orange. Mainly around the hairline where I have virgin hair.

Its also gone very dry and I've been experimenting with oils.

Now my questions are, do I need to continue with the henna to get a depth of colour (my natural hair is a sort of mid brown red) and will it damage my hair further. My hair was in very good condition prior to this.

Secondly, does everyone use oils because although I very much like the thought of it, since the henna, it either has no effect or it seems like an oil slick. There seems to be no middle ground.

thank you :)

[burns_erin]

There are a couple of things you might consider when it comes to the dry hair.

1. It may just not be rinsed out all the way, some people it seems to take them a few washes.

2. Your mix may have been a bit too acidic, or the acid you used my be the problem. I did not do very well with ACV, lemon juice, or wine when it came to dryness, even when it was just a bit in water. personally I use powdered cloves to give me an acidic liquid.

3. You might want to try adding a bit of honey or aloe. Some people do better with a humectant, some people do not seem to get as good of a stain. I use honey, it does not interfere with my stain and it rinses out much easier. It also seems to keep my hair from drying.

4. You might also try a different henna. For some people they do not much care which, some people find radically different results. i have found that hennas with a finer sift tend to not make me work with it so much and my hair comes out smoother.

I would suggest you give it one more try since it seems you do like the red, using some different things and see if you like it better. While henna does not take as much tweaking as say-shampoo bars, there does seem to be a learning curve.

Oils, i do use them, but when i am hennaing, I find I need much less. Maybe you should try and SMT if you haven't already.

[Comfrey]

Thank you love :)
Will my hair recover? I think I did use a mixture that was too acidic, although I used only a relatively small amount of rose petal acv.

ETA.
SMT? I've read about that somewhere but I'm b*ggered if I can find it now

[Nightshade]

burns_erin- Dead on, sister!

Comfrey- No worries, your hair will normalize in a few days. Part of that is that henna doesn't just deposit a stain, it leaves a bit of resin on the hair which makes it wonky. As that coating diminishes you'll find your hair going back to normal.

SMT is Snowy's Moisture Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128). :flowers:

[Comfrey]

SMT is Snowy's Moisture Treatment (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128). :flowers:
Oh gods, can you believe I had already put that link in my bookmarks, just this morning. Ah the joys of middle age :rolleyes:

Thank you though. I think I'll just wait a little longer and see what happens before I start panicking :)

[burns_erin]

No panics or worries, I think most of us converts were a littel bewildered at least the first few goes. Heck, I even left henna for a few years.

And Comfrey, Just to really tweak your buttons, an SMT is highly customizeable as well. I use vegetable glycerin in mine.

[mellie]

I don't use oils at all. My hair always seems shinier and in better condition after I henna. I agree with the folks above, if you used acid then maybe you used too much. Often I use just plain tap water with a little dash of ACV.

Also if you want to tame down the orange-ness, here's some great suggestions:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=14178&highlight=how+to+darken+henna

[Celebrian]

Comfrey, if you're aiming for deepening the red, I would just do it again. Even though oxidisation will darken this (your first) henna, you may be happier after a second go.

Hair will also sometimes behave better with subsequent (close together) coats of henna, and that may happen for you.

Otherwise, someone (it may have been ktani) suggested that henna leaves a sort of resin wich hardens the hair slightly, and disperses throughout oxidation (usually several days to a week). This may explain the common complaint - from newbies particularly - that henna has dried their hair out. Oh, I've just seen that Nightshade has already mentioned this!

It all sounds quite normal to me - what you're experiencing, I mean. :D

[Comfrey]

Thanks everso much everyone, you've been very helpful :flowers:

[rhosyn_du]

One thing I've found that really helps with the post-henna dry weirdness is adding a little bit of EVOO into my henna mix. If I do that and immediately follow my henna with an SMT, my hair feels nearly normal immediately, and I can't even tell a difference after my next wash. Not helpful now, I know, but these might be things to try with future hennas.