how long do I need to let indigo sit?

[Isilme]

I have decided that I wanted a black strand near my right temple and I applied a henndigo to it yesterday and let it sit for about two hours. It came out a dark reddish brown and among the rest of my hair my friend who I met today couldn't see any difference. So I redid it today with only indigo and let it sit for about an hour. But I wondered, how long does indigo need to sit on the hair? I don't need to have mud on the strand for two hours if the colour is dead after just one;) Should I avoid certain products when washing it out?

[ACWN]

I believe indigo only dyes with in an hour and thats it, so an hour is all you need. As far as products to avoid, I'm not sure.

[wintersun99]

Additionally, indigo needs to be applied immediately, so don't let it "sit" for dye release before applying to hair.

[Akiko]

I have read so many posts that indigo demises quickly and there is no point of leaving in your hair more than one hour. However, I saw test strands on human silvers. Indigo was applied for 30min, 1 hr, 1.5 hr, and 2 hrs. The color was definitely darkest when it was left for 2 hrs. It was obvious that indigo continues to deposit dye even up to 2 hrs. There was not test done beyond 2 hrs.

[Girltron]

I find the dye deposit different every time I use it, even at the same time frames. But as others have noted, don't wait. Apply it straight away.

[Isilme]

Ok! Thanks:) It went a blackish cherry with the second application. And a blue temple with orange shining trough. Me thinks I need a third time;)

[Tai Shan Fan]

The time taken to dye black will depend not just on the time you have the indigo on your head for, but also on your starting colour. If your hair is dark brown it will take less time than for someone with fair hair. For true black usually an hour is enough, applied as soon as you've mixed up the paste. Generally I think many people find they get the darkest hues when they do the henna stage the same day. Also if the weather is very cold then indigo tends to dye lighter. I get darker hues in summer. Although you can mix up indigo with warmer water, I wouldn't recommend it. I tried it. Yes it does jolly things along, but the smell was horrible and headache inducing.

As always with herbal dyes, there is so much indivivual variation that if you've found that 1 hour isn't enough and you want black and don't mind sitting around long enough then why not give it 2 hours? I think with any dyes, some people's hair takes on colour quicker than others and holds onto it better.

Hope you get the colour you want :flower:

[Isilme]

Yes, I can see the red shining trough, I hope I get to keep that but still have a pitch black strand. I'm sort of auburn/copper red before and I'm now letting the third application dry from rinsing it out. I'm going to do a deep treatment soon with some cassia and lots of conditioner to brighten up the hennaed hair. Do I need to keep the freshly indigoed strand out of the rest?

[Girltron]

I wouldn't think so. The cassia would just help the indigo move a little further away from blue and more neutral. A year or so ago we had a member who used cassia and indigo only and she got (she said) a very natural black.

[Isilme]

Thanks girltron. I warapped up my hair in cassia mud with conditoner and sure, there was alot of blue in the rinse water. But I still have my black strand:)

[iris]

Another trick to make indigo take better is to keep it warm while on your head, but rinse with cool water. Parijata did strand tests on the old boards that showed a dramatic difference between rinsing with cool and with warm water - the sample rinsed with cool water was much darker.

ETA: Oh, and don't stir the indigo much, and wrap it. You want to keep oxygen away from it, once it's oxidized it won't dye anymore - it needs to oxidize after it has entered into the hair shaft, not before.

Indigopage.com has good factual info on indigo, the page about dyeing with silk is particularly good IIRC.