Henna Thread, take two

[animetor7]

Does anyone know how to avoid burgundy with henna? I really like my auburn color, but want to do a henna application to redden up some of it. Is there something I can mix the henna with to avoid burgundy? I'd like to keep my hair auburn like it is in my siggy and profile pic. It's my natural color after a few Summers, but I'd like it all over my head. :)

[Yenn]

I would say mix it with cassia obovata (also known as neutral henna) about 2 table spoons cassia pe 1 henna...or do a gloss for a small amount of time. Just to stay safe xP When I have done henna on my reddish brown hair it turned copper-orangish red, nowhere near true red. So I think u should be okay on first application at least.

[Caraid♫]

Does anyone know how to avoid burgundy with henna? I really like my auburn color, but want to do a henna application to redden up some of it. Is there something I can mix the henna with to avoid burgundy? I'd like to keep my hair auburn like it is in my siggy and profile pic. It's my natural color after a few Summers, but I'd like it all over my head. :)

I believe mixing the henna with boiling water is supposed to result in a more coppery russet type shade rather than red/burgundy. That;s the method I use :)

[divinedobbie]

I am so so so terrible sorry for not uploading pictures like I promised. I got to my new home on Monday and then I've had a nightmare of a time with the internet. It's been awful. The connection is finally decent but unfortunately it takes a lot of tries and interruptions, I finally got some pictures on though!

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/divinedobbie/2137571d-2638-43a5-b853-0ef8f92fc840_zps51fdc5ce.jpg (http://s847.photobucket.com/user/divinedobbie/media/2137571d-2638-43a5-b853-0ef8f92fc840_zps51fdc5ce.jpg.html)

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/divinedobbie/c02b03e0-0fbf-4703-a775-617b46b78d8e_zps75923c7a.jpg (http://s847.photobucket.com/user/divinedobbie/media/c02b03e0-0fbf-4703-a775-617b46b78d8e_zps75923c7a.jpg.html)

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/divinedobbie/6adce9f3-aef5-40b8-92df-b8aeffd22db1_zps5d5e6c51.jpg (http://s847.photobucket.com/user/divinedobbie/media/6adce9f3-aef5-40b8-92df-b8aeffd22db1_zps5d5e6c51.jpg.html)

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/divinedobbie/896e246d-a554-408f-8fca-a60ccbfcbccf_zps393e8580.jpg (http://s847.photobucket.com/user/divinedobbie/media/896e246d-a554-408f-8fca-a60ccbfcbccf_zps393e8580.jpg.html)

[DKSABS]

You're hair turned out so beautiful! Way to go!

[animetor7]

Thanks for the responses! :) I think I'll prepare my henna with boiling water and only use a small amount of it in a gloss and only for a fairly short amount of time. I'll check back in when I know how it turned out. Also beautiful results divinedobby!

[leilani]

Divinedobble, stunning!! Looks so so natural warm reddish brown like you must be born with it. Beautiful, not cool burgundy at all!!

[martyna_22]

divinedobbie, it really suits you and it seems you got something close to what you wanted! Stunning! :)

[moontree]

divinedobbie, it looks awesome, victory is yours :)

[Caraid♫]

very nice divinedobbie, you look like a natural redhead! :)

[Autumnberry]

divinedobbie, that is such a beautiful red in all the pictures, especially in the picture taken outdoors. It is a very natural-looking red. Congrats! :cheese:

[brickworld13]

There are some new pics of my henna in my public albums. The indigo faded so quickly that I might as well have not have done it.

[gthlvrmx]

I'm planning on dying my whole head with henna. I want it nice and red. Does anyone have any tips on how to dye my hair with henna? Will I HAVE to use a SMT after I'm done or is oiling my hair right after good enough? I don't want to get dry hair.

[brickworld13]

I'm planning on dying my whole head with henna. I want it nice and red. Does anyone have any tips on how to dye my hair with henna? Will I HAVE to use a SMT after I'm done or is oiling my hair right after good enough? I don't want to get dry hair.

Anje made a sticky thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=115340) about how to get started. As your hair appears to be very dark from your photos, you may not be able to get to a nice bright red. Henna is an orangey dye molecule that leaves a transparent coating on the hair. On hair that is already dark, it makes it very shiny and a bit reddish in the sun. You shouldn't have to do either afterwards unless you want to. I mix honey into my henna to help it spread a little bit easier, but honey also helps to keep my hair from drying out so much. I, like many here, wash it out with almost an entire bottle of conditioner. My current favorite is any bottle of VO5 as it works well and is less than $1. I only use shampoo once to make sure my scalp is free of residue. All that conditioner for removing the henna plus following my usual hair routine afterwards helps out a whole bunch. You will probably still get a funny texture for a couple of days afterwards, but probably not dry. I have a hard time describing the residue. Can somebody help me out?

[Yenn]

well after using all that conditioner to wash henna out - my hair feels completely normal after henna. Now if I don't wash it out right it still feels normal, but my scalp is itchy for 2 days straight :(

[gthlvrmx]

Anje made a sticky thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=115340) about how to get started. As your hair appears to be very dark from your photos, you may not be able to get to a nice bright red. Henna is an orangey dye molecule that leaves a transparent coating on the hair. On hair that is already dark, it makes it very shiny and a bit reddish in the sun. You shouldn't have to do either afterwards unless you want to. I mix honey into my henna to help it spread a little bit easier, but honey also helps to keep my hair from drying out so much. I, like many here, wash it out with almost an entire bottle of conditioner. My current favorite is any bottle of VO5 as it works well and is less than $1. I only use shampoo once to make sure my scalp is free of residue. All that conditioner for removing the henna plus following my usual hair routine afterwards helps out a whole bunch. You will probably still get a funny texture for a couple of days afterwards, but probably not dry. I have a hard time describing the residue. Can somebody help me out?
Thank you for linking me the thread i'll look at it! So will my hair get more of an orange color because it's so dark?

[gthlvrmx]

Anje made a sticky thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=115340) about how to get started. As your hair appears to be very dark from your photos, you may not be able to get to a nice bright red. Henna is an orangey dye molecule that leaves a transparent coating on the hair. On hair that is already dark, it makes it very shiny and a bit reddish in the sun. You shouldn't have to do either afterwards unless you want to. I mix honey into my henna to help it spread a little bit easier, but honey also helps to keep my hair from drying out so much. I, like many here, wash it out with almost an entire bottle of conditioner. My current favorite is any bottle of VO5 as it works well and is less than $1. I only use shampoo once to make sure my scalp is free of residue. All that conditioner for removing the henna plus following my usual hair routine afterwards helps out a whole bunch. You will probably still get a funny texture for a couple of days afterwards, but probably not dry. I have a hard time describing the residue. Can somebody help me out?
Thank you for linking me the thread i'll look at it! So will my hair get more of an orange color because it's so dark?

[brickworld13]

Thank you for linking me the thread i'll look at it! So will my hair get more of an orange color because it's so dark?

It will be noticeably shinier than before. It will also probably look a bit reddish in the sun. Beyond that, it's just speculation until you do a strand test with some shed hairs. There is a color comparison post around here as to what results are seen most often with certain hair colors. I will hunt for it and see if I can find it.

Also you have a double posting gremlin.

ETA: I'm not having any luck finding that picture. It was likely in one of the articles that disappeared due to server issues. There is a similar one avaible in the free ebook from Henna for Hair. It's good reading material if you're serious about trying henna.

[gthlvrmx]

It will be noticeably shinier than before. It will also probably look a bit reddish in the sun. Beyond that, it's just speculation until you do a strand test with some shed hairs. There is a color comparison post around here as to what results are seen most often with certain hair colors. I will hunt for it and see if I can find it.

Also you have a double posting gremlin.

ETA: I'm not having any luck finding that picture. It was likely in one of the articles that disappeared due to server issues. There is a similar one avaible in the free ebook from Henna for Hair. It's good reading material if you're serious about trying henna.

Thank you so much! I'll do strand tests on my shed hairs then! Yeah i don't know how i got 2 posts on this thread that was odd. Aw it sucks you can't find the photo :( Oh well.

[Syren_Curls]

Thank you so much! I'll do strand tests on my shed hairs then! Yeah i don't know how i got 2 posts on this thread that was odd. Aw it sucks you can't find the photo :( Oh well.

I have hair similarly dark to yours... I still want a vibrant red and can't seem to get there with the henna. Well, it might stay for a few days but then fades to a fiery red only in sunlight or intense indoor lighting. I still kind of look like a brunette :-/ My only other thought would be to do frequent applications but henna applications are sort of a to-do, even if you enjoy the ritual, when you have darker hair. That wasn't going to be feasible for me... Still, I am planning another application in the next few weeks as soon as I have a bit more time. That will be my last batch of henna. I am going to try something else next, le sigh.

[gthlvrmx]

I have hair similarly dark to yours... I still want a vibrant red and can't seem to get there with the henna. Well, it might stay for a few days but then fades to a fiery red only in sunlight or intense indoor lighting. I still kind of look like a brunette :-/ My only other thought would be to do frequent applications but henna applications are sort of a to-do, even if you enjoy the ritual, when you have darker hair. That wasn't going to be feasible for me... Still, I am planning another application in the next few weeks as soon as I have a bit more time. That will be my last batch of henna. I am going to try something else next, le sigh.

Yeah I'm starting to think I won't dye my hair with henna since I will still look like a brunette indoors...I don't see the point in dying my hair if it looks the same.

[GRU]

Any dark hair is going to have to get bleached/whitened to have it be a lighter color. This is true for all methods of coloring hair. If you use a commercial box of hair dye or go to a salon, they're going to have to strip the natural color out of your hair.

Henna is a deposit-only color, so unless you bleach your hair before applying it, your hair isn't going to be lighter afterward.

[Nimia]

I am so so so terrible sorry for not uploading pictures like I promised. I got to my new home on Monday and then I've had a nightmare of a time with the internet. It's been awful. The connection is finally decent but unfortunately it takes a lot of tries and interruptions, I finally got some pictures on though!


Divinedobbie, a very belated congrats on your henna success! I keep looking at the blue dress in your signature and thinking how beautiful your new color must be against it. Have you noticed a difference in texture? Your hair looks so shiny and smooth.

[nerdymomma]

Alright. I am gonna do it. I am now collecting hairs for a strand test. I am sure my husband thinks I have gone mad for trolling through the bathroom trashcan for my shed hairs.

[nerdymomma]

So, I've read the first 64 pages of this thread, plus nightshade's article and a few other things. Normally I would finish reading this thread before asking questions, but my DH wants me to do my first henna treatment before he leaves in 2 weeks, he will be gone for a couple months. So, I just thought I would post what my "plan" is and see what y'all think of it.

My desire is to eventually get a deep burgundy color. I am planning to order 500g of the rajasthani twilight from mehandi, as this should give me 2-3 full applications on my BSL hair. I want to keep it real simple with just straight henna and chamomile tea for my first application, length of time will depend upon my strand test but I am probably going to go for 4 hours the first time, and CO wash with a conefree conditioner to get the mud out. If my hair feels very unpleasant afterward, is there a minimum time I should wait before trying the SMT? And my usual conditioner uses cones, should I clarify before application? And I can use my coney stuff as usual afterward, yes?

Thank you all for the wealth of information here, I feel really good about this process. I normally make very impetuous hair decisions, so all this prep and strand testing and such is new territory, lol.

[divinedobbie]

Divinedobbie, a very belated congrats on your henna success! I keep looking at the blue dress in your signature and thinking how beautiful your new color must be against it. Have you noticed a difference in texture? Your hair looks so shiny and smooth.

Oops didn't see this until now. I actually don't know why I posted this in the "henna thread" instead of "show me your henna" since I had been most active on that thread. weird :confused: But I was like oh why not and I updated my siggy with the henna :) Can't say it changed my texture at all. My hair is naturally 1c and all my life I wanted to either be a true wavy in the 2s or a true straightie like a 1a. I was really hoping henna would straighten my hair but it hasn't.

[nerdymomma]

I have 500g of Rajasthani Twilight on its way, should be here by the end of the week. I am so excited, but a but sad that this thread isn't more active. It seems like there is more hate than love for henna on the forums right now.

Edited to say: I am now 131 pages into this thread (haven't been feeling well) and have read answers to all my questions I asked before. Lol! So if you have questions just keep scrolling!

[Shatam1]

Oops didn't see this until now. I actually don't know why I posted this in the "henna thread" instead of "show me your henna" since I had been most active on that thread. weird :confused: But I was like oh why not and I updated my siggy with the henna :) Can't say it changed my texture at all. My hair is naturally 1c and all my life I wanted to either be a true wavy in the 2s or a true straightie like a 1a. I was really hoping henna would straighten my hair but it hasn't.
Divinedobbie, it takes a few months of henna application before you feel the wave loss or curl loss. I had very curly hair all my life and now no curles whatsoever. It has been years now that I do full strength hennas every ten days to two weeks so it went away gradually really. And the texture change happens in the same exact way.. To me it is as if someone took away my hair and gave me a completely different kind and thank God that I love it. Before henna I could never ever grow my hair long.. It was very coarse and used to break easily.. Now it is much softer and stronger. So maybe you are just at the beginning and change takes time:)

[Nebulae]

I'm excited because wednesday is henna day! My roots are close to an inch by now, it's annoying me :p

I switched from rooibos to chamomile tea last time and I might have imagined it but the result looked a bit brighter/lighter, so I'm going to stick with chamomile for a while to see if there is a difference. :)

[YGDW]

Does anyone have experience with adding a few drips of tea tree oil to your henna mix? I have an angry scalp and hope it'll calm it a bit (I use tea tree oil on my super sensitive and acne prone skin every day and it really saves my life!), but when I google it, I read both that it makes the henna darker, as well as that it strips the henna from the hair.

[brickworld13]

Does anyone have experience with adding a few drips of tea tree oil to your henna mix? I have an angry scalp and hope it'll calm it a bit (I use tea tree oil on my super sensitive and acne prone skin every day and it really saves my life!), but when I google it, I read both that it makes the henna darker, as well as that it strips the henna from the hair.

I use pepperming oil in my henna. It gives a nice tingle and helps with the itchy scalp. I never tried tea tree.

[kelseyxface]

I heard henna makes a thickness decremation line over time because henna coats the hair, is this true? I was debating on giving myself another henna application but I'm worried that once my hair grows out I'll breakage/decremation issues.

[martyna_22]

I heard henna makes a thickness decremation line over time because henna coats the hair, is this true? I was debating on giving myself another henna application but I'm worried that once my hair grows out I'll breakage/decremation issues.

I'd say it'd be only true it you hennaed really fine hair multiple times. Like, really many times. On medium hair, hennaed 2 times full head + 3 glosses, it is so not true :D

[ThatPoshGirl]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been thinking about henna for a LONG time but kept chickening out. I am finally trying it for the first time. I got the Rajasthani Twilight from Mehandi.com. Their site recommended 500 g for my hair length, but by the time I had mixed 300 g I knew I already had too much. I added 6 TBS of Amla powder and mixed with room temperature filtered water. I let it all sit overnight (around 16 hours). I tried applying with a carrot cone thingy, but that last about 20 seconds and then I moved on to slapping it on with my hand. I ended up only using about half of what I had mixed up, so 500 g was WAY WAY more than I needed.

It's been sitting for 6 hours. I am going to wait 2 more hours before I rinse it out.

I didn't do a strand test. I decided to just go for it. I got some indigo when I bought the henna and figure I can adjust it in subsequent applications if it is awful.

[ThatPoshGirl]

Oh, I forgot to mention that my hair is naturally medium/dark ash blonde that lightens as it grows out. So I have darker roots and really light ends.

[Nimia]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been thinking about henna for a LONG time but kept chickening out. I am finally trying it for the first time.
I didn't do a strand test. I decided to just go for it. I got some indigo when I bought the henna and figure I can adjust it in subsequent applications if it is awful.

Super curious to see the results! Remember not to have a heart attack when you first see it, as it will change color over the next few days. (I know you you know that already, but it's good to have extra reassurance, yes?)

:popcorn:

[ThatPoshGirl]

The color is great. I'll post a picture in a couple of days. It's a really nice, rich copper. The only problem is my hair is a dry frizzy mess. My hair is usually smooth and silky. I hope the henna didn't ruin my hair. The whole point of the henna was to avoid damaging it.

[ThatPoshGirl]

Decided to go ahead and post now. Sorry for the crappy pictures.

Before
http://s28.postimg.org/3us0r42lp/1384277_10151895182464088_1575628984_n.jpg (http://postimage.org/)
image hosting free (http://postimage.org/)

After
http://s28.postimg.org/bwg990ld9/1456640_10152812964659088_6190257361366657339_n.jp g (http://postimage.org/)
image search (http://postimage.org/)

The color is more even than it looks in the picture. The color at the bottom is what it looks like all over. Probably shouldn't have worn a pink shirt, I think it was throwing off the color balance.

[Kina]

^ it looks great! Add moisture to your hair, it will sort itself out in a few days :) I have hennaed my ends and cassia on the rest, I oiled heavily after and it really helped with the dryness.

[ThatPoshGirl]

I put a little argan oil on it and might do a shae butter mask in a couple of days. I don't use conditioner, so I didn't have any on hand, which made it a lot of fun getting the henna out.

[Kina]

I put a little argan oil on it and might do a shae butter mask in a couple of days. I don't use conditioner, so I didn't have any on hand, which made it a lot of fun getting the henna out.

oh, I bet. I think my hair would stand at right angles to my head if my did that. I'd have trouble getting through doorways :rolling:

[Nimia]

Decided to go ahead and post now. Sorry for the crappy pictures.
The color is more even than it looks in the picture. The color at the bottom is what it looks like all over. Probably shouldn't have worn a pink shirt, I think it was throwing off the color balance.

Wow, that was crazy brave of you to do your whole glorious head of hair without testing first… But it looks like you got excellent results! Are you happy with the color? Would love to see a photo of it outdoors.

[Revontuletar]

Well, I have just received my batch of Nightblooming's Fire Genasi mix (henna/cassia). I decided to go with a cassia mix at first to see how I like it since I can always go from that to full henna if I want. I was really excited and going to do it tomorrow but now I have a whole heap of doubts creeping in about whether or not henna will suit my skin tone, so I am really hesitant now. I know I suit deep cherry red as I have a wig in that colour and I guess I could always go for that colour if the copper doesn't suit me but I am still hesitant. My hair is only pixie length so if worst comes to worst I can just grow it out and it won't take too long, but I am trying to grow it again and would rather not have to do that.

This is my hair as it is now (lightened with chemical dye that's a few months old, roots are "dishwater" blonde):

http://i58.tinypic.com/65aolx.jpg

Really not sure if I should go through with it!

Edit: I just did a strand test and it came out such a pretty colour!

[Zebra Fish]

Love your colour ThatPoshGirl. I wouldn't imagine to try and do that without conditioner anymore :p

I'm interested in seeing your results Revontuletar (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=40060).

And a question:
Last time I used henna, was the first time I had some leftovers, so I froze it. Think it is just enough for roots only. How is the procedure with using frozen henna goo? Just let it thaw and use, or after thawing heat it or something totally different?

Thanks :blossom:

(I'm preparing to write a long post with pics, just to grab some free time :p)

[hennalonghair]

oh, I bet. I think my hair would stand at right angles to my head if my did that. I'd have trouble getting through doorways :rolling::rollin: Yeah me too Kina.


Wow, that was crazy brave of you to do your whole glorious head of hair without testing first… But it looks like you got excellent results! Are you happy with the color? Would love to see a photo of it outdoors.
I agree!

Well, I have just received my batch of Nightblooming's Fire Genasi mix (henna/cassia). I decided to go with a cassia mix at first to see how I like it since I can always go from that to full henna if I want. I was really excited and going to do it tomorrow but now I have a whole heap of doubts creeping in about whether or not henna will suit my skin tone, so I am really hesitant now. I know I suit deep cherry red as I have a wig in that colour and I guess I could always go for that colour if the copper doesn't suit me but I am still hesitant. My hair is only pixie length so if worst comes to worst I can just grow it out and it won't take too long, but I am trying to grow it again and would rather not have to do that.

This is my hair as it is now (lightened with chemical dye that's a few months old, roots are "dishwater" blonde):

http://i58.tinypic.com/65aolx.jpg

Really not sure if I should go through with it!

Edit: I just did a strand test and it came out such a pretty colour!
WOW! You are just cute as a button with GORGEOUS green eyes. So pretty. I love the colour you have now but a reddish colour would make your eyes just pop. Not literally of course but green is the perfect complimentary colour for hennaed hair. It would look awesome PLUS if you add oils your hair will be super conditioned too. You're super cute!

Love your colour ThatPoshGirl. I wouldn't imagine to try and do that without conditioner anymore :p

I'm interested in seeing your results Revontuletar (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=40060).

And a question:
Last time I used henna, was the first time I had some leftovers, so I froze it. Think it is just enough for roots only. How is the procedure with using frozen henna goo? Just let it thaw and use, or after thawing heat it or something totally different?

Thanks :blossom:

(I'm preparing to write a long post with pics, just to grab some free time :p)

Yes you just take it out of the freezer, let it thaw , stir it up and use. You might want to add just a touch of water to rehydrate it some but you'd know best when it thaws.

[GRU]

I thaw my henna in a bowl of hot water (just float whatever the henna is in -- baggie or bottle or whatever -- in the bowl). That way it's warm rather than room temperature when it goes on my head, much more comfortable.

[Revontuletar]

Thank you, that has made me a bit more confident to take the plunge. I talked to my mum about it too and she actually told me when I was a baby I was born with strawberry blonde hair, which indicates to me that it would probably look ok on me. I would keep the colour I have got now but I really don't want to be using chemicals on my hair any more, and I think my natural colour just makes me look washed out these days (I used to be really blonde but as I have gotten older my hair has darkened a lot.

[Nimia]

I think my natural colour just makes me look washed out these days (I used to be really blonde but as I have gotten older my hair has darkened a lot.

I think that's the reason a lot of us (me included) turned to henna. You look fair enough to pull it off, and I agree with others, your eyes will "pop." It's hard to tell from the photo about your skin tone -- everything gets so messed up between cameras and monitors -- but my general sense from listening to others is that if you tend towards pink, the cooler burgundy/cherry cola might suit; if you tend towards ivory/yellow, then warm coppers might be better. I'm sure others will have different opinions.

If you care about eyebrows, Cover Girl's "honey brown" pencil has a surprisingly warm, reddish color to it. I use it to turn my ash brows to something warm. Not necessary, I know -- lots of natural redheads on here who have different colored brows -- but a handy piece of info if you like makeup.

[Revontuletar]

I think that's the reason a lot of us (me included) turned to henna. You look fair enough to pull it off, and I agree with others, your eyes will "pop." It's hard to tell from the photo about your skin tone -- everything gets so messed up between cameras and monitors -- but my general sense from listening to others is that if you tend towards pink, the cooler burgundy/cherry cola might suit; if you tend towards ivory/yellow, then warm coppers might be better. I'm sure others will have different opinions.

If you care about eyebrows, Cover Girl's "honey brown" pencil has a surprisingly warm, reddish color to it. I use it to turn my ash brows to something warm. Not necessary, I know -- lots of natural redheads on here who have different colored brows -- but a handy piece of info if you like makeup.

Well I have always thought my skin tended towards being an ivory colour, but I have had people tell me I look more neutral, and when I look at the veins in my hands and wrists I can't tell whether they are blue or green (If you have cool toned skin they are supposed to look blue, if you have warm toned skin they are supposed to look green).
Thanks for the tip about the eyebrow pencil, I like makeup a lot so I will probably get it.

I actually used to dye my hair green using manic panic back when it was long and I absolutely loved it but it faded so quickly I had to dye it every two weeks. I considered going back to green but decided against it because it would probably just remind me of my long hair and the fact that I don't have it any more (It all fell out from what was most likely a combination of the medication I was taking and stressful stuff happening, it was pretty horrible) so I'm looking for a bit of a fresh start. Besides I really like the idea of having a non-chemical hair colour that doesn't fade. The green ended up looking rather mouldy at times when it had gone through a few washes. It never faded out of my hair though, I was left with mouldy green hair for months before I chopped it all off

[Zebra Fish]

Yes you just take it out of the freezer, let it thaw , stir it up and use. You might want to add just a touch of water to rehydrate it some but you'd know best when it thaws.


I thaw my henna in a bowl of hot water (just float whatever the henna is in -- baggie or bottle or whatever -- in the bowl). That way it's warm rather than room temperature when it goes on my head, much more comfortable.

Thanks! I will let you know how it goes (might be next weekend), and then post some pics (that I am meaning to for a while).

Revontuletar could you post somewhere a pic of your green hair? I just adore it and wanted to do it since looong time ago, but I didn't have the courage to bleach. :pray:

[Revontuletar]

Thanks! I will let you know how it goes (might be next weekend), and then post some pics (that I am meaning to for a while).

Revontuletar could you post somewhere a pic of your green hair? I just adore it and wanted to do it since looong time ago, but I didn't have the courage to bleach. :pray:

This was taken the day after I dyed it for the first time. I had green hair for two years and it got to tailbone length http://tinypic.com/r/153u3i9/8 (just posting a link since I don't want to derail the thread off topic too much)

[Zebra Fish]

It's perfect :crush: Ok, now I'll stop hijacking the henna thread :p

[Revontuletar]

I've decided to chicken out for now and take my time a bit more and not rush things with the henna just because I have it here to use. I'm going to buy a wig in a coppery colour and wear that for a while and see how I like it before I go ahead with it, as I'm still not 100% sure on it and don't want to end up with a hair disaster. I will keep you posted

[Zebra Fish]

Another question - I have some frozen henna. It is possible to mix with some cassia or not? Like do all the cassia mix procedure and when it is done mix with the thawed henna? Would that work? Or is it necessary to the the whole mix from start? I'd like to use the leftover henna. Thanks! :D

[metztlie]

We finally had some sun so I took a before pic.
Today it's strand test day (or maybe tomorrow if toddler decides not to behave).
I'm curious to see with what the henna will do to my hair.
http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w573/metztlie/2c250415-9f62-446c-bcd8-38d22ff156f4_zps38a99cf7.jpg?t=1422263670

[sophiamermaid]

I'm trying henna (well, a blend of henna and whatever adds gold tones -- I don't want crazy fun red right now) for the first time since I was an undergrad -- super excited! I only have rice vinegar and chai or jasmine for black tea options in the house right now... we'll see how it goes with those!

[gthlvrmx]

Can someone answer my questions? These are my questions: Can I apply baby oil to my hair after I use henna? Can I use ACV after using henna and then LEAVE the ACV in my hair with the henna? Will it change the color or cause something bad? Can I use Aloe Vera on my hair after using henna? I read that henna can dry your hair and I want to combat that dryness with baby oil, ACV, and maybe aloe vera if I can.

[GRU]

Can someone answer my questions? These are my questions: Can I apply baby oil to my hair after I use henna? YES Can I use ACV after using henna and then LEAVE the ACV in my hair with the henna? YES Will it change the color or cause something bad?NO Can I use Aloe Vera on my hair after using henna? YES I read that henna can dry your hair and I want to combat that dryness with baby oil, ACV, and maybe aloe vera if I can.

Answers in quoted section.

FYI, ACV will not combat dryness. It's not a moisturizer.

Also, henna is indestructible -- once it's in your hair, it's not coming out unless you cut it out or use dynamite. Use whatever products you want -- henna won't care.

[Nimia]

We finally had some sun so I took a before pic.
Today it's strand test day (or maybe tomorrow if toddler decides not to behave).
I'm curious to see with what the henna will do to my hair.


Waiting, waiting, waiting….. Do so love some before/after pics!


Use whatever products you want -- henna won't care.

Just had a flashback to the whole "honey badger don't care, he's badass" thing that went around a few years ago. One thinks henna deserves her own meme. "Do X, Y, Z to your hair: Henna don't care, she's badass." :)

[xAlicex]

Just Hi-jacking here! Henna is most definitely badass! About as badass as it gets! Somehow I missed that nugget of information when I decided to put it over my blonde hair. I've since bombarded it with honey, lemon, olive oil, bleached a strand, vitimin C treatments, anti-dandruff shampoo, lightening shampoos and sprays, a salon even took 2 strands for 2 separate tests and said there was no hope for me. Henna don't care, she's badass!!!

[Nimia]

Just Hi-jacking here! Henna is most definitely badass! About as badass as it gets! Somehow I missed that nugget of information when I decided to put it over my blonde hair. I've since bombarded it with honey, lemon, olive oil, bleached a strand, vitimin C treatments, anti-dandruff shampoo, lightening shampoos and sprays, a salon even took 2 strands for 2 separate tests and said there was no hope for me. Henna don't care, she's badass!!!

:rollin:

Too funny.

[GRU]

Just had a flashback to the whole "honey badger don't care, he's badass" thing that went around a few years ago. One thinks henna deserves her own meme. "Do X, Y, Z to your hair: Henna don't care, she's badass." :)

Just have to chuckle..... honey badger / badger girl is one of my nicknames! :lol:

[gthlvrmx]

Answers in quoted section.

FYI, ACV will not combat dryness. It's not a moisturizer.

Also, henna is indestructible -- once it's in your hair, it's not coming out unless you cut it out or use dynamite. Use whatever products you want -- henna won't care.

Thank you so much for answering! I have some extra questions for you GRU (or for anyone else who knows the answers to my questions): Do I HAVE to clarify or shampoo my hair BEFORE I apply henna? Can I just do a regular CO wash and THEN apply the henna AFTER? Or can I apply the henna on my greasy hair that has baby oil and ACV and THEN wash it all out with conditioner? Or is it just best to apply henna on clarified hair?

[GRU]

Henna doesn't care.

I've applied to freshly shampooed wet hair and I've applied to "dirty" dry hair.

Henna doesn't care.

[gthlvrmx]

Henna doesn't care.

I've applied to freshly shampooed wet hair and I've applied to "dirty" dry hair.

Henna doesn't care.

OK great I'm glad that henna really doesn't care XD That sounds like some good song on the radio. I'll just CO wash before and after I henna then.

[Zebra Fish]

Can someone answer my questions? These are my questions: Can I apply baby oil to my hair after I use henna? Can I use ACV after using henna and then LEAVE the ACV in my hair with the henna? Will it change the color or cause something bad? Can I use Aloe Vera on my hair after using henna? I read that henna can dry your hair and I want to combat that dryness with baby oil, ACV, and maybe aloe vera if I can.

Henna does not have to dry your hair. Years ago, I used lush henna and it would get dryish, but now when using baq henna, my hair is soooo soft and silky (even too silky, having problems with keeping it up). Can't say whether it is my hair or this henna (although I used two different with same result) or what, but no dryness at all. I mix it with chamomile tea (made with distilled water, but that's coz we have ultra hard water where I am atm), and add two spoons of ACV and two of EVOO (on 200 gr of henna). Dunno if that can help :)

As for henna being badass - lush henna would wash completely out in a month (and I wash once a week). The baq henna is staying in for now, but I started washing with rye flour and conditioner on lengths, so no real shampoo to get it out either. I really do hope it will stay, but the true test will be summer (as I started henna-ing after summer). I wash my hair with mild, diluted SLS-free shampoo before henna (roots only now), so there is approximately 1 "real" shampooing in 2 months (CO doesn't work for my scalp).

So, I can henna also on dirty and dry hair? Nice :D That will make the process a bit easier :p Tnx GRU!

[gthlvrmx]

Henna does not have to dry your hair. Years ago, I used lush henna and it would get dryish, but now when using baq henna, my hair is soooo soft and silky (even too silky, having problems with keeping it up). Can't say whether it is my hair or this henna (although I used two different with same result) or what, but no dryness at all. I mix it with chamomile tea (made with distilled water, but that's coz we have ultra hard water where I am atm), and add two spoons of ACV and two of EVOO (on 200 gr of henna). Dunno if that can help :)

As for henna being badass - lush henna would wash completely out in a month (and I wash once a week). The baq henna is staying in for now, but I started washing with rye flour and conditioner on lengths, so no real shampoo to get it out either. I really do hope it will stay, but the true test will be summer (as I started henna-ing after summer). I wash my hair with mild, diluted SLS-free shampoo before henna (roots only now), so there is approximately 1 "real" shampooing in 2 months (CO doesn't work for my scalp).

So, I can henna also on dirty and dry hair? Nice :D That will make the process a bit easier :p Tnx GRU!

Thank you so much for your response! That gives me hope that my henna will leave my hair silky and soft! I'm thinking of just oiling my hair after I wash the henna out! Maybe I will experiment adding oils in after the 1st henna :)

[Upside Down]

Fyi, on the henna doesn't care thing, I get same color from full head application with water, this and that tea, with oil iin it, without oil in it, clean hair, dirty hair, oiled hair (yes!), dry hair and wet hair, and finally with a coconut milk gloss (hennalonghair's method, suuuper duper moisturizing btw).
My hair is very dark so it is not much of a color change, it's just reddish shine.

Just wanted to let you know, I too tried it all, and nope - henna really doesn't care. :silly:

[gthlvrmx]

Fyi, on the henna doesn't care thing, I get same color from full head application with water, this and that tea, with oil iin it, without oil in it, clean hair, dirty hair, oiled hair (yes!), dry hair and wet hair, and finally with a coconut milk gloss (hennalonghair's method, suuuper duper moisturizing btw).
My hair is very dark so it is not much of a color change, it's just reddish shine.

Just wanted to let you know, I too tried it all, and nope - henna really doesn't care. :silly:

Woohoo! Thank you that was great! I'm glad henna can be put on oiled hair I might just do that! :)

[brickworld13]

Waiting, waiting, waiting….. Do so love some before/after pics!



Just had a flashback to the whole "honey badger don't care, he's badass" thing that went around a few years ago. One thinks henna deserves her own meme. "Do X, Y, Z to your hair: Henna don't care, she's badass." :)


YES!! This really needs to happen!!

ETA: indigo on the other hand is temperamental and cranky. Le sigh.

[gthlvrmx]

So I did 4 strand tests on some shed hairs I had (hairballs actually). I mixed the Jamila henna, let it sit for almost 4 hours and then applied the henna on the hairs and let that sit for almost 6 hours. The color didn't change much at all, it still looks like dark brown. I even waited overnight and brought it out to the sunlight and it looks the same to me. The only color difference I see is at the root bulb. It used to be white, now it's orange but not red colored.
What did I do that made me get these results? Should i let the dye release for 12 hours? I read on the article that nightshade did here said Jamila dye releases at 12 hours, the longest time out of a group of different kind of henna's. But the paper that hennasooq gave me told me to let it sit for dye release for 2-4 hours. Hennasooqs paper also said leave the henna on the hair for 4-6 hours. I did what hennasooqs paper said but these aren't the results I want. I want more of a color change.

So should I let the henna sit for 12 hours BEFORE I apply it on my hair? Does anyone have any suggestions? I just used henna and warm water to mix it that's all. It didn't even leave a big orange stain on my hand after the first 4 hours; it was barely visible. After leaving it on the hair for almost 6 hours, there was no stain at all on my hand. I found that really odd since some people on here say they use their henna after letting it sit for 2 hours or 3 and then leave it on for 2 or 3 hours and they're good. Is my hair too dark to change color? I checked in the sunlight and still, not much change. Only the root bulbs changed color.

[Kina]

For your hair, I'm sorry, you won't get much of a color from henna. You should be able to see the color in the sun, however. I have dark brown/black hair and tried for an ombre effect, didn't work. BUT, I do get that henna flare in the sun.

It definitely should have showed on your skin, however. It's very likely you didn't get dye release from the sounds of it. Did you see a reddish tinge on the top after it sat for 4 hours?

[gthlvrmx]

For your hair, I'm sorry, you won't get much of a color from henna. You should be able to see the color in the sun, however. I have dark brown/black hair and tried for an ombre effect, didn't work. BUT, I do get that henna flare in the sun.

It definitely should have showed on your skin, however. It's very likely you didn't get dye release from the sounds of it. Did you see a reddish tinge on the top after it sat for 4 hours?

I checked in the sun and there was no orange or red glow or anything really it looked normal to me. No henna flare appeared on my shed hair. I did not see a reddish tinge after it sat for 4 hours. There wasn't much of a orange stain on my hand either when I tested it out.

[Kina]

It sounds like you didn't get dye release, sorry. I'm no henna expert, but I follow Nightshade's directions. I've never tried the stuff from henna souk.

[Lavendersugar]

I'm not familiar with that henna but I always let mine dye release overnight. I usually start it during the day and once I see dye release which is about 6 hours I put it in the fridge. This helps me get a more rose tone. I use Apple juice as my acid. Lemon will get the best release but I prefer Apple because it dulls the henna smell drastically.

As far as your color goes you will need to let the henna sit on the hair for a few hours. At least 4. Rather it goes to a shade of red depends on lots of variables. Henna is unpreditcable as I've seen almost the same color hair with same "recipes" turn out differently. I find it rather fun because either way it is a lovely color. You can sway to more with things like hibiscus but it won't last as long and the true color will show. Even if you can't get lots of color with henna you will get all the other benefits.

[patienceneeded]

Planning on hennaing my roots again today! It's been 6 weeks and it shows.

Bonus to henna - root grow-out verifies my hair is actually growing!

Downside to henna - covering the new growth every 4-6 weeks. =]

[GRU]

So should I let the henna sit for 12 hours BEFORE I apply it on my hair? Does anyone have any suggestions? I just used henna and warm water to mix it that's all. It didn't even leave a big orange stain on my hand after the first 4 hours; it was barely visible. After leaving it on the hair for almost 6 hours, there was no stain at all on my hand. I found that really odd since some people on here say they use their henna after letting it sit for 2 hours or 3 and then leave it on for 2 or 3 hours and they're good. Is my hair too dark to change color? I checked in the sunlight and still, not much change. Only the root bulbs changed color.

Dark hair won't really change much if at all with henna -- henna is translucent, so whatever base color you have will "shine through" the henna.

I'm a little curious about the comment about your hand -- are you saying you left the henna on your hand for six hours and there was still no color stain on your skin? If that's the case, you definitely didn't get color release. Either your henna was defective, your water was too hot, or something else caused the henna to not release its dye.

[Lavendersugar]

Planning on hennaing my roots again today! It's been 6 weeks and it shows.

Bonus to henna - root grow-out verifies my hair is actually growing!

Downside to henna - covering the new growth every 4-6 weeks. =]

Is that the color you get from henna in your sig?

[MicheleZ]

Henna color depends upon what color you start with - so everyone's hair will be a little different.

[gthlvrmx]

It sounds like you didn't get dye release, sorry. I'm no henna expert, but I follow Nightshade's directions. I've never tried the stuff from henna souk.
Yeah I didn't get enough dye release when I did the strand tests but I got more dye release now! I did the 12 hours that Nightshade said in her article and it worked! Thanks for your response!

I'm not familiar with that henna but I always let mine dye release overnight. I usually start it during the day and once I see dye release which is about 6 hours I put it in the fridge. This helps me get a more rose tone. I use Apple juice as my acid. Lemon will get the best release but I prefer Apple because it dulls the henna smell drastically.

As far as your color goes you will need to let the henna sit on the hair for a few hours. At least 4. Rather it goes to a shade of red depends on lots of variables. Henna is unpreditcable as I've seen almost the same color hair with same "recipes" turn out differently. I find it rather fun because either way it is a lovely color. You can sway to more with things like hibiscus but it won't last as long and the true color will show. Even if you can't get lots of color with henna you will get all the other benefits.
Im going to have the henna on my hair for at least 6 hours. I let my dye release overnight and it worked fine for me. It actually needed a little extra time than 12 hours to get a better dye release.

Dark hair won't really change much if at all with henna -- henna is translucent, so whatever base color you have will "shine through" the henna.

I'm a little curious about the comment about your hand -- are you saying you left the henna on your hand for six hours and there was still no color stain on your skin? If that's the case, you definitely didn't get color release. Either your henna was defective, your water was too hot, or something else caused the henna to not release its dye.

Yeah I figured that my dark hair won't change much since it's so dark! I'm really doing henna for the strengthening and shine factor. Sorry for the confusion though! I meant to say, I left the henna on a shed hair ball for 6 hours after letting the dye release for 4 hours! I didn't get great results with it.
I tried the henna today after letting it sit in the kitchen for 12 hours. I got a pale orange stain on my hand after leaving it for 12 hours so I decided to put it on after those 12 hours. I'm going to leave it on for 6 hours at least on my head. I'll drop by this thread to tell you guy what my results are :)

[gthlvrmx]

Henna color depends upon what color you start with - so everyone's hair will be a little different.

Was this directed at me? If so, yes I figured that's the case with henna after reading about it. :) Thank you.

[Kina]

Yeah I didn't get enough dye release when I did the strand tests but I got more dye release now! I did the 12 hours that Nightshade said in her article and it worked! Thanks for your response!

Im going to have the henna on my hair for at least 6 hours. I let my dye release overnight and it worked fine for me. It actually needed a little extra time than 12 hours to get a better dye release.


Yeah I figured that my dark hair won't change much since it's so dark! I'm really doing henna for the strengthening and shine factor. Sorry for the confusion though! I meant to say, I left the henna on a shed hair ball for 6 hours after letting the dye release for 4 hours! I didn't get great results with it.
I tried the henna today after letting it sit in the kitchen for 12 hours. I got a pale orange stain on my hand after leaving it for 12 hours so I decided to put it on after those 12 hours. I'm going to leave it on for 6 hours at least on my head. I'll drop by this thread to tell you guy what my results are :)

Oh good, I was worried that you thought you'd become a redhead. As you can see from mine, it doesn't work on our hair color like that. If you bleach it first, it would, but I believe bleaching can be very damaging so not gonna happen for me

this is in full sun
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/q82/p180x540/10409645_1479740335623767_5651585696303893387_n.jp g?oh=154aa16589c318073cccaab81b825fb1&oe=555D44AB

you can just see a slight henna flare on my bun (why does that sound so wrong?)

I'll be ordering some more, hopefully in a week or 2 and re-doing it.

[MicheleZ]

Actually it was in response to Lavendersugar's question ;)

[gthlvrmx]

Actually it was in response to Lavendersugar's question ;)
Oh ok sorry about that!

Oh good, I was worried that you thought you'd become a redhead. As you can see from mine, it doesn't work on our hair color like that. If you bleach it first, it would, but I believe bleaching can be very damaging so not gonna happen for me

this is in full sun
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/q82/p180x540/10409645_1479740335623767_5651585696303893387_n.jp g?oh=154aa16589c318073cccaab81b825fb1&oe=555D44AB

you can just see a slight henna flare on my bun (why does that sound so wrong?)

I'll be ordering some more, hopefully in a week or 2 and re-doing it.
No, I'm sure hair color like mine only get's that reddish glow in the sun which is fine for me I don't mind that. It still looks nice on your hair color though!
Henna flare on your bun...sounds fine to me :P

[MicheleZ]

I think the subtle red highlights in the sun on dark hair is amazing!

[patienceneeded]

Is that the color you get from henna in your sig?

Yes, the color in my sig pic is my henna color. My natural color is a mousy brown with silver threads.

[gthlvrmx]

OK I tried the henna and my hair is so much SOFTER now! It's shinier, smoother, SOFTER, and even a straighter! My hair isn't as curly as it used to be. My hair color looks like it how it normally looks, maybe even a bit darker, but I do get a small reddish glow in the sunlight? It's really not that much, but it's enough to make me happy. I'm just happy it came out OK and very soft! Thank you so much for the help! :)
I can't post photos though because my phone won't let me send more photos due to low memory. Maybe some other time. It's barely day 1 after I hennaed and it feels so nice. :)

[Zebra Fish]

OK I tried the henna and my hair is so much SOFTER now! It's shinier, smoother, SOFTER, and even a straighter! My hair isn't as curly as it used to be. My hair color looks like it how it normally looks, maybe even a bit darker, but I do get a small reddish glow in the sunlight? It's really not that much, but it's enough to make me happy. I'm just happy it came out OK and very soft! Thank you so much for the help! :)
I can't post photos though because my phone won't let me send more photos due to low memory. Maybe some other time. It's barely day 1 after I hennaed and it feels so nice. :)

Yey :D I'm glad you are satisfied with how it came out and that you got shiny, smooth and soft hair :)

[gthlvrmx]

Yey :D I'm glad you are satisfied with how it came out and that you got shiny, smooth and soft hair :)

Thank you! The henna was worth it! :)

[Lavendersugar]

Henna color depends upon what color you start with - so everyone's hair will be a little different.
Yes, thank you. Been a henna user about 10 yrs. just curious if that is her nautral or with henna.

[Lavendersugar]

Yes, the color in my sig pic is my henna color. My natural color is a mousy brown with silver threads.
Beautiful!!! I'm a level 5 ash with hints of golden. Even with 6 hrs of henna my hair stays in the brown zone. Yours is beautiful!!!

[Lavendersugar]

OK I tried the henna and my hair is so much SOFTER now! It's shinier, smoother, SOFTER, and even a straighter! My hair isn't as curly as it used to be. My hair color looks like it how it normally looks, maybe even a bit darker, but I do get a small reddish glow in the sunlight? It's really not that much, but it's enough to make me happy. I'm just happy it came out OK and very soft! Thank you so much for the help! :)
I can't post photos though because my phone won't let me send more photos due to low memory. Maybe some other time. It's barely day 1 after I hennaed and it feels so nice. :)


That's great!!!!!
How is it now a few days later?

Mine is always really nice by day five. I go through the dry the feeling as packed henna settles in then bam shine and soft.

[gthlvrmx]

That's great!!!!!
How is it now a few days later?

Mine is always really nice by day five. I go through the dry the feeling as packed henna settles in then bam shine and soft.

Still dark, soft, and really shiny. It has a reddish glow when it's in the sunlight but not much. I will wait a little longer to see how it looks in a few more days.

[Shepherdess]

Still dark, soft, and really shiny. It has a reddish glow when it's in the sunlight but not much. I will wait a little longer to see how it looks in a few more days.
That's really nice! :) From everything I hear about henna, it sounds like it is so good for the hair. I wish I could use henna, though I am sure it would change my color to something that I wouldn't like, lol.

[Lavendersugar]

Still dark, soft, and really shiny. It has a reddish glow when it's in the sunlight but not much. I will wait a little longer to see how it looks in a few more days.

The more you henna the stronger you make your hair. Even if I did not get color from it I would still use it. I love the softness and shine!

[gthlvrmx]

That's really nice! :) From everything I hear about henna, it sounds like it is so good for the hair. I wish I could use henna, though I am sure it would change my color to something that I wouldn't like, lol.
If your hair is dark it won't make much of a difference. My hair still looks dark when im indoors. Even outside it's not much of a difference.

The more you henna the stronger you make your hair. Even if I did not get color from it I would still use it. I love the softness and shine!

Yay! I will henna more on my hair then. I do like the fact that it is stronger. I thought it would be smart to henna it to help my hair grow to really long lengths (knee+). The shine is amazing and the softness is great. It's a little softer than it used to be which is great!

[Belle Paix]

I finally bit the bullet! Henna is setting now in my hair....two hours left. Can't wait! I'm going with a copper brown, and I'm hoping (fingers crossed!) it isn't too bright. I love the brighter red on others, but it definitely doesn't suit my skin tone. Here's hoping for a rich, reddish brown!

[IndyAndy]

I ordered my BAQ henna a few days ago and tracking says it is out for delivery!! I am beyond excited! This will be my first time with henna and after weeks of research I am so ready! Now I just have to get my impatient self through the strand test :/

[Belle Paix]

Oh. Red. So red. Beautiful, but wow. Someone tell me this will darken over the next few days???
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8565/16470115578_f8232f3dd2.jpg

[IndyAndy]

OH MY! It is beautiful, Oh so red! If it doesn't darken up you could always add another henna treatment.

[Nimia]

Oh. Red. So red. Beautiful, but wow. Someone tell me this will darken over the next few days???


It will darken! It's probably even darkened a little since you posted. I can tell, it's going to be a fabulous, rich result. Awesome 'possum! Eager to see a follow-up in a few days.

[Belle Paix]

OH MY! It is beautiful, Oh so red! If it doesn't darken up you could always add another henna treatment.
I've already ordered one, lol! The color was a shock, but the conditioning benefits...wow!


It will darken! It's probably even darkened a little since you posted. I can tell, it's going to be a fabulous, rich result. Awesome 'possum! Eager to see a follow-up in a few days.
Thank you, and yes, I woke up this morning and it's significantly darker...whew!!

[IndyAndy]

after seeing Belle Paix's results I got super impatient... I totally skipped my strand test and have a head full of henna right now :P

[Belle Paix]

after seeing Belle Paix's results I got super impatient... I totally skipped my strand test and have a head full of henna right now :P

Yay!! We want pics!!!

[IndyAndy]

As soon as I figure out how to post them ;) my current avatar is my before picture (I even stepped out into the -10 degree F weather to get a sunny shot). Half an hour down at least 3.5 hrs to go. :D

[IndyAndy]

whoops, just remembered I can't do albums until I'm at the 25+ post mark. LOL I need to re-read the getting started information I guess.

Every time I move my head I get a wiff of the henna... reminds me of the smell at my grandparents farm right after one of the horses would leave a "pile" grassy, earthy, and not altogether unpleasant.

[Belle Paix]

whoops, just remembered I can't do albums until I'm at the 25+ post mark. LOL I need to re-read the getting started information I guess.

Every time I move my head I get a wiff of the henna... reminds me of the smell at my grandparents farm right after one of the horses would leave a "pile" grassy, earthy, and not altogether unpleasant.

I thought this EXACT thing last night. I was raised around horses. We had them all through my childhood. The smell reminded me of the barn, warm animals, and dirt.

[texangrrl]

Belle Paix, that red is to die for!!! I love it!! And yes, henna will darken over the next few days. I usually don't see any darkening until about day 3, but others see it sooner. It just depends on the henna your using and your hair type.

[IndyAndy]

I feel like the Little Mermaid! WOW. Changed my avatar to my new hair :D I ALMOST hope it doesn't darken ;)

I am still totally in awe that a plant can do this; no wonder industrial hair companies still spread the lies about true henna! Henna is bad@$$!

[Belle Paix]

Belle Paix, that red is to die for!!! I love it!! And yes, henna will darken over the next few days. I usually don't see any darkening until about day 3, but others see it sooner. It just depends on the henna your using and your hair type.
Aww, thank you!!!



I feel like the Little Mermaid! WOW. Changed my avatar to my new hair :D I ALMOST hope it doesn't darken ;)

I am still totally in awe that a plant can do this; no wonder industrial hair companies still spread the lies about true henna! Henna is bad@$$!

Beautiful!!! Looks like it took really well!

[IndyAndy]

Beautiful!!! Looks like it took really well!

Thank you! I have noticed some spots along my temples where either I didn't get enough coverage or it dried before the dye took (along the edge of where the plastic wrap rested under my shower cap) But overall I am totally loving it, even if my 8 yr old won't look at me directly and is avoiding talking about the change ;)

[Nimia]

Thank you! I have noticed some spots along my temples where either I didn't get enough coverage or it dried before the dye took (along the edge of where the plastic wrap rested under my shower cap) But overall I am totally loving it, even if my 8 yr old won't look at me directly and is avoiding talking about the change ;)

Seems like no matter how much mud is on your head -- it could be 15 lbs. of the stuff -- there will always be one spot that doesn't get color. You're looking at your mudded-up head and thinking, "This time, it's impossible for hairs to have escaped!" But no. The Hair Rebel Alliance strikes again.

I love the color in your avatar, and fingers crossed you get the photo posting worked out by the time it oxidizes!

[Belle Paix]

Thank you! I have noticed some spots along my temples where either I didn't get enough coverage or it dried before the dye took (along the edge of where the plastic wrap rested under my shower cap) But overall I am totally loving it, even if my 8 yr old won't look at me directly and is avoiding talking about the change ;)

Lol! I have a couple of these too. I'm probably the only one who can notice it, but it's still bugging me. Now that I know how to do it, I'm thinking I'll do a roots-only treatment in a week or so. And just for the record, my 11 year old son loves the red, my 9 year old daughter told me flat out she doesn't....Little bugger!

[IndyAndy]

Not sure the image will upload but here is a shot of my oxidized henna. I love the multidimensional-ness of the henna, I feel like my hair just simmers in the light. Pictures just can't seem to capture it. https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11046578_10101974952765713_833159473276150203_n.jp g?oh=03a4bbde6cd6d2246f13d170bb49c2bd&oe=5593DE38&__gda__=1434682881_67def4c97f19d9b482ae8f96ce340cf 0

[Naima]

I use a henndigo once in a 1.5 month for more than a year. But somehow my grays stays silver and white, even if I keep an application for 5 hours.(((( What's wrong with it? I've got a very few of them, but still it makes me sad:(

[Medievalmaniac]

Sitting here with the green goop on. This time I used full-strength henna on my roots and did a cassia gloss on the length to brighten things up. It was REALLY tough! I braided the length up, applies the full henna to the roots, then took the braids out and swooshed the length in the conditioner/cassia mix in the bowl, then bundled that up on the top of my head and threw the caps on (I wear a plastic one and then a cloth one over it to keep my head nice and warm.) For some reason, today is extra-drippy! lol

[Medievalmaniac]

Got it! If it doesn't oxidize too much, this is the color I have been trying for for over a year now! :disco:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x45/simonebeauvoir2/hair_zpsdorrtcva.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/user/simonebeauvoir2/media/hair_zpsdorrtcva.jpg.html)

[Nebulae]

Medievalmaniac, that is beautiful!

---

Today I finally took the time to henna my roots. I think it's been three months since I did it last time, so they were quite visible! I finally feel like myself again haha. Henna makes me happy! :D

I'm trying to go lighter with each root touchup since it seems the color darkens and dulls a bit as time passes, judging by my length.. not sure if I should decrease the amount of henna to cassia or keep it on my head for a shorter time.. this time I was aiming for 40/60 henna to cassia instead of my 50/50. I let it work its magic for an hour before I rinse. Any tips?

ETA: Additional info - I recently switched from a rooibos tea base to chamomile, hoping it will give a brighter result! Why? Actually don't know, it just felt right haha. :)

[Medievalmaniac]

DH and I have noticed that the length tends to dull up over time as well. I have been using Nightshade's Sun-in lightening method to counter it a bit, and I am also going to try using Cassia alone on the length just to brighten things up. I've been using chamomile to terp my henna for about three years now, just because I like the way it all smells together. :)

[Nebulae]

I'm planning to use the sun-in method once I've cut out my damaged pre-LHC ends :) it would be nice though to not have to continue doing that, but maybe it's the only way if it will dull over time...

[Auburngirl]

Hello, there! I was wondering if you know, does henna help "seal" in a chemical dye that was previously in the hair? Like if you had you hair dyed chemically, and it fades quickly, but then you do a henna (pure henna, ofc) over it, does it prevent for the chemical dye to fade? Someone asked me that, I have no idea.

I also had the same question about natural plant stains that you use either previous to henna application or in the henna mud - like if you stain your hair with wallnut haul or other plants and then henna over it, will the henna help keep that stain longer in the hair (given you don't wash the hair too frequently either)?

I was thinking if you can get a darker red henna stain if you repeatedly stain your hair with wallnut haul powder repeatedly, and build it up until it gets as dark as it can get, and only then apply the henna over it.

Has anybody tried any of these?

Thanks a lot! And gorgeous hair, everybody! I've been reading these henna threads for weeks, now, lurking and drooling over the healthy, luscious, precious hair you're sporing. You make me more and more excited over henna and natural hair!

[Medievalmaniac]

In my experience, henna didn't seal the chemical dye I had in my hair prior to using it, but the henna red was prettier anyway. I have no idea about how henna interacts with other natural plant dyes (beyond cassia or indigo) although I know there are people on the boards who have experimented with this. Most people who want a browner color just seem to use a henndigo blend or one of the darker, more brown hennas.

[Auburngirl]

Ok, I see, Medieval Maniac. I had the impression, after seeing some photos around the site, that the girls who had their hair chemically died before they went henna had the chemical dye somehow stuck in their hair, and it didn't fade out, as chemically dies fade out of the hair quickly, and I saw pictures of the girls with half of their waist long hair still carrying inches of their old chemical die. So that means they would have had that dye in their hair for months, and the color was till dark, darker than the rest of their virgin hennaed hair. That's why I was asking.

My friend saw this too, and she was thinking that, since her chemical dye jobs fade pretty fast, if she could do a henna over them and seal them, and then just continue dyeing her roots, as usually, then henna over them. And that way the chemical dye - a darker one - would hep the henna job look darker and less orange, and the henna would keep the chemical dye from fading. I know! I know... it's a twisted, probably stupid idea, and I guess it wouldn't work that way, but asking can't hurt. :P

[Auni]

I previously chemical died over gray my natural dark brown color prior to henna. And, as dark brown dye does, my ends got black from dye build up. So, I lightened my mid-length down with vitamin C. The lightening didn't touch the henna at all, but pulled out the dark brown chemical dye quite well. So, to answer your question, I do not believe that henna seals in the color. Remember, chemical dye lifts the cuticle and deposits color onto the hair shaft. Henna actually bonds with the keratin in the hair. So I don't believe henna can/will seal in chemical dye.

[Auburngirl]

I see, Auni. Would've been too convenient if we could use henna like that. Although I don't intend using chemical dye myself.

[patienceneeded]

Does anyone else get excited as your planned henna application day gets closer? I have to plan ahead for doing my henna, and make sure a day on my calendar is open and I don't have anything else I have to get done. As the planned day gets closer I get more and more excited about the act of henna-ing my hair. Maybe it takes the place of the anticipation and excitement I used to get over salon visits and haircuts.

I henna (roots only) on Sunday! Yeah!

[IndyAndy]

Does anyone else get excited as your planned henna application day gets closer? I have to plan ahead for doing my henna, and make sure a day on my calendar is open and I don't have anything else I have to get done. As the planned day gets closer I get more and more excited about the act of henna-ing my hair. Maybe it takes the place of the anticipation and excitement I used to get over salon visits and haircuts.

I henna (roots only) on Sunday! Yeah!

I've only hennaed once so far but I'm definitely looking forward to my next one. My mom is supposed to visit next month, I figure I can get a henna in while she keeps my preschooler "out of my hair" ;)

[patienceneeded]

Henna on my head! Yeah! I also decided to try using henna on my (mostly) invisible eyebrows. It's spring break, so if I don't like it there's time for any weirdness to fade/grow out before I see my students again.

[Khristopher]

I had a question about henna and lightening hair but Auni kinda answered it :eek:
I'll ask anyways: I have very dark hair. I'm lightening my hair right now with this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEXTQlwiQsA but less lemon, no vit. C and I added conditioner as the base for the mix. Well I was wondering if the lightening will strip out the henna from my hair, or just lift my base color and leave the henna layer intact. Anyone has experience with this? I don't want to waste henna aplications with lightening if the red color will fade instead of showing better :rolleyes:

[lil_irish_angel]

Well has any one who uses chamoline tea to terp their henna. But yesterday mixing my henna I didn't have plain chamomile tea so Used honey vanilla chamomile tea. Smelled great. Do not know how is affected color turnout but missed with my normal cardamom ginger and cloves. My English setter has been following me roof the house since 2:30 this morning when I rinsed it out

[Auni]

Does anyone else get excited as your planned henna application day gets closer? I have to plan ahead for doing my henna, and make sure a day on my calendar is open and I don't have anything else I have to get done. As the planned day gets closer I get more and more excited about the act of henna-ing my hair. Maybe it takes the place of the anticipation and excitement I used to get over salon visits and haircuts.

I henna (roots only) on Sunday! Yeah!
I totally get jazzed about my henna days! We recently talked about this over on the cherry cola thread. It's a day for me, by me! I read, watch movies, play my guitar, and always do a manicure- bright orange fingertips don't look to hot on a nurse:no:!


Henna on my head! Yeah! I also decided to try using henna on my (mostly) invisible eyebrows. It's spring break, so if I don't like it there's time for any weirdness to fade/grow out before I see my students again.

How did the brows turn out?

[Auni]

I had a question about henna and lightening hair but Auni kinda answered it :eek:
I'll ask anyways: I have very dark hair. I'm lightening my hair right now with this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEXTQlwiQsA but less lemon, no vit. C and I added conditioner as the base for the mix. Well I was wondering if the lightening will strip out the henna from my hair, or just lift my base color and leave the henna layer intact. Anyone has experience with this? I don't want to waste henna aplications with lightening if the red color will fade instead of showing better :rolleyes:

I still don't believe it will do too much to the henna. To lighten henna you need quite a few applications with something like peroxide, nightshade posted a super informative thread on it! And be prepared to have to do a few applications, I did 2 spaced a few days apart, before I got the lift on my dark ends that I wanted.
I actually really like that tutorial, let us know how it turns out!:)

[Auni]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=19317
Here's nightshades sun in link:flower:

[patienceneeded]

How did the brows turn out?

Pretty good actually. I don't know if I'll do it every time I henna, but they look nice. My face looks different. It's a bit odd in some ways to see different eyebrows. Once I see what the grow-out is like I'll decide if I'm going to do it again. I used an old mascara wand to apply then henna to the brows. Worked really well.

[Khristopher]

I still don't believe it will do too much to the henna. To lighten henna you need quite a few applications with something like peroxide, nightshade posted a super informative thread on it! And be prepared to have to do a few applications, I did 2 spaced a few days apart, before I got the lift on my dark ends that I wanted.
I actually really like that tutorial, let us know how it turns out!:)

Thank you for your reply, it's actually a relief! I just did my second lightening with that recipe, I'm focusing on my roots. Not seeing a change (yet), but I know cinnamon is good because it worked on my ends previously. I think I'll wait a little longer to henna the roots so it's easier to notice any change.

[poli]

Doing roots today. Feels really nice. Hope I didn't miss any awkward spots.

[IndyAndy]

So I've got a little less than an inch of root grow out and I'm planning a henna for next week. I keep wavering between full head and roots only. This is only my second henna so I'm not too concerned about build-up darkening my color but the thought has crossed my mind... Hmm... how many applications did it take y'all to go roots only? Or did you decide to do continuously full head applications? I think my thought process right now is that a roots only still has to sit on my head for the full time so why not just do a full head. So torn! LOL the struggle is real. HAHA

[höpönasu]

I'm wondering if chestnut henna (inc. henna, indigo) will tone down my red hennaed hair that has orangey tint to maybe more not so orangey? It's very unflattering to my skin tone.

[MINAKO]

Question for all the lovely henna experts around here. You might know that i use a one step henndigo (as i call it) to prevent my natural black hair from fading. Because there isnot a big difference between my roots as they grow and the shade i want to achieve i always use santé color mixes, which are all natural but dont have a super strong color pay off. I dont think i need the best henna because its simply there for the i digo to adhere to something in my case. The results were always very nice, but i noticed my color fades faster as my hair got alot healthier.
Now i bought this http://www.indien-produkte.de/product_info.php/info/p50_Herbal-Hair-Colour-Henna---Amla.html
as a base, and 2 pack the pure indigo black by Khadi as a second step. I hate hate doing more then mixing it all together and slapping it on my head, but i hope i can expect longer lasting color and a deeper böueish black with that combination.
Thoughts or suggestions? :)

http://666kb.com/i/aw56p4blinuyzmz3e.jpg
Thats the shade i want to achieve all the way down to my ends AND keep longer than an average of 4 weeks like it is now.

[MINAKO]

bumping! :)

[Belle Paix]

I've done two applications now, and I LOVE henna, I've decided. I'm officially a fan. My hair feels like freakin' straw for a solid week after, but with good conditioning, and minor handling, it feels fantastic later! The color is working out really well too. I think IndyAndy and I started our henna journey about the same time :). Between the color, and the ongoing conditioning benefits, I'm a true believer!

[texangrrl]

I've done two applications now, and I LOVE henna, I've decided. I'm officially a fan. My hair feels like freakin' straw for a solid week after, but with good conditioning, and minor handling, it feels fantastic later! The color is working out really well too. I think IndyAndy and I started our henna journey about the same time :). Between the color, and the ongoing conditioning benefits, I'm a true believer!

Yay!! So glad the henna worked out for you! :flower: What kind of henna did you use?

[Belle Paix]

Yay!! So glad the henna worked out for you! :flower: What kind of henna did you use?

Aww, thanks! I use an indigo, henna mix from Henna Color Lab....reviews seem to be a bit mixed, but it's working for me so far!

[IndyAndy]

I've done two applications now, and I LOVE henna, I've decided. I'm officially a fan. My hair feels like freakin' straw for a solid week after, but with good conditioning, and minor handling, it feels fantastic later! The color is working out really well too. I think IndyAndy and I started our henna journey about the same time :). Between the color, and the ongoing conditioning benefits, I'm a true believer!

Yes we did :) and I just did my second application yesterday! I'm totally in love with henna. I haven't experienced any dryness from it though. After the mud is out I CO wash with a hydrating 'cone conditioner (Pantene Moisture Renewel) maybe doing something like that could help with your "straw hair" following an application Belle Paix :)

[höpönasu]

I'm wondering if chestnut henna (inc. henna, indigo) will tone down my red hennaed hair that has orangey tint to maybe more not so orangey? It's very unflattering to my skin tone.
Nothing happened whatsoever. It did kind of gloss my red henna and a little bit highlight my blonde streaks here and there. I really hoped more brown results. Well, I'm out of henna dyes, guess I'll just tackle with my mane then. :P

[Belle Paix]

Yes we did :) and I just did my second application yesterday! I'm totally in love with henna. I haven't experienced any dryness from it though. After the mud is out I CO wash with a hydrating 'cone conditioner (Pantene Moisture Renewel) maybe doing something like that could help with your "straw hair" following an application Belle Paix :)

I'll have to remember that. I just rinse with a buttload of VO5, lol. My hair tends to run somewhat dry with product anyway, so I haven't been too worried about it. Especially because it feels so good a few days later.

[CopperRed]

Just did my second henna application in about year and a half. Strayed away for a while and don't know why!! But I freaking LOVE it!! Hair was damaged from chemical dyes and highlights and while I'm still waiting for the final color to oxidize, my hair ALREADY feels better. I'm thinking a deep condition tonight and she'll be good to go!! I don't have enough posts yet to attach a pic, but you can be sure I will as so as I get to my 45 posts or whatever it is!

[Kina]

I'll have to remember that. I just rinse with a buttload of VO5, lol. My hair tends to run somewhat dry with product anyway, so I haven't been too worried about it. Especially because it feels so good a few days later.

there is a thread on mixing henna with coconut milk. I did it with my cassia and my hair wasn't dry at all. You might wanna look that thread up :)

[arima]

I've been thinking about hennaing my hair for - i kid you not - four years now. I get seriously into it, research for hours, learn about the process for the millionth time, about to order it, and I always always chicken out. I really feel like I should do it just because of how long I've wanted to do it now. It'll grow out again after all, if it's horrible.
It's a huge step, being a blonde who never ever ever touched the color in her life. BUT I LOVE GINGERS, I really can't take my eyes off a redhead.
Again a step away from ordering it (drumroll).
Henna you elusive creature

[poli]

I've been thinking about hennaing my hair for - i kid you not - four years now. I get seriously into it, research for hours, learn about the process for the millionth time, about to order it, and I always always chicken out. I really feel like I should do it just because of how long I've wanted to do it now. It'll grow out again after all, if it's horrible.
It's a huge step, being a blonde who never ever ever touched the color in her life. BUT I LOVE GINGERS, I really can't take my eyes off a redhead.
Again a step away from ordering it (drumroll).
Henna you elusive creature

Maybe you could try to henna just a section of your hair? Then you will know what to expect and the hair doesn't need to be visible (back nape hair, maybe?)

[arima]

Maybe you could try to henna just a section of your hair? Then you will know what to expect and the hair doesn't need to be visible (back nape hair, maybe?)

That's a good idea. I'm at least going to order it and strand-test.

[texangrrl]

I've been thinking about hennaing my hair for - i kid you not - four years now. I get seriously into it, research for hours, learn about the process for the millionth time, about to order it, and I always always chicken out. I really feel like I should do it just because of how long I've wanted to do it now. It'll grow out again after all, if it's horrible.
It's a huge step, being a blonde who never ever ever touched the color in her life. BUT I LOVE GINGERS, I really can't take my eyes off a redhead.
Again a step away from ordering it (drumroll).
Henna you elusive creature

I feel the same way about gingers, lol. I have always admired their hair and thought about henna for months before I took the plunge. I did the strand test first before I did the full application. But I'm SOOOOO glad I did henna!!! I haven't regretted it yet and I'm in love with my hair color!!! :love: Defintely strand test first, but from what you've said, I think you'll really like being a henna head. But either way you decide, the LHC community is wonderful about supporting whatever you do with your hair!!

[gthlvrmx]

This is my before henna: http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/gthlvr13r/PART_1428709517880_zpsuk8de6wq.jpghttp://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/gthlvr13r/IMG_20150205_131126_zpsyzbhu6jl.jpg

This if my after henna: http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/gthlvr13r/IMG_20150208_135534_zpsrtsnyvmy.jpg

You can really see the red in the sun! It looks like in that last photo in real life :p

By the way, the blue you see there is from the camera on the first 2 photos. My brother told me that wasn't there when he looked at it but it does look pretty!

[JellyBene]

Hoponasu, as a general rule people either look good with a copper red (as you have) or a violet red. Maybe you'd have luck trying more of a violet red :) deep red sold by Henna Hut has hibiscus powder in it, giving more of a violet red. I tried it a couple months ago, I was pleased with the results but feel like I do better with the copper reds. Just be warned that a more violet red won't look natural like a gingery red would, but still beautiful.

[starfire]

I have 2006 henna in my freezer. Any harm in using? Even if it no longer colors, would it still be beneficial at all?

[divinedobbie]

I have 2006 henna in my freezer. Any harm in using? Even if it no longer colors, would it still be beneficial at all?

From what I understand, the beneficial part of the henna is the dye because the lawsone molecule is what binds to your hair and strengthens the hair shaft so the benefits are directly proportional to the colour. I could be wrong though.

[texangrrl]

I have 2006 henna in my freezer. Any harm in using? Even if it no longer colors, would it still be beneficial at all?

Mix up a small amount and test it on your skin. If it stains, it should be good. Without the staining though, I don't think there would be much effect at all.

[starfire]

Update: I mixed some up and it did stain a faint orange on my arm (despite the room being cold and not very conducive to releasing dye). I think I'll try mixing up some more and actually keeping it warm this time to see if it stains any darker.
Ahhhh the smell was so nostalgic!

[Nightshade]

This is my before henna:

You can really see the red in the sun! It looks like in that last photo in real life :p

By the way, the blue you see there is from the camera on the first 2 photos. My brother told me that wasn't there when he looked at it but it does look pretty!

That looks great!

[starfire]

So that little bit that I mixed up that I said had faintly orange stain? I just slopped it on the ends of my hair to test it (using my bare hands because there's not much color there, right?). Haha it was only on my skin for less than a minute and my hand is quite orange!

[Katlette]

I haven't done henna in ages! I've been using veggie dyes to touch up my roots, but I'm missing the lovely henna ritual. So, tomorrow has been set aside as my henna day. I'm so excited, I've just mixed up my henna with rooibos tea and it smells lovely. :stirpot:

[gthlvrmx]

I just applied henna on my facial hair (minus the eyebrows) and on my head hair. I did not use gloves so my hands are so orange. I am having trouble keeping the henna on my face from drying though, will it still get dyed well even if it dries a little? I just used the leftover henna I had in the freezer.

[elsieivy]

I just applied henna on my facial hair (minus the eyebrows) and on my head hair. I did not use gloves so my hands are so orange. I am having trouble keeping the henna on my face from drying though, will it still get dyed well even if it dries a little? I just used the leftover henna I had in the freezer.

Is there any way you can stick plastic wrap over the part you are doing? I think that's how people usually do their eyebrows. I've had issues with not getting a strong enough dye if it dries too quickly.

[gthlvrmx]

Is there any way you can stick plastic wrap over the part you are doing? I think that's how people usually do their eyebrows. I've had issues with not getting a strong enough dye if it dries too quickly.

Next time I will try plastic wrap.

[valkyrje]

I just hennaed my hair using only henna, hibiscus, rose hip and rooibos tea. Instead of making my hair redder or more burgundy, it made my hair a bit brown and orange! How is that possible? Aren't hibiscus and rooibos supposed to give a redder stain? I'm confused and I don't really like the new colour... :confused:

[Doni]

I've been thinking about giving Yemeni henna a try. The 2014 Jamila crop hasn't been staining my hair as well as the previous crop. The colour was much more intense with the 2013 crop :(

[Alexandra.]

Hi, I get my henna from hennaforhair but the import tax to the UK is a pain, are you selling the same stuff IN the UK?

[Alexandra.]

Hi, ( just posted this without quote, oops) I get my henna from hennaforhair but the import tax to UK is a pain - are you selling the same IN the UK?



We supply BAQ henna mainly to the UK and Europe!

Going to be coming here a lot more to contribute providing as much advice and info as possible. Im also one of the admins at hennapage and hennaforhair

[Kat]

My apologies in advance for not having the energy for a search-- I need a henna rec. I live in the U.S. Indian-grocery-store henna just isn't cutting it for me (I don't get enough color). I first started using it precisely for the "not much color" reason, since it was a henna gloss I was doing. These days I would still value the more orange-y/coppery tint (I need to avoid the cool burgundy tones; I look awful in cool-toned hair), but getting the bright red I want-- assuming it's possible; my natural color might have turned too dark by now as it's been steadily darkening from blonde since I was a kid-- would require multiple applications and I'm afraid that would start to push me toward burgundy. Also, I have a hard time at the Indian groceries finding just straight henna, without a lot of other stuff added. I don't want brown henna, I don't want other herbs (which might be good for my hair, but will dilute the henna, and i also don't know what some of them are and whether they might add some color of their own/shift color).

My hair is naturally light brown with gold overtones in the sun, though it's currently sporting a reddish tint thanks to a couple henna-gloss applications over the past couple years. I want to go redder, as close to flame red as I can manage.. (I should note that whether my hair in its natural color appears warm-golden-overtoned or ashy-overtoned depends on the lighting, but the ashy overtones never suited me. Even a light henna gloss helped get rid of these, even in lighting where otherwise you couldn't tell I'd done anything with my hair. I do not know if this feature of my hair means henna could possibly default to burgundy or not, but I assume I'm relatively safe if I don't over-apply?)

What henna should I use for warm copper? Moroccan? Red Raj? One of the ones from Hennaforhair? I've read so many mixed reviews of brands and preparations that I don't know what to think... one starts out warm then goes cool after a while, another starts out cool then turns brown, one starts out less red but doesn't oxidise as fast, another one is bright from the start but ends up brown later, etc. And just when I read descriptions that sound like what I want... someone else chimes in with "yeah it turned my hair burgundy/brown!" or "it washed right out!" and I'm like, "um... nope."

I suppose I might end up experimenting with lots of samples and strand tests, but I cringe at the thought of paying shipping twice-- once for a few samples, and once for my actual order.

Thanks for any recommendations. :)

[Ravender]

Indian-grocery-store henna just isn't cutting it for me (I don't get enough color). I first started using it precisely for the "not much color" reason, since it was a henna gloss I was doing... My hair is naturally light brown with gold overtones in the sun, though it's currently sporting a reddish tint thanks to a couple henna-gloss applications over the past couple years. I want to go redder, as close to flame red as I can manage.

I'm confused; if you've never done a full-strength henna application with the Indian grocery henna (only a couple of glosses), how do you know that it doesn't give enough color? I'm not sure what the selection is where you shop, but there are a number of hennas commonly sold in Indian and Middle Eastern groceries that are 100% henna and quite potent. Dulhan Deluxe Mehandi, Afshan, Reshma and Mumtaz all come to mind (although a few of these brands also make mixes, just avoid anything called "brown" or whatever, or that has other herbs.)

[sleepingduty]

Hey Kat,
I think Jamila henna or Moroccan henna are known for their warm coppery tones. Moroccan dye releases pretty fast, and it can take 8 hours or longer for Jamila to dye release. Also, if you combine with cassia, it will keep the color lighter. Whatever you decide I think a strand test is always wise:)

[Kat]

I'm confused; if you've never done a full-strength henna application with the Indian grocery henna (only a couple of glosses), how do you know that it doesn't give enough color? I'm not sure what the selection is where you shop, but there are a number of hennas commonly sold in Indian and Middle Eastern groceries that are 100% henna and quite potent. Dulhan Deluxe Mehandi, Afshan, Reshma and Mumtaz all come to mind (although a few of these brands also make mixes, just avoid anything called "brown" or whatever, or that has other herbs.)

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wanted more color than the gloss after doing that once or twice, so I used the grocery store type full-strength, and didn't get that much more color than my gloss.

[woodswanderer]

After a couple years pondering trying henna, I think I am finally ready to try a henna gloss. I do intend to strand test on trimmed hair mini-bundles.

I know some people henna over "dirty" hair, but I wonder if I would need to clarify first because I use cones?

I'm very reluctant to clarify and use no conditioner before towel drying and applying the henna gloss, because I detangle my hair when it is full of conditioner and I think it would be a nightmare to detangle without conditioner.

I guess I could clarify and then detangle with a cone free conditioner, then rinsing out as much as I possibly can before towel drying it and applying the gloss. It would be nice to skip the extra part though and just use dirty hair.

Just hoping there would be a cone-loving henna head on here to give me some tips.

[Velouria]

I henna and use cones. I've never clarified before hennaing (or at all) in the sense of using a shampoo labeled as clarifying, but I do shampoo first w/ one of my cone-free shampoos that I find too stripping for frequent use (Suave Rosemary Mint or V05 Shea Cashmere.) I also condition (but not the roots, as otherwise [being newer and therefore less porous hair] they don't soak up the henna as well as the length) w/a cone-free conditioner. I rinse it out no more thoroughly than usual.

I often hennaed over dirty hair or simply CO washed beforehand when I was cone-free, but looking back I think that might have led to the color not taking as well on my newest growth. So I really don't recommend it at all, much less while using cones.

[woodswanderer]

Ok, thanks for the input. :D

[poli]

I use cones and henna dirty hair, it must have some buildup on but henna doesn't mind :shrug:

[woodswanderer]

Hrmmm....it looks like it works pretty well from your profile pic. I will have to think about this. At least I have options.

[GRU]

Henna is the Honey Badger of the hair coloring world... it doesn't give a poop what you do or don't do!

[brickworld13]

So what does an allergic reaction to henna present itself as? Last time I did henndigo, I got really lethargic and felt horrible while the henna was on my head.

[IndyAndy]

Looked in a mirror and realized I have nearly an inch and a half of root growth... Holy cow it's been at least 3 months since my last henna! where did I put my applicator bottles? This must be fixed!

[Islandgrrl]

I can't recall posting in this thread before, but I'm a long-time henna head. today, though, was my first ever full head application of henna. Up to this point, I have only done root applications to cover the gray that has been creeping in. My natural color is pretty close to this. Henna just brightened things up a little and made it SHINY!

http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/o777/TheIslandgrrl/hair/63E052C5-32FC-4B09-87BB-12D04C2E83C6_zpswhb3pzrr.jpg

[VanillaTresses]

Very pretty, @Islandgrrl!

[Twinkletoes21]

Gorgeous color and shine, Islandgrrl! Your hair looks very strong and healthy.

[Katlette]

I just read a curious thing that I thought might interest some of you.

Back in my home country (Finland) the health authorities recommend avoiding henna altogether during pregnancy because it may be carcinogenic. Conventional hair dyes, however, they say are fine, though should ideally be used infrequently. This sounded odd to me - I switched to henna not only for the long-lasting pretty red, but also because I thought it would be safer - so I did some quick googling. It might be because of my location, but google keeps giving me discussions that link back to the original Finnish recommendations I found.

I also found this http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_140.pdf but it's a bit over my head.

I love my henna and this won't make me give it up, but I'm a bit saddened if it is actually a bit bad for me.

[cutekitty]

I just read a curious thing that I thought might interest some of you.

Back in my home country (Finland) the health authorities recommend avoiding henna altogether during pregnancy because it may be carcinogenic. Conventional hair dyes, however, they say are fine, though should ideally be used infrequently. This sounded odd to me - I switched to henna not only for the long-lasting pretty red, but also because I thought it would be safer - so I did some quick googling. It might be because of my location, but google keeps giving me discussions that link back to the original Finnish recommendations I found.

I also found this http://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_140.pdf but it's a bit over my head.

I love my henna and this won't make me give it up, but I'm a bit saddened if it is actually a bit bad for me.

Pure henna is not toxic to the body, I don't think you should be worried. In my country, it is a tradition that pregnant women henna their hands (and feet maybe) when they reach the 7th month. I have never heard of it being harmful.

This is what the study you linked to says :

"4. CONCLUSION
The SCCS is of the opinion that the information provided is sufficient to assess the safe use of Henna as a hair dye. The assessment is based on the Henna batches 1271 and 830.72 and relates to a Lawsone content of max. 1.4%. When formulated and applied as indicated under functions and uses, e.g. 100 g Henna powder mixed with 300 ml boiling water, Henna is considered safe for the consumer.
Other kinds of extracts of Henna that may have different compositions are not covered by this assessment."

The colour in your signature pic is fantastic, btw.

[GRU]

I love my henna and this won't make me give it up, but I'm a bit saddened if it is actually a bit bad for me.

I would guess that the "henna" that this article talks about is actually the prepared "box" mixtures that also have metallic salts and other additives. You know, the same stuff that has people saying you can't ever perm / dye your hair ever again if you use henna.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to use henna while pregnant.

[kaylenfalse]

Is it okay if I resurrect this thread?

I'm going to take the plunge on Thursday! I have waist length hair, so I think that means I need 400g? I plan on just mixing with lemon juice this first time to see how it goes. I think I'd like to have a "control group" before I start doing anything like adding tea or oils. I'm going to buy a cheap conditioner to help me get out all the henna afterward. I got it from Henna for Hair. After reading a few threads about tangles after henna, I'm getting a little nervous about what it will do to my fine hair. Is there anything I can do to prevent matted hair from henna? My house stays around 60F, will I get a better red if I use warm towels or a heating pad?

[MsPharaohMoan]

Strand test first! ^^

[kaylenfalse]

I was planning on doing some from my brush. Will that work well enough? The top of my head is medium ash brown and the tips are auburn, so i'm not sure how accurately I'll be able to guess what color I'll end up having.

[gthlvrmx]

Is it okay if I resurrect this thread?

I'm going to take the plunge on Thursday! I have waist length hair, so I think that means I need 400g? I plan on just mixing with lemon juice this first time to see how it goes. I think I'd like to have a "control group" before I start doing anything like adding tea or oils. I'm going to buy a cheap conditioner to help me get out all the henna afterward. I got it from Henna for Hair. After reading a few threads about tangles after henna, I'm getting a little nervous about what it will do to my fine hair. Is there anything I can do to prevent matted hair from henna? My house stays around 60F, will I get a better red if I use warm towels or a heating pad?

I don't think you will need a huge amount of henna for waist length hair unless it is really thick hair that you have. But it's good to have some extra just in case, you can just put the leftover henna in a baggie and store it in the freezer when you are done. I heard some people mention that using oil in their henna helped them with rinsing the henna out much more easily. Maybe you could add oil to your henna mud before applying it on your hair and even some cheap conditioner in it. Hennalonghair gave me this link before, maybe it would help you: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128407

[GRU]

I hope you're planning on using lemon juice AND WATER to mix.... not just lemon juice!

[Aireling]

Hello Henna Boy! I am new on this forum and although i realise that i am replying to one of your old posts, i was wondering if you could give me some info on how to order some good quality cassia/senna and henna to Italy? Do you also supply cassia?

Thank you ! :)

[Aireling]

We supply BAQ henna mainly to the UK and Europe!

Going to be coming here a lot more to contribute providing as much advice and info as possible. Im also one of the admins at hennapage and hennaforhair

Oops I forgot the link! I didn't see the link to your website in the previous post. Will take a look now... :)

[kaylenfalse]

Some people say just lemon juice. Why shouldn't I do just straight lemon juice?

[poli]

Some people say just lemon juice. Why shouldn't I do just straight lemon juice?

Lemon juice is very drying for the hair and irritating for the scalp. If you want to use it - a spoon or even few drops is enough to change the ph of the water. Don't use straight juice if you want troubleless henna experience.

[Namratha]

Lemon juice is very drying for the hair and irritating for the scalp. If you want to use it - a spoon or even few drops is enough to change the ph of the water. Don't use straight juice if you want troubleless henna experience.

The best thing if you apply lemon juice to your henna paste is to do a very heavy oiling the next day. Both henna and lemon have drying effect on the hair. So the day you henna, wash only with lukewarm water and the next day, do a heavy oiling making sure to coat all the hair and the outcome is just brilliant. I follow this routine whenever I henna my hair. I hope this helps.
Cheers

[kochakaden]

Hey everyone, longtime lurker here at the forums! I've been henna-ing for about two years now, and I usually ask my roommate (who is Indian, and HATES this process as her mom forced her to do it for years) to help me out. I could tell she was dreading it every time though so I finally took the plunge recently and did a roots-only application by myself. It was...difficult to apply, whether I used a condiment bottle or a brush. And the colour didn't take (it was leftover frozen henna from my last full-head application, and I still don't know what went wrong...) so a totally wasted effort!

Anyway, I went ahead and picked up a plastic icing gun for frosting cookies (seriously!) and today when I attempted the roots for a second time, it was SO EASY. I mixed 2/3 cup of henna (not sure of type, my roomie picked it up in Mumbai) with a full cup of extra-strong chamomile, cooled slightly, and a splash of lemon juice. It was runnier than I usually make it, but that may have been to my advantage today. Let it sit in the slow-cooker from 9-6.

I was going to mix it with 1/3 cup of cassia but I decided since it was roots-only, a full-strength application couldn't hurt. Then I braided my hair (waist-length) into four braids, put the whole bowl of henna into the icing gun (PERFECT amount for the task) and applied 5-6 clicks of the gun into each dry braid with my right hand, mushing it in with my left. When the gun was empty I was totally shocked at how there was NO HENNA on the newspaper on the floor and I wasn't totally covered in flakes of mud from the sections that had dried too fast. Wow! The whole process was basically done in ten minutes, twenty including prep and clean-up.

In short, if you're looking for an easy way to apply henna on your own (sorry, this probably is best for roots as it can't hold a WHOLE lot), an icing gun is the way to go!

[AutobotsAttack]

I'm not sure if anyone has asked this yet, but could I dilute a henna mixture with a little bit of conditioner? For softness purposes? Or would that defeat the processing?

[gthlvrmx]

I'm not sure if anyone has asked this yet, but could I dilute a henna mixture with a little bit of conditioner? For softness purposes? Or would that defeat the processing?

You could totally put conditioner and even oils in your henna mix. Henna will still work.

[kaylenfalse]

I'm sitting with the henna on my hair now. I got really dizzy and nauseous as my husband was finishing up piling on the last bits. I guess it's the weight and then I probably panicked slightly, exacerbating what the weight was doing. The room was spinning and I had to lay down on the bathroom floor for a while. Anybody else have this problem? My head is SO heavy. I used 400g and have waist length hair. I'm sitting with my head propped up on a pillow/the wall. I guess this is where I'm stuck for the next 4 hours. lol.

[gthlvrmx]

I'm sitting with the henna on my hair now. I got really dizzy and nauseous as my husband was finishing up piling on the last bits. I guess it's the weight and then I probably panicked slightly, exacerbating what the weight was doing. The room was spinning and I had to lay down on the bathroom floor for a while. Anybody else have this problem? My head is SO heavy. I used 400g and have waist length hair. I'm sitting with my head propped up on a pillow/the wall. I guess this is where I'm stuck for the next 4 hours. lol.

I once got sore on my trapezius muscle from the weight of the henna after a couple of hours but I never felt dizzy or nauseous from the hennas weight! Maybe you should lay down and take a nap so that you won't notice the time going by.

[Anje]

400g sounds like a crazy amount for waist-length hair, especially if it's not super-ultra-extraordinarily thick. I've mixed up 150g to cover my classic-length hair (which is only 2.75-3" circumference at the nape and tapers moderately) and had leftovers. Damp hair is also a lot easier to cover, because it doesn't absorb so much liquid from the mud, though the dye intensity might be marginally less -- probably not enough to notice though. If the weight is getting to you, try simply using less henna!

[Namratha]

I'm sitting with the henna on my hair now. I got really dizzy and nauseous as my husband was finishing up piling on the last bits. I guess it's the weight and then I probably panicked slightly, exacerbating what the weight was doing. The room was spinning and I had to lay down on the bathroom floor for a while. Anybody else have this problem? My head is SO heavy. I used 400g and have waist length hair. I'm sitting with my head propped up on a pillow/the wall. I guess this is where I'm stuck for the next 4 hours. lol.

Hello Kaylenfalse, is this your first time henna? I believe you are not used to the 'smell' and maybe that's why you felt dizzy. And yes, henna can weigh a lot when applied to long hair. Even I tried to make a secure bun after applying but with the weight, it gets loose as well. So I always secure it with a hair clip now. But I never felt dizzy as you did with henna. Maybe I am more used to its smell than you are. All the best.

[hoggle]

hello,

I'm a henna virgin and need a bit of advice. im terrified about my hair turning burgundy. my natural hair color is auburn but its fading rapidly to a mousy brown color. My hair is too fragile for chemicals so i'd much much prefer henna.

yellow smiley is my natural hair color 10 years ago and orange smiley is my current hair color in flattering light.
http://oi61.tinypic.com/jkywip.jpg

in some lighting it looks straight up BROWN. what additivies/tips would you ladies give to avoid my henna turning a burgundy color? i purchased henna from henna color lab, but i haven't used it yet. is it possible to achieve a color similar to my color 10 years ago? i was thinking of purchasing saffron powder. i'm open to any ideas/additives. very scared about this!! thank youuuuuuu.

[GRU]

Henna doesn't go burgundy immediately -- it's a build-up of color over time.

Collect shed hairs and do some strand testing to be sure, but likely you can just do an all-over application to start and then roots-only to continue so you don't get build-up.

Also, keep in mind that your hair won't "lighten up" at all with henna.

I'm a strawberry blonde originally, and I use cassia with henna to get less of the red overall. After an initial complete application, I now do roots-only.

You can also do a "gloss" application, mixing henna with conditioner to dilute the color.

Strand tests are your friend!!!

[Autumnberry]

hoggle, I will say that after my first henna (many years ago) on virgin medium brown hair, using 100% BAQ henna with high dye content, my hair did look a cherry color in certain outdoor lights. In other outdoor lights, it was either an auburn or sometimes more of an irish setter red. In indoor light it was a slight auburn or a rich auburn depending on the light source. It is amazing that one coat of henna could look cherry, but I remember it well! My profile picture was taken within two weeks of that first henna (from 2008). If you don't want a cherry tone at all, then I recommend using a mix with a lower percentage henna such as Nightshade's mix found in her article. Happy hennaing!

[poli]

hoggle I know below link is in Polish but you can see from the film this lady uses very little henna and a lot of conditioner to henna her long hair and gets vibrant copper colour with just glosses. It might be what you are looking for.
https://youtu.be/mCVjTURtXzM

[hoggle]

thanks for all the feedback!!

i didnt even realize you could do a henna gloss/conditioner before this thread. im so glad i posted, lol

yes i am looking for more of a coppery color. that video is beeaaaaaautiful. coppery but not orange. if it did look a bit cherry in overcast outdoor lighting i'd be okay with it... years ago I used some aveda color depositing shampoo and it had a similar effect. it was very mild though. if the cherry effect showed up in all types of lighting i'd be mad.

im looking up nightshades mix. it's funny, i used to dump sun-in every few years too lol. i'm having trouble searching.. i found this "I swapped out from 100% henna to a 35% henna 65% cassia and other herbs blend (a ratio I use to this day) and to roots-only applications" does it say anywhere what herbs she used?

its amazing you can achieve so much with just a gloss! i'm going to post more pics later..just to show it looking brown/dark. should i highlight my hair a little bit..especially the hair around my ears..neck, before applying henna? I read you can henna after dying but not dye after henna. i'm willing to lighten dark bits for just a one time thing. like with this http://www.amazon.com/LOreal-Paris-A03517-Excellence-Penny/dp/B000VWKIMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445440491&sr=8-1&keywords=loreal+red+penny is that any less damaging than sun-in? or should i just sun-in

i'm obviously a virgin with dying my hair too or i would've realzied that you can do a root-only application. :rolleyes:

[Sarahm]

thanks for all the feedback!!

i didnt even realize you could do a henna gloss/conditioner before this thread. im so glad i posted, lol

yes i am looking for more of a coppery color. that video is beeaaaaaautiful. coppery but not orange. if it did look a bit cherry in overcast outdoor lighting i'd be okay with it... years ago I used some aveda color depositing shampoo and it had a similar effect. it was very mild though. if the cherry effect showed up in all types of lighting i'd be mad.

im looking up nightshades mix. it's funny, i used to dump sun-in every few years too lol. i'm having trouble searching.. i found this "I swapped out from 100% henna to a 35% henna 65% cassia and other herbs blend (a ratio I use to this day) and to roots-only applications" does it say anywhere what herbs she used?

its amazing you can achieve so much with just a gloss! i'm going to post more pics later..just to show it looking brown/dark. should i highlight my hair a little bit..especially the hair around my ears..neck, before applying henna? I read you can henna after dying but not dye after henna. i'm willing to lighten dark bits for just a one time thing. like with this http://www.amazon.com/LOreal-Paris-A03517-Excellence-Penny/dp/B000VWKIMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445440491&sr=8-1&keywords=loreal+red+penny is that any less damaging than sun-in? or should i just sun-in

i'm obviously a virgin with dying my hair too or i would've realzied that you can do a root-only application. :rolleyes:
Since you're a hair dye virgin, I think that doing a henna gloss is a very good idea. That way you can ease in to it. And it's a lot less messy.

I'm looking forward to seeing the result. Good luck!

[hoggle]

yes i should add i've had highlights at a salon several times but they were very subtle.

[hoggle]

here's a picture of my hair looking too dark, one dimenional

http://oi59.tinypic.com/26449dh.jpg

[hoggle]

A lot of links on here to blogs broken? Or do I have insufficient privileges to view things? I tried clicking nightshades signature and it doesn't work

[Groovy Granny]

A lot of links on here to blogs broken? Or do I have insufficient privileges to view things? I tried clicking nightshades signature and it doesn't work

Welcome :)
You will be able to see those things when you have more than 25 posts.
Here is the link to the User Permissions (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=68520)
Good luck with your henna ~ happy growing :)

[hoggle]

Phew, thanks!

[hoggle]

aaaaaaaack i have another question

can i just buy this? https://www.etsy.com/listing/113022270/bright-copper-fire-genasi-herbal-hair
im overwhelmed by mixing up my own

[hoggle]

does it have the right henna/cassia ratio?

[hoggle]

im not sure if we're allowed to post links, im leaning towards buying nightshades Bright Copper Fire Genasi Herbal Hair Color and strand testing at this point

[hoggle]

*nightbloomings

[GRU]

A strand test is really the best way to know.... try it and see if you like that result, then go ahead and buy that product and relax!

[Namratha]

A strand test is really the best way to know.... try it and see if you like that result, then go ahead and buy that product and relax!

I full agree... your hair might not necessarily turn exactly the color depicted. Try it on a strand of hair and then if you are happy, then go for it!

[hoggle]

thanks everyone, my hair would be hideous without this information. i actually had a nightmare about it last night

[Namratha]

thanks everyone, my hair would be hideous without this information. i actually had a nightmare about it last night

Most welcome... I imagine how 'precious' hair is for all of us :D

[syndel]

hello,

I'm a henna virgin and need a bit of advice. im terrified about my hair turning burgundy. my natural hair color is auburn but its fading rapidly to a mousy brown color. My hair is too fragile for chemicals so i'd much much prefer henna.

yellow smiley is my natural hair color 10 years ago and orange smiley is my current hair color in flattering light.
http://oi61.tinypic.com/jkywip.jpg

in some lighting it looks straight up BROWN. what additivies/tips would you ladies give to avoid my henna turning a burgundy color? i purchased henna from henna color lab, but i haven't used it yet. is it possible to achieve a color similar to my color 10 years ago? i was thinking of purchasing saffron powder. i'm open to any ideas/additives. very scared about this!! thank youuuuuuu.

Hi Hoggle,

Just coming here to concur with the advice everyone else has given you, and to let you know that I totally feel your pain. You are not alone. I too had glorious auburn hair my whole life only to have it start to rapidly fade to mousey brown in recent years. SO devastating when a huge part of your identity is being a redhead! So I am happy to report that I started henna glossing my virgin hair this year and it has completely solved the issue. :)

Since you're looking to stick to coppery tones, you only want to do very weak/diluted henna glosses, and only re-gloss when your roots become obvious enough to annoy you (which you can totally be lazy with by the way, because unlike conventional dye, henna does not leave a clear demarcation line. Especially when it's weak and applied on an already copperish base like you have). Henna does build, but if you stick to weak glosses you will go nowhere near burgundy territory for a long time; and if it does start getting too dark for your liking, only henna gloss your roots and leave the ends to do their own thing.

For the best copper tones on naturally auburn hair from a gloss; I would recommend using a henna that is naturally more orange than red or has a lower lawsone content (so go for jamila and stay away from yemeni or rajasthani). So for the gloss you dye release a batch of henna, put 1-2 tablespoons into a bowl of cone-free conditioner (or cassia/yogurt/coconut milk/whatever), mix it up and glop it on for a couple of hours. Freeze the left over henna and then next time you want to gloss just thaw a tablespoon sized chunk to use.

Here's a comparison pic for you of my own hair from a few months back: on the left is the weird brownish colour it faded to after being fantastically red for so long, and on the right is what it looked like after doing two VERY MILD (about 1 tbsp henna) glosses. The pics are taken in the same lighting so as you can see, the copper came out in full effect. :D

http://s9.postimg.org/d6mrqpijj/before_after.jpg

Maintaining a colour like that would not be hard to do at all. As I said, just a re-gloss every month or so, and switch to only glossing the roots when you're at a colour you love and it isn't fading (henna glosses can take a couple of applications to really "stick" to some people's hair).

I myself have since moved on from copper territory by doing stronger glosses with yemeni henna, but only because I am trying to go a bit darker and redder in order to get back to what my colour originally was; as far as redheads go I was always more rosy toned than orange toned. But in any case from my experience, revitalizing faded auburn hair with henna is very do-able. Just be sure to strand test before jumping in! :)

[bunneh.]

So I've been thinking about dyeing my hair with henna, but I'm scared of what the results might be... I know I should always do a strand test and I will do that, however, I'd like to be prepared and packed with knowledge before I spend my money on anything...
I have virgin light brown/dark blonde hair:
http://shrani.si/f/y/k5/wcqz6o2/20151027091514.jpg
http://shrani.si/f/24/RV/1AclHiqy/20151028135847.jpg

And I want to get my hair a dark red to reddish brown colour like this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UdFads0Bcxg/UtXJg9PlAdI/AAAAAAAACdM/M1_kdZBaNr0/s1600/Header.png
http://shrani.si/f/34/Uz/1hCYwShw/kana.png

I would use Lush's caca rouge and I'm wondering (since I've read that it's less pigmented because of the butter than pure henna) if it could get me to that colour considering my natural hair colour is pretty light... I don't want it to turn bright orange or red; if I layer it however (do multiple applications of the same product) could I be able to achieve such results? I know henna colours everyone's hair differently so I know I might not get the exact same shade, basically I just want a dark red to reddish brown colour and am wondering if I could get it using this product either once or multiple times?

[poli]

bunneh. your hair looks pretty light so expect bright orange color at first for sure. If you are scared of henna - don't do it - it is really permanent!!!
If you decide to try - strand test first, so you won't regret it.
IMO the colour you are looking for is doable with multiply BAQ (body art quality) henna applications. Look at henna treads on this board and you will find many examples of beautiful henna variations.

[bunneh.]

Thanks poli, I'll do a strand test and keep an eye on it to see how the colour develops and maybe try two applications to see if i could get a colour i like, and if i do i'll share my experience and results so you can see, but it'll take a while since i'm getting henna next week sometime...

[bunneh.]

I'm sorry for double posting in this thread, I found henna from eco production online and it's pure BAQ henna and it's only a little bit more expensive than lush's henna, so i'll probably buy the BAQ one (in my country lush's henna is probably one of the cheapest that hasn't got any metallic salts in it, lol).

[Jinxhigh]

Should I refrigerate henna that was mixed 12 hours ago? I ended up not having time to get it in my hair today!

Laura

[syndel]

Should I refrigerate henna that was mixed 12 hours ago? I ended up not having time to get it in my hair today!

Laura

I'd recommend freezing it! :) It'll stop the dye losing it potency and you can take your sweet sweet time with it that way; frozen henna lasts for ages. Just thaw it out before you want to use it tomorrow/whenever. As an added bonus many people (myself included) notice that henna has a stronger stain after its been frozen.

[Cholie]

I haven't had henna hair in a couple years. Currently sitting with a small amount on for a strand test! So excited to be going back :D

[hoggle]

thanks so much syndel. your hair is gorg! and zero cherriness

yeah i've been so busy worrying about the color that i never considered the maintenance involved, doh. i wasn't aware you could freeze henna glosses, that's cool. so i guess the cones interfere with the henna adhering? i have terrible neuropathy in both my hands so it's cool you can be somewhat sloppy with touchups.

i bit the bullet on friday and used nightbloomings henna and some herbal essences supposedly natural conditioner because i didnt have enough henna..to spread it out. left everything in for 4 hours. and the results are amazing. i'll post pics. i should mention i did an at home sun-in treatment..just peroxide and lemon juice a few days before. i'd like to do it again to give myself some light streaks but the red is PERFECT.

[hoggle]

here i am in weird indoor lighting immediately after...at it's most vibrant color which i'm totally cool with. outdoor etc its still dark.

http://i68.tinypic.com/20f51jl.jpg

[syndel]

Looks freaking awesome Hoggle!

As for freezing it, I just freeze the henna then turn it into a gloss with conditioner when I'm ready to do one. I don't know how well a ready made gloss would freeze, it would probably be okay though. :p And for cones, from my understanding - they're a protein and henna acts like a protein; your hair can only absorb so much of the same thing, ergo, cones can inhibit dye uptake because it competes with the henna. But that said, I used to do glosses with cones when I started out and I still got a stain. It's probably more of a concern for people looking to do full strength applications.

[IndyAndy]

Catching up on my roots today. Been too long since my last henna: I had over an inch of root growth! Using premixed henna I had frozen after my last application, now to see if I see a difference in dye uptake etc. I'm considering leaving it on for less time but as it's my first time using thawed henna I'm worried about not getting a good stain (though from my reading on the forums thawed henna gives a great stain). The last time I shortened the time (on a fresh batch) I ended up doing another application as soon as it oxidized because I just didn't get the color saturation I wanted on my roots. Crossing my fingers for good results today :) Happy Hennaing everyone!

[samanthaa]

So I mixed up a batch of henna last night using citric acid and nightfall rose (http://www.mehandi.com/shop/citric_acid/) rather than lemon juice and/or ACV, which is what I usually use (I don't want to give up acid because I like my stain to lean more towards orange than red, but I'm trying to avoid the damaging effects of lemon juice). My henna came out super lumpy and sticky (pizza dough-like), whereas it's usually smooth and creamy. I used chamomile tea as the liquid. Anybody have experience using fruit acid powders in their henna mixes? Is this lumpiness to be expected?

I will be putting it on my head tonight, so we'll see how rinsing out goes.

[Geranium]

I have added ciric acid to my henna mix twice and found it rather stripes the hair of color than colors it. Maybe I added too much (about a tea spoon for 200gr henna), I don't know, but even greys came out almost white although were good covered with previous henndigo applications. I remember thinking that people should use it if they want to get rid of henna, they would succeed. )))

[Geranium]

Forgot to mention that I do add cream of tartar to henna while it is developing. It is a kind of fruit acid too (grapes/wine) actually, but this one really helps me. everyone's hair is different... Many people do not use any acids in henna, but no acid in my henna mix means no grey coverage, at all. Go figure...

[Geranium]

hoggle

Very beautifull color!

[samanthaa]

I have added ciric acid to my henna mix twice and found it rather stripes the hair of color than colors it. Maybe I added too much (about a tea spoon for 200gr henna), I don't know, but even greys came out almost white although were good covered with previous henndigo applications. I remember thinking that people should use it if they want to get rid of henna, they would succeed. )))

Oh, don't tell me that! It's currently on my head. I'm going to be a very unhappy camper if I stay up until 2 AM to wash this out only to find that it did not deposit color properly.

(I used about 4 grams [or about a teaspoon] for 100 grams of henna, plus another 12 or 13 grams of nightfall rose. I had a 25 gram sample of nightfall rose, which was said to be used for 100 grams of henna, but I put half of it in my cassia treatment, hence the reason I added citric acid as well.)

In a similar vein, I did notice that the dye release of my henna with citric acid was kind of wonky. I usually leave my henna in a plastic baggie on top of white paper, and 24 hours later, the white paper has usually turned very orange. This time around, the henna in the bag turned orange, but the paper beneath it was lightly if at all colored.

BUT the dye-released henna did stain my hands/forehead. So...we'll see what happens when I wash it out within the next hour. At least my roots weren't *too* bad.

[Katia_k]

Just tried to call our local international market to see if they carried henna, in case I wanted to try buying local baq in the future. The man who answered thought I was asking to speak to hannah, and no amount of annunciation/spelling would make a difference. Looks like it's in-person exploration or bust.

Hoping they have hibiscus too. Reactions to my hair sample have ranged from "it's such a pretty copper" in person, to "it's orange and I don't like it" fromm texted photos. So some red-maker should probably be on hand in case my desires falter.

[Geranium]

Samanthaa

How was the result?

[Geranium]

Just tried to call our local international market to see if they carried henna, in case I wanted to try buying local baq in the future. The man who answered thought I was asking to speak to hannah, and no amount of annunciation/spelling would make a difference. Looks like it's in-person exploration or bust.
Katia, I gave up asking for help when looking for various herbs in small international stores. Now I just go and explore. Successfully. :0)

[HeartofHaleth]

Tomorrow my henna samples from Nightblooming are supposed to arrive... The anticipation is killing me, which is...kind of pathetic. Who gets excited for strand tests? :ponder:

[bunneh.]

HeartofHaleth I was excited for my strand tests, I just wanted to rush into it, I can't even remember if I let them oxidize lol. It's easier if you get samples I bought 300g because I can only get it online and there were no samples and of course throwing it away was a no no considering how much I paid for it. Thankfully I found one for 1/3rd of the price of the one I have now so I'll be ordering that one instead next time.

[copperlites]

Tomorrow my henna samples from Nightblooming are supposed to arrive... The anticipation is killing me, which is...kind of pathetic. Who gets excited for strand tests? :ponder:

My samples from nightblooming have just arrived. I'm planning on doing my strand testing tomorrow. If I like the colour I will then need to decide if I really am ready for the "no turning back" commitment.

[Salwety]

I started using henna and happy with the results till now.
My original hair colour is dark brown so the henna color is not obvious, just a glow in the light. I have some white hair, their colour turned red ... obvious henna science.

My question is, is there an add on that can make my white-now-red hair to turn brownish? All I thought about was coffee and cocoa powder.

[ooo]

Salwety, you could add a little indigo or katam to your mix.

[HeartofHaleth]

My samples from nightblooming have just arrived. I'm planning on doing my strand testing tomorrow. If I like the colour I will then need to decide if I really am ready for the "no turning back" commitment.

Ooh, which shade?

[copperlites]

Ooh, which shade?

I have bright copper fire Genesis and kits une fox. How about you?
I'm very happy with my current colour, which my salon have managed to get close to my natural colour to cover up my advancing greys. I am not so happy with my dependency on visits to the salon for root touch ups every 3 to 4 weeks as I'm sure all the chemicals are weakening my superfine hair and despite being an organic salon and ammonia free my colour uses a level 20 peroxide developer. My understanding is that henna will be more conditioning, and possidly even thickening, for my hair:

[HeartofHaleth]

I have bright copper fire Genesis and kits une fox. How about you?
I'm very happy with my current colour, which my salon have managed to get close to my natural colour to cover up my advancing greys. I am not so happy with my dependency on visits to the salon for root touch ups every 3 to 4 weeks as I'm sure all the chemicals are weakening my superfine hair and despite being an organic salon and ammonia free my colour uses a level 20 peroxide developer. My understanding is that henna will be more conditioning, and possidly even thickening, for my hair:

I have some of the Fire Genasi on the way...it was supposed to get here yesterday. Then it was supposed to get here today. Still not here...:(

I'm excited to find out the results of your strand testing! Will you post pictures?