Henna Thread, take two

[Nightshade]

Someone (sorry, don't remember who it was) had suggested in another thread to braid your hair when you want to do roots only. I tried that this weekend, and it made the job a LOT easier. I don't think I missed any spots (except the very tip of my widow's peak, but that's probably because I rubbed off the henna when wrapping).
So I wanted to pop in and say, thanks to the person who suggested this, and if you have a hard time with roots, try braiding :D

If I ever have to do this on my own, I will :D Thanks for the tip!

[Capriquarius]

I can't believe I never thought of braiding for roots-only...that's brilliant! I'm definitely doing this for my next treatment, as I'm primarily doing only roots every 3 weeks now.

[khyricat]

great idea, I don't see ever going roots only, but if I do, I will have to remember that.. I have done some funky things over the years- like the friend when I was in college the first time who hennaed along with me, and when it came to her hair was TOO long (it was a bit beyond classic) and she decided she was thinking about trimming a few inches, we indigoed the last 5" or so... straight across.. looked gorgeous, she didn't wind up with the cut, though she did get a trim to make the ends more level.

[Celebrian]

I suppose that if your hair is shorter, you could do just as well by doing a number of pigtails/ponytails over the head - if your hair is a bit short to braid anyway...

[Celebrian]

How did it come out? (Or did I miss a message in the thread?) I am still on the endless quest for something that will cover my gray without making my (previously light brown) hair any redder than it already is from the henna-cassia-indigo mixes I've applied over the past six months...

Ok coverage on hair lengths, but very poor coverage of grey roots I'm sorry to say *sigh* although I left it for 2 hours in the end.

So, if I re'approach the business of henna etc. I think it's time for me to admit that the first application over grey has to be thicker and stronger if it's going to work.

[CurlyNinja]

Ok. I keep turning this over and over in my mind but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think I want to try hennaing my hair in a few months once I'm able to do it in a more convenient space, but I'm unsure about (a) how it'll end up on my hair, (b) whether I'm willing to risk losing anywhere between a little and a lot of curl and (c) if the protein will do more harm than good.

My hair is fairly protein-sensitive, doing best with NO extra protein, ok with a little bit, and terrible with a lot. Is the henna (which I understand to be a big protein treatment) going to wreck my hair?

This is a pretty accurate but blurry picture of my natural haircolor, no flash:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=119&pictureid=8906

As you can see, it's a very dark brown with reddish highlights throughout it, and I would hope that henna would intensify the red throughout the hair, giving the darker parts a redder cast and intensifying the red color that's already there. Would this be possible? I'm not sure if my hair is just too dark to begin with for anything much to happen, and I don't want to do a treatment that might end up leaving my hair in worse shape than I started.

Any help/advice would be appreciated, thanks!!!

[tiny_teesha]

id sa y it would give you a red sheen, it did to my mums chemically dyed black hair and my chemically dyed red hair. The more you use henna thought he more purplish and dark it gets. I find on a short ( nto 12 hours! like 2-4 hrs) first henna it brightens the hair a bit....doesn't lighten, just sort of reflects more light and makes the hair shine and illuminate makeing it appear lighter....did i explain that right?

[Nat242]

Someone (sorry, don't remember who it was) had suggested in another thread to braid your hair when you want to do roots only. I tried that this weekend, and it made the job a LOT easier. I don't think I missed any spots (except the very tip of my widow's peak, but that's probably because I rubbed off the henna when wrapping).
So I wanted to pop in and say, thanks to the person who suggested this, and if you have a hard time with roots, try braiding :D

Could it have been me? Maybe, maybe not, but I'll steal credit anyway! :p That's how I do it. I'm glad it worked for you!

Even when I'm doing a full head application I put my hair in lots of little braids. I get at the roots first, then undo each braid one at a time and paint them with henna. I get the best coverage and least tangles this way! :cheese:

Also, I strand-tested the Afshan henna from my local Indian grocery store. I soaked the hair ball in henna for a few hours, rinsed, and left on a shelf in my bathroom. That was a few days ago, and it's oxidised now. The colour looks fine, more orange/brown then true red, but the hair ball is still intact, hasn't turned green or melted or anything. I think it's safe to try on my roots now, though who knows when I'll get the time :rolleyes:

-- Natalie

[Velouria]

Ok. I keep turning this over and over in my mind but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think I want to try hennaing my hair in a few months once I'm able to do it in a more convenient space, but I'm unsure about (a) how it'll end up on my hair, (b) whether I'm willing to risk losing anywhere between a little and a lot of curl and (c) if the protein will do more harm than good.

My hair is fairly protein-sensitive, doing best with NO extra protein, ok with a little bit, and terrible with a lot. Is the henna (which I understand to be a big protein treatment) going to wreck my hair?

This is a pretty accurate but blurry picture of my natural haircolor, no flash:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=119&pictureid=8906

As you can see, it's a very dark brown with reddish highlights throughout it, and I would hope that henna would intensify the red throughout the hair, giving the darker parts a redder cast and intensifying the red color that's already there. Would this be possible? I'm not sure if my hair is just too dark to begin with for anything much to happen, and I don't want to do a treatment that might end up leaving my hair in worse shape than I started.

Any help/advice would be appreciated, thanks!!!


Henna isn't a protein treatment, but since it has a reconstructive effect it can seem like one. I don't know if protein sensitive peoples' hair is likely to react badly to henna though.

My hair's curlier since I started hennaing, and I'm not the only one w/ that experience....but of course there is that risk (curl-loss), enough people have reported it that there must be something to it.

The fact that you already have red glints in your hair would, I think, make your color turn out more noticeable than is usual for someone with hair that dark.

[khyricat]

my hair is wurlier post henna too.. but I also have very dark hair, the darks have what I call red glow- they reflect direct/bright light with a reddish hint, but don't show it in more normal lighting.. so some call it sun glow.. the WHITES that I do a 8 hour treatment on show as nice reds.. a bit brighter near the roots and more dark in the length since I do full head treatments for the 8 hours EVERY time..

Amie

[Isilme]

well, my hair is very protein sensitive and it loves henna:) I think you would get red gleams in the sun.

[MadHatter]

Could it have been me? Maybe, maybe not, but I'll steal credit anyway! :tongue: That's how I do it. I'm glad it worked for you!

It was you! I searched for that particular thread about sectioning and rinsing:


Sectioning - I get a few cubic centimetres of hair and braid them, creating lots of little braids all over my head. I apply henna to the roots - which is much easier when the length is contained in this way, and then, if I'm doing a full head application, I unbraid one braid at a time and paint it with henna, then coil it up on top of my head. Repeat.

I didn't have patience to do little braids, so I ended up doing 8 big-ish ones. But, it worked beautifully! I'm glad you had mentioned it.

[mommyofatoz]

I have ordered henna that should be here either tomorrow or the beginning of next week. I've been reading this thread closely and taking notes that I think I will find very helpful! Thanks, guys! I'll let you know how it goes!

[khyricat]

good luck, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.. DH thinks I'm nuts, but...

[MercyD]

I received my henna in the mail today and am planning to do my first henna application on Saturday. I've read the thread and I'm nervously excited.

Any last minute suggestions for a complete newbie? Or share your favorite recipe and why? So far I'm opting for plain hot water with my first one, but I read somewhere about putting olive oil in the mix so it cleans off easier without tearing hair out.

I have thin hair, so I'm really paranoid that this interesting mud-type treatment is going to steal some of my precious strands of hair.

Looking forward to anything you have to say before I make my final decision on Saturday.
........waiting impatiently for Saturday when I have time to play........:D

[Nightshade]

I would recommend chamomile tea for its conditioning and rinse properties, and if you add a smidge of honey, that makes rinsing a breeze. Both oil and honey can affect dye uptake to your hair, so I would use very little of either.

[MercyD]

I've heard chamomille is good for the hair, but I'm allergic to camomille.

Is there another tea which would be healthy for my hair?

[Nightshade]

I've heard chamomille is good for the hair, but I'm allergic to camomille.

Is there another tea which would be healthy for my hair?

Hibiscus is also another good one, and you should be able to get it at the grocery store :)

[khyricat]

umm.. I use hibiscus as a conditioning tea, AFTER I henna, when I mixed the henna with it I noticed considerably less dye uptake!

[Isilme]

I received my henna in the mail today and am planning to do my first henna application on Saturday. I've read the thread and I'm nervously excited.

Any last minute suggestions for a complete newbie? Or share your favorite recipe and why? So far I'm opting for plain hot water with my first one, but I read somewhere about putting olive oil in the mix so it cleans off easier without tearing hair out.

I have thin hair, so I'm really paranoid that this interesting mud-type treatment is going to steal some of my precious strands of hair.

Looking forward to anything you have to say before I make my final decision on Saturday.
........waiting impatiently for Saturday when I have time to play........:D


For your very first henna treatment I would go with henna and water, that's it:)

[Rustella]

Hi, newbie here. I haven't taken the henna plunge but have been lurking and thinking about it for months. The "How do I get this henna out of my hair" thread scared me away for awhile, but the greys have me crawling back again.


What I want is my glorious auburn color back. As I age (37) it is fading to a medium brown with 10% grey. Yuck! My hair was like Debra Messing or an Irish Setter red.

I've done several test strands, all only with BAQ henna from Catherine. Yemen at 2 hours was neon orange, even after it oxidized. Yemen with Cassia was ok. I don't have a strand with just Yemen at 4 hours. Jamilla at 2 hours was a beautiful natural red but that's not what I'm going for. I hate the hendigo strand (too dark). The 2 step might be ok as long as I didn't leave it on for too long or just did an Indigo gloss for the second step.

Now what? I'm out of hair to test and don't want to jump in until I have the color just right. I'm about ready to start pulling hair out of my head for more test strands out of impatience. LOL!

Help!


BTW, does anyone know almalthea, Girltron, and Toof's recipies and starting colors? They have glorious hair!

Thanks for any help, all.

[khyricat]

I have almost black hair with whites mixed in, I need an 8 hour session of Jamila to get my whites as dark as I like, but I like the look... my avatar and the pic I put in the henna pictures thread show what it looks like.. just to give you an idea... you might want to play with a longer henna application in a strand test..

[Rustella]

I have almost black hair with whites mixed in, I need an 8 hour session of Jamila to get my whites as dark as I like, but I like the look... my avatar and the pic I put in the henna pictures thread show what it looks like.. just to give you an idea... you might want to play with a longer henna application in a strand test..



Thanks for the info. I've been scared to go longer as I don't want burgundy, but I do need to try different things.

[Javadandy]

Thanks for the info. I've been scared to go longer as I don't want burgundy, but I do need to try different things.

I feel the same way, I don't want burgundy. I have ordered some Yemen and Cassia from HennaSook. I will do a strand test and see if the Cassia browns up the purpleyness of the Yemen. I did a henndigo last time and it was too dark and took like 3 weeks of honey/coconut oil treatments to remove enough indigo. My strand test was misleading but I used old henna. My bad. I am considering a henna cassia mix on the roots and a lesser gloss on the lengths. If my strand test comes out really well, I might just do the whole head thing again, it's been like 6 weeks.

[lookingglass]

I am all about the burgandy/plum thing. I am going to try a big ol' Jamilla tx just as soon as I can!

[Rustella]

I feel the same way, I don't want burgundy. I have ordered some Yemen and Cassia from HennaSook. I will do a strand test and see if the Cassia browns up the purpleyness of the Yemen. I did a henndigo last time and it was too dark and took like 3 weeks of honey/coconut oil treatments to remove enough indigo. My strand test was misleading but I used old henna. My bad. I am considering a henna cassia mix on the roots and a lesser gloss on the lengths. If my strand test comes out really well, I might just do the whole head thing again, it's been like 6 weeks.



I haven't done the head thing yet, just the strands. I just ordered some more samples for more test strands! I'm out of hair though, I guess I'll have to start plucking as there are so many recipies I want to try. I have tons of hair so it won't kill me to lose a few to make sure I get this right. I'm picking up all of my falling and shower hairs and saving them. The brushes are dry from my experimenting! I ordered some cloves this time as I just read somewhere that this will help it go browner w/o the use of indigo. I can't decide if I should start with a full henna or a gloss. I have 10% gray I'm trying to cover. I'm going to test strand this to see the difference. You'll have to post how your Yemen/Cassia turns out. Are you going to have Cassia in your gloss as well?

[Rustella]

I am all about the burgandy/plum thing. I am going to try a big ol' Jamilla tx just as soon as I can!


The test strand I did of the Jamilla turned out just beautifull-I could be a believable bright redhead with that if I were that bold. I really liked how fine it was, and it did seem to rinse out easier even with just a test strand.

[lookingglass]

Which is more burgandy (the least orange) rajastani or jamilla?

[tiny_teesha]

i zapped some frozen henna from last time and it burnt a litte. Then i added mroe henna, a pinch of salt and about a tsp of coffee and some tap water. 3 hours later.....
It turned my mothers white hair yellow...i was trying to get it a cool red colour. That didn't happen.
It might be many factors...lack of acid, i killed it, the coffee?
How can i get white hair to stain a non orange fluro colour in under 4 hours. She doesn't like leaving it on long. Brownish reddish blueish i don't care....but i want a henna only stain to not be yellow/orange.
thank you in advance.
( I know the charms of indigo but i don't have much and i want to make it strech, so if i can get the henna to not look so ghastly in between indigo sessions (which turn her hair dark brown/black) that can work!)

eta- it is Jamila

[Velouria]

Perhaps mixing the henna with a coffee and clove decoction would help. I know some say these don't make a difference, but my mother uses these in her mix and it turns out much darker and browner than my henna mix does....our natural color is almost identical. I also remember seeing strand tests that Nightshade did with these (separately) on white mohair and they left a golden-brown stain.

I advised my mother to boil the coffee grounds and cloves for awhile instead of just steeping the cloves or brewing the coffee. She uses the strained, slightly cooled liquid from this to mix her henna.

I know the coffee didn't seem to work well this time, but I think that's from other factors....when you say "zapped", do you mean you microwaved it? That's a pretty big no-no with henna. It'll thaw out quickly if you soak the container it's frozen in in moderately hot water.

I'd skip the salt...I know it's often recommended to make indigo stick , but it's alkaline, which indigo likes and henna doesn't. Coffee is quite acidic, by the way, so your mix did have added acid, but the salt may have counteracted it.

My mother says that mixing coffee grounds or clove powder into the henna causes some severe application and rinsing problems, but that the color results aren't any better than with the liquid from boiling them. HTH.

[tiny_teesha]

yeh i microwaved it :( I suppose that is a good way to get a henna gloss! haha.
Ha- my mum found it hard to wrinse this time too!!
Ok, i have no idea what "cloves" are but i think we have a jar of it...it isn't garlic is it???
Hmm... I can tell them.


I have loads of Indian Herbs. Brinjraj, hibiscus and Amla i think are ment to stain the hair- Would these help? Anyone tried them?

Thanks :)

I wish i had white mohair lying around. I've been doing experiments on my dads hair cut clippings which are a little less then 2cm long, it is soooo hard!

[Nat242]

yeh i microwaved it :( I suppose that is a good way to get a henna gloss! haha.
Ha- my mum found it hard to wrinse this time too!!
Ok, i have no idea what "cloves" are but i think we have a jar of it...it isn't garlic is it???
Hmm... I can tell them.


I have loads of Indian Herbs. Brinjraj, hibiscus and Amla i think are ment to stain the hair- Would these help? Anyone tried them?

Thanks :)

I wish i had white mohair lying around. I've been doing experiments on my dads hair cut clippings which are a little less then 2cm long, it is soooo hard!

Hey Teesh! Cloves are actually dried flower buds, it's used as a spice. Check out this website. (http://www.indepthinfo.com/cloves/kitchen.shtml)

That said, you are right, segments of garlic are also known as "cloves".

Also, sorry, I don't have a clue how to help you! I just didn't want you to put garlic in your henna :p

-- Natalie

[Treecrown]

An Indian friend of mine swears by mixing the henna in an iron bowl--it's supposed to make the henna darker and browner. But would that be the equivalent of adding the dreaded "metallic salts", whatever those are? I know this was discussed on the old forum or on H4H once, but I can't remember the conclusion.

[CopperHead]

Which is more burgandy (the least orange) rajastani or jamilla?

The Rajasthani gives me more of a burgundy red than the others. It is much less orange on my hair.:)

[tiny_teesha]

Nat242~!!! Haha, you make me laugh Nat! Haha, Well, yes i raided my pantry and found cloves, it smelt...herby, not like garlic! haha. Cool :) Now my mum is no longer at risk of smelling like a a person paranoid about vampires!
TreeCrown- Not willing to do that is sounds scarey!
CopperHead- How do i get my hands on Rajasthani? Is it is afshan, jamila- or a similar box like that? mum is loving how cheap henna is (i get a jamila box for under $2!!!!!!!!!!! I love my local spice shop!)

[Velouria]

Rajasthan is the region of India where most of the henna in India is grown, so if you get Indian henna odds are good that it is Rajasthani. I've seen Ayur brand Rajasthani (labeled as such) in the Indian shops.

Jamila and Afshan are both Pakistani hennas, generally lower dye content than Indian.

A lot of the imported henna brands don't prominently display country or region of origin on their boxes; for example the Afshan that I use just has on the bottom of the box, in tiny letters, "Produced in Pakistan".

[tiny_teesha]

Ahhh, wow very intereting...hmmm..
Well i love the cheapness of Jamila :P, If my shop sells the indian henna i'll get that...good thing is they change their products frequently (which is also a curve because if i like it the next time i go it's gone and there is something new, but not "it" :( )

[prosperina]

An Indian friend of mine swears by mixing the henna in an iron bowl--it's supposed to make the henna darker and browner. But would that be the equivalent of adding the dreaded "metallic salts", whatever those are? I know this was discussed on the old forum or on H4H once, but I can't remember the conclusion.

That's interesting. I don't think it is the equivalent of the metallic salts, but supposedly henna and metal are not friends. You could mix up a bit in iron and try it on a test strand, but I wouldn't put it on my hair. Does your friend put it on her hair after using a metal bowl, or is it just something she's heard...?

[Michiru]

Hi guys, I have a question.
The first time I hennaed I used two packets of henna, one cassia, lemon juice and let it sit for 2 hrs. My hair ended up turning out to be a color I didn’t like even after a week. But after a month so much of it faded that I know have a nice natural light red color.
My question is will the same thing happen if I henna again? I only have a little bit of lemon juice left and have thought about doing the chamomile thing. I would make it more runny (only use 2 packets for all my hair, no cassia) and leave it on for a little it longer. I just want to darken it up a bit but I don’t want that orange-y color I had for several weeks to stay. I don’t mind waiting a month for it to fade but I want to make sure it will fade.

[Nightshade]

Michiru- Lemon juice actually inhibits the henna, and gives you a lighter more orange color than henna without it. Also, henna is more likely to fade the first time, so you can't 100% count on the fact that it will fade down a second time.

If you use only chamomile tea and henna, then leave it on for awhile you will get a darker color than you did the first time (compounded by the fact that the more henna applications you do, the darker it gets).

Keep in mind, though, that you will never not have some orange, especially in the sun.

[Sana]

That's interesting. I don't think it is the equivalent of the metallic salts, but supposedly henna and metal are not friends. You could mix up a bit in iron and try it on a test strand, but I wouldn't put it on my hair. Does your friend put it on her hair after using a metal bowl, or is it just something she's heard...?

All my cousins in India mix henna in a cast iron bowl & leave it overnight before using it. My mother even got me one for this purpose:) But I use plastic or ceramic. I have seen the result of henna on one of my cousin's & i don't think it cause any harm. Also since she had lot of grays, I could tell with certainity that the henna gave her a nice dark red to aurburn color. I really like the results. Also the henna mixed a such looked like black tar. It was really interesting & I will try it one of these days.

[Nightshade]

All my cousins in India mix henna in a cast iron bowl & leave it overnight before using it. My mother even got me one for this purpose:) But I use plastic or ceramic. I have seen the result of henna on one of my cousing & i don't think it cause any harm. Also since she had lot of grays, I could tell with certainity that the henna gave her a nice dark red to aurburn color. I really like the results. Also the henna mixed a such looked like black tar. It was really interesting & I will try it one of these days.

Iron and metallic salts are two very different things, and I've heard from many sources than an iron pot can make the henna darker without ill effects. While I would obviously strand test before putting anything like that on your hair, I've read a lot of people saying it's safe and actually a very traditional way.

A good way to see if it would react with hair is to do this test:

How can you find out if the henna hair dye you've been using has toxic metallic salts?

Harvest some of your hair.
Mix one ounce (30 ml) of 20-volume peroxide and 20 drops of 28% ammonia.
Put your harvested hair in the peroxide-ammonia mix (this is in synthetic hair dye).
If there's lead in the henna you've used, your hair will change color immediately.
If there's silver nitrate in the henna you've been using, there will be no change in hair color, because silver is coating the hair. However, silver nitrate leaves a greenish cast to your hair, so you can tell by that.
If there's copper in the henna you've used, your hair will start to boil, the hair will be hot and smell horrible, and the hair will disintegrate.


If you do this on hair you applied iron-darkened henna to, I imagine you'd know pretty fast if it was going to be problematic. Never done it myself, though.

[terriej]

Is there a list anywhere of trusted henna brands?

I usually buy Jamila from H4H, but we have a number of international markets not far from where I live, I'm certain they sell henna. If I can get a good brand at one of those places, it would be much more convenient. Everybody doesn't buy henna online right?

[Nightshade]

The Jamilia in a box like this is one I know is good and also states the crop year :)

http://www.goddesscafe.com.au/images/jambox_small.gif

[Celebrian]

This iron pot business is fascinating me. I've also heard that it's traditional to do it this way in India.

I shall keep my eye out for such a pot. Meanwhile does anyone (Nightshade? Iris?) think there would be any mileage in mixing some kind of iron-rich foodstuff/supplement powder/fortified wine... whatever... with henna to see if that would achieve a similar effect?

Mashed spinach? Mashed beetroots? I don't know...

[Nightshade]

This iron pot business is fascinating me. I've also heard that it's traditional to do it this way in India.

I shall keep my eye out for such a pot. Meanwhile does anyone (Nightshade? Iris?) think there would be any mileage in mixing some kind of iron-rich foodstuff/supplement powder/fortified wine... whatever... with henna to see if that would achieve a similar effect?

Mashed spinach? Mashed beetroots? I don't know...

I've tried beetroots with no results :( I wonder if an iron supplement ground up and mixed in would have any result, or if it's more a reaction dependant on the metal pot itself.

[Celebrian]

So what other elements would be present in an iron pot? Apart from iron?

Could it be the liquid element of henna mix i.e. water? Are we just talking hydrogen & oxygen... Hmmm, won't we reach rust soon?

It's probable that an iron pot was early realised to be the most convenient all purpose way of achieving a result - in a country with so much of the population having a fairly low incomes. You know, the iron pot would be a staple cooking device in the home - and probably throughout the world at various points in history. Yes, my husband is reminding me that we used cast iron frying pans in this country (Britain) until fairly recently*cough* excuse me side-tracking - I'm a bit of a sucker for domestic historical details (although quite ignorant, I should add!).

[terriej]

The Jamilia in a box like this is one I know is good and also states the crop year :)

http://www.goddesscafe.com.au/images/jambox_small.gif

That's the one I use. If I could find it at one of the nearby stores, that would be awesome. My husband showed me pictures he took of some henna brands at a store he stopped by yesterday, I recognized them, but they're not brands I would trust or even bother to test. If I can't find anything good, I'll probably just break down and buy a kilo so I don't have to think about it for a good while.

[Nightshade]

So what other elements would be present in an iron pot? Apart from iron?

Could it be the liquid element of henna mix i.e. water? Are we just talking hydrogen & oxygen... Hmmm, won't we reach rust soon?

It's probable that an iron pot was early realised to be the most convenient all purpose way of achieving a result - in a country with so much of the population having a fairly low incomes. You know, the iron pot would be a staple cooking device in the home - and probably throughout the world at various points in history. Yes, my husband is reminding me that we used cast iron frying pans in this country (Britain) until fairly recently*cough* excuse me side-tracking - I'm a bit of a sucker for domestic historical details (although quite ignorant, I should add!).

I don't think it's the iron so much as the form it's in? I don't know if I'm making sense, but like we found with the lemon juice and the citric acid, they reacted in different ways to henna, though if you wanted to be technical there is citric acid in the lemon juice. Something with the other factors was changing the result.

I'm sure a thrift store would have a good iron pot cheap :)

[Sana]

Nightshade, did u use mashed beetroot or just the water? I had a lady henna my hair at home when I was in India & she pressure cooked the beets & used its water to mix the henna. I don't know if it was more red than usual as my hair is dark & all hennas give a nice burgandy shine. The grays were a nice deep red. When it comes to the iron pots I am suspecting it has to do more with the ferrous sulfate & I don't know if it makes any difference to the overall color. I just am intrigued to try because everyone says it gives a darker red shade. But I doubt I would be able to give a very good testemonial as my hair is dark & any good quality henna would give a nice red highlight:) I guess those who have lighter hair may offer better opinion on this. I was just posting about the iron pot as I read at another site that iron pots are an absolute no-no! Also the use of iron pots probably has to do with iron being in such abundant usage in those parts of the world. For eg. if you come to my house all the utensils are of steel tho' after coming here we have some ceramic stuff but then we feel at home using steel.

[Isilme]

I have tried the iron pot method. The paste was much darker but the stain was the same. I used it for my eyebrows and kept it about 30min. (since bright red or auburn/burgundy eyebrows looks funny on me;))

[Nightshade]

Sana- I used powdered beetroot simmered in distilled water and strained. :)

Isilme- good to know! Since you have a handy iron pot, if you ever wanted to run some comparison strand tests I'd be most interested! :eyebrows:

[Velouria]

That's the one I use. If I could find it at one of the nearby stores, that would be awesome. My husband showed me pictures he took of some henna brands at a store he stopped by yesterday, I recognized them, but they're not brands I would trust or even bother to test. If I can't find anything good, I'll probably just break down and buy a kilo so I don't have to think about it for a good while.

Here's an index of links that are to microscopic evaluations of various hennas (Eastern brands intended for body art, for the most part). http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/60xindex.html

The main issues with some of the hennas in those shops are likely to be freshness (or lack thereof), green dye (added to make henna appear fresher), and sand (from sandstorms, and sometimes also from green-dyed sand deliberately added). You can tell these things as soon as you test the powder...the green dye will go quite brilliant as soon as water is added, for example. I'd say it's definitely worth testing some, as cheap as the imported hennas in these shops are.

Here's the online shop where I buy my henna..it's insanely cheap, and the s&h is quite reasonable. http://www.halalco.com/henna.html

They just added the Jamila; at that price I believe it must be the hair-quality (not the primo date-stamped Jamila, but still good, pure henna) ,which I've used and liked. I have been using the Afshan (red) which I can vouch for (no filler, chaff, sand, or dye additives..good stain). Some of the others are questionable, though.

[terriej]

Cool. Thanks, Velouria. I had never seen that page before.

[Melein]

It doesn't merit a new thread, but I had to say it somewhere - I'm halfway through my first henna/indigo application, having finally dared to try it, and I don't want to ever go back to chemical dye. My hair feels so full and soft (ok, so the 1/2 bottle of conditioner to get the henna out may have helped :D ) and I don't have any stains on my scalp or eye irritation like when I usually color.

I like the pretty red color of my roots, but it does look more than a little weird with the rest of my hair black, so I'll be using my indigo tomorrow.

~ Another Convert ;)

[n3m3sis42]

I bought 1 kilo of 2006 Yemeni henna from Henna Sooq a while back when that sale was going on. This morning, I finally mixed up some henna paste because my husband is going to be globbing it on my head tomorrow.

This is the first time I've used anything other than Rajasthani, and holy WOW, was the dye release ever quicker this time!! I had enough dye release within 5-10 minutes to dye my thumb a rather vivid orange. That could also be partially due to the fact that I used chamomile tea instead of lemon juice to mix it up this time. Well, I did use a few drops of lemon juice but I mostly used the tea.

Wish me luck! :)

[n3m3sis42]

Okay, sorry to be spamming this thread...

I'm going to do my henna today (this afternoon, probably, after the husband and I go see Horton Hears a Who) and I have a question about washing out henna paste.

Last time I henna'ed, I used cone-free conditioner to wash out the henna paste. I saw a post from someone on this thread saying that was what they did, and it made getting the paste out of my hair so much easier. Today, on another thread, I saw a comment that led me to believe that using conditioner before the henna has finished "binding" to the hair would remove the actual dye from the hair (at least to an extent). I don't want to reduce the amount of dyeing; I just want to get the goop out of my hair.

Do you think that using conditioner to get the henna paste out will remove more of the dye than just rinsing in water?

[khyricat]

I don't recall the conditioner affecting color, but as conditioner makes my hair fall out, I only did it the ONE time, and then went back to just WO'ing the henna out.. a good mermaid soak or 2 and lots of massaging shower head up agaisnt the scalp action along with some scritching under the shower helped a ton...

[n3m3sis42]

I don't recall the conditioner affecting color, but as conditioner makes my hair fall out, I only did it the ONE time, and then went back to just WO'ing the henna out.. a good mermaid soak or 2 and lots of massaging shower head up agaisnt the scalp action along with some scritching under the shower helped a ton...

Thanks for the feedback!

My scalp was REALLY itchy for about a week after the last time I henna'ed, and I'm not sure if it was the conditioner or the fact that I used the last of my crummy mixed-with-only-lemon-juice henna paste.

Maybe I should try doing the mermaid soak this time. That worked well the first time I henna'ed.

[ilovelonghair]

How to get a bright coppery tone? I have hannaed my hair twice, once the whole lenght and once the roots only. My hair ended up in a sandy color with the damaged part more cherry red (not sure if that describes the color right, the color in my signature picture does not show the actual color)

I want to avoid tones like this:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/color2.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/color.jpg

I prefer a tone like this:

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample-1.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample3-1.jpg

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/colorsample2.jpg


Is it still possible to get my damaged hair in this color, or does it have to grow out? I heard I need to mix cassia and henna to get this color, but I can't buy cassia here. Are there any other ways to get this color?

[Velouria]

To get a warmer, more golden red you either need to dilute the henna in some way (w/cassia [which also adds some gold tones, and is often sold as "neutral henna"] some other herb (powdered chammomile or calendula are good choices), conditioner, yogurt, egg, coconut milk, whatever. Or you could use straight henna, but leave it on less time. You'll want a stronger concentration than the typical gloss, probably at least 1/3 henna. But strand test.

ETA-Re the hair that's gone cherryish....you may be able to lighten and/or warm it by doing one or some of these things...50/50 lemon juice-conditioner treatments, a pack with cassia or some other golden-toned herb, the honey lightening treatments (see thread),or the cinnamon lightening.

[ilovelonghair]

Thanks Velouria! Is it bad for your hair to change the cherry-ish parts with lemon? Would it dry out?

[jupiterjuniper]

http://cgi.ebay.com/AYUR-RAJASTHANI-HENNA-HAIR-COLOUR-DARKBROWN-200Grms_W0QQitemZ320122007175QQihZ011QQcategoryZ31 412QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Would you trust this?

[Riot Crrl]

http://cgi.ebay.com/AYUR-RAJASTHANI-HENNA-HAIR-COLOUR-DARKBROWN-200Grms_W0QQitemZ320122007175QQihZ011QQcategoryZ31 412QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Would you trust this?

That product weirds me out for a couple reasons.

1. It is said to produce dark brown. Even if it is only henna and indigo, the best manner in which to mix them is not to have them premixed like that.

2. It looks brownish green through the clear parts of the bag. Henna is green, and indigo is a different green that leans slightly more toward bluish. Why is it brownish? It could be chalked up to photography and lighting I guess, but it still strikes me as a little weird.

[Velouria]

Thanks Velouria! Is it bad for your hair to change the cherry-ish parts with lemon? Would it dry out?

Some people have found it drying; you may want to try some of the other lightening methods 1st. For myself, though it might have been just slightly drying, it seemed that the conditioner really counteracted the drying effect of lemon.

[ilovelonghair]

I will try the honey lightening method first :)

[Melein]

Ok, so the indigo I used the other day also went well, and it really feels like the thickness of my hair has increased slightly, I'm wondering if it's the henna or indigo coating the strands that has done that - whatever it is, I like it!

A question I have though - I know to get the best results for coloring blue-black, it's necessary to leave the indigo uncovered while it's in the hair. I couldn't do this! My indigo was far too gloopy, it would have been *everywhere* had I not had clingfilm, a shower cap and a scarf tied over it.

Did I mix it wrong? I added salt and bicarbonate of soda for alkalinity, and it seemed the same consistency as the henna I used the previous day. While I really love the results, it looks like it'd be impossible to apply alone, and I don't know if I can get someone to help on a regular basis.

Incidentally, my dad, who helped me this time, called my hair 'freakishly long.' While this was followed by a suggestion that it'd suit me better shoulder-length, it's the first such comment I've ever had, so I take it both as a compliment and milestone. :D (and of course, by LHC and my own standards, it isn't even long, let alone 'freakishly' ;) )

[Alethia]

I hennaed my daughter's hair today. It came out much stronger than I'd anticipated (she's quite young and I was only aiming for a light hint/conditioning treatment) but she's absolutely delighted with it. I haven't done her any harm so what the hey.

This is what I did:

150 g 100% henna (I used ultra cheap Zarqa brand from our local Asian supermarket. It was 65p/$1.26 for 100g)
1 1/2 oranges, juiced
2 tbsps ACV
1 1/2 cups strong rose pouchong tea
1 tsp Xanthan gum (you can get this in the gluten-free section of most supermarkets)

I mixed the henna, orange juice, ACV and a bit of tea to mashed potato consistency. I put cling film over the top and left in the airing cupboard while I did a clarifying wash on her hair (she's usually a once a month CO, so I needed to get the sebum off her hair) with a sulphate shampoo, followed by a very dilute ACV rinse. We had dinner so her hair dried out a bit. I diluted the henna with the tea until about the consistency of runny emulsion paint, then I whisked in the Xanthan gum - sprinkle it over the surface then work fast with a balloon whisk or hand-blender. It became like mayonnaise.

I smeared non-petroleum jelly (cocoa butter, beeswax, olive oil mix I do for my son's bot after nappy changes) over her hairline. Then I started smoothing the mixture onto her roots. It went on really easily compared with my past attempts at henna-ing. I was really pleased with the texture imparted by the xanthan gum. I only got one tiny bit on the floor and none on her neck or ears because the mixture was completely non-drip. I covered her hair, piled it on her head, then covered it in clingfilm.

We left it on for an hour and half while she watched her favourite program, then rinsed it out. I blowfried her hair just because she was desperate to see the colour. She only gets her hair dried about once or twice a year so I figured it wouldn't be terribly bad for her. As I said, she was delighted with it and said I was the best mummy in the world. She has mid-brown hair and it has embraced the henna tightly. I really hope she likes it just as much when she sees the sunlight bring it into sharp relief!

I'm going to try henndigo later this week on myself, and I will definitely be using the xanthan gum (works like pectin, I presume) again as I've read that indigo generally works better if it's a bit runny. This way I can add all the water indigo likes to work with, but prevent those annoying drips. Melein, I hope that it thickens my hair up a bit too. You and I have got the same thickness of hair so I wonder whether I get the same results as you.

[Celebrian]

Just me to say that I re-henna'ed my hair tonight (getting rid of green I hope) and only used conditioner to get it out. No shampoo. It felt much less snarly then it does when I use conditioner, shampoo, conditioner. Does anyone else do CO only following henna?

[Riot Crrl]

I think a lot of people CO the henna out, even if they are not generally CO. I am generally CO, and I do CO the henna out (takes about 4-6 applications of conditioner) but I have read from many who aren't, and do.

[Kirin]

To lighten using lemon without as much drying try mixing lemon juice with conditioner, I've done this and it waaaaaaay helps, and it still works.

I always shampoo it out, though it feels good at first, when i next shampoo i get a run off of red like a massacre in my shower (and on my towels!) if i havent shampood (often) after a henna application.

[khyricat]

I don't use conditioner.. I just mermaid soak twice and then use a shower massager handheld to remove the rest.. there is normally a bit of stuff that comes off my scalp with scritchign until next wash, but thats it..
no red color at all...

[n3m3sis42]

Just me to say that I re-henna'ed my hair tonight (getting rid of green I hope) and only used conditioner to get it out. No shampoo. It felt much less snarly then it does when I use conditioner, shampoo, conditioner. Does anyone else do CO only following henna?

I've used CO to get the henna out the last two times. It helps soooo much, though I'm a little concerned that it might be in some way inhibiting my dyeing process, because my hair seems slightly less brilliant the last couple of times. However, I am getting some color and in any case I have a lot more "virgin" hair than when I started henna-ing a year or so ago. My natural hair is quite dark, so that in itself could be the difference.

[Alethia]

I always CO out the henna. It helps to get all the powder out of the hair. It also needs some conditioning after henna because I clarify before I henna. Don't you think that conditioner helps to lock in the dye?

[ilovelonghair]

I finally got a picture where you can see the color difference between the newer hair and the part of my hair that is henna over chemically dyed hair:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1132&pictureid=13028
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh17/ilovelonghair/IMG_5708.jpg

I like how the henna worked out on the virgin part, but I don't like the color of the bun. I will try to lighten that with a honey treatment.

So just to check if I understood things well, if I mix henna with cassia (still couldn't find any place to buy this) or condishener (would that work as well as cassia?) then I would be able to get a more orangy color? I saw a picture on http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=122965#post122965 with the perfect example of the color I'm looking for, but snce it belongs to Wildcherry I don't know if it is ok to post it in this thread.

Is there a way to make sure the henna doesn't oxidise? I really like my color before it starts to oxidise.

[GlennaGirl]

Can I throw a question out there to my friendly fellow henna-heads?

I have been trying to lighten most of my hair with honey. If anyone is following the honey thread, you've seen me there. In my siggie pic, the first couple of inches are just-henna (one application) and the majority of the rest is what remains of my henndigo.

What sort of result do you think I might get if I were to re-henna my entire head? I don't want to go "darker/browner" any more...I want to have red hair. It's a long story.

Anyway...do you think it would "blend"? Or do you think that dark area would be more very very dark burgundy (which I don't really want)? What I'd love to have would be an auburn or a more "coppery" than "cherry" color.

I know it's impossible to say "for sure" when it comes to henna...but I thought someone out there might have an opinion. Thanks so much.

[LadyMoon11]

Can I throw a question out there to my friendly fellow henna-heads?

I have been trying to lighten most of my hair with honey. If anyone is following the honey thread, you've seen me there. In my siggie pic, the first couple of inches are just-henna (one application) and the majority of the rest is what remains of my henndigo.

What sort of result do you think I might get if I were to re-henna my entire head? I don't want to go "darker/browner" any more...I want to have red hair. It's a long story.

Anyway...do you think it would "blend"? Or do you think that dark area would be more very very dark burgundy (which I don't really want)? What I'd love to have would be an auburn or a more "coppery" than "cherry" color.

I know it's impossible to say "for sure" when it comes to henna...but I thought someone out there might have an opinion. Thanks so much.

I would imagine that the darker/henndigoed areas would probably look a bit more of a deep reddish burgundy with a straight henna. If you can try a strand test on some of the two toned hair, that would give you some idea... Like you said, it can be very hard to tell the henna outcome. :p

Perhaps try a mix of henna and cassia first? I know this was suggested to me by Nightshade when I began trying to retain a more coppery shade rather than going darker and more burgundy with each henna application. It has worked very well. This may help you keep the darker areas from getting too burgundy-ish.

An application with henna or henna/cassia should help you blend the two tones a bit, there will still be some difference in color, but probably not very noticeable in your case.

You've had great results with the honey lightening!:)

[GlennaGirl]

Thank you so much, LadyMoon11! I'll buy some henna and some cassia.

[Celebrian]

Can I throw a question out there to my friendly fellow henna-heads?

I have been trying to lighten most of my hair with honey. If anyone is following the honey thread, you've seen me there. In my siggie pic, the first couple of inches are just-henna (one application) and the majority of the rest is what remains of my henndigo.

What sort of result do you think I might get if I were to re-henna my entire head? I don't want to go "darker/browner" any more...I want to have red hair. It's a long story.

Anyway...do you think it would "blend"? Or do you think that dark area would be more very very dark burgundy (which I don't really want)? What I'd love to have would be an auburn or a more "coppery" than "cherry" color.

I know it's impossible to say "for sure" when it comes to henna...but I thought someone out there might have an opinion. Thanks so much.

Yes, you're sort of doing what I'm doing. Mine's long story too (see 'Goodbye henindigo: hello PPD...) but briefly, I'm doing a low PPD brown dye in my roots, and then henna'ing like mad over all the old henidigo'ed lengths (taken against indigo in a BIG way!) trying to achieve rich reddish hair.

I'm using Caca Rouge for this, as I love the the soft goldish red lights I get - but LadyMoon11 is right in suggesting a mix of henna and cassia for you, if you don't want to do the Lush thing! I think you'll get the warmer, appearing slightly lighter reds you want in the lengths that way - although you may have to do it a number of times to get there.

I did three henna's in a row last week - and am quite prepared to do another two/three close together to build my red. But I certainly don't want to go toward cherry/burgundy - so I'm right there with you.

Good luck!

[vindo]

Hey, I hope someone reads this soon :o I would have a quick question about the Henna I have on my head right now.

I usually leave it on for 4 hrs. but it is getting really late and I was wondering if I could wash it off after 2 already?

In case it ruins the result I guess I will have to risk being very tired tomorrow.

Another thing I am curious about but which is not very urgent -
I let the henna sit 16hrs (!!!) this time...was just too busy to do it early :rolleyes: ,it seems to be stronger than usual now. I had drop on my face but wiped it off immediately. It is stained bright orange now...my neck and underarms look even worse..and clever ideas for removal? My baking soda idea didnt work..:(

[Isilme]

Emi, I never let my henna and cassia blend sit longer than two hours, it gets too dark then

[GlennaGirl]

Thanks, Celebrian!

Emichee, I too have heard that having henna sit for more than two hours produces a darker result.

[Nightshade]

IIRC I remember a conversation where several people pooled results and decided that after 4 hours your color won't get any darker, though the color may be richer. To get darkness you really need several applications for buildup.

[khyricat]

I don't know, I find my roots too orange after 5 hours, but great after 8...

[Nightshade]

Alas, henna seems to be the ultimate YMMV ;) With my cassia/henna bend the end color is no different if I leave it on for 3 hours or 6.

Perhaps it just oxidizes faster with a longer application? Or does the end color after oxidation actually differ?

[khyricat]

the end color post oxidation on my whites varies. 8 hour applications make them blend into the longer portions, and look like natural highlights, 5 hours leaves them orangey and light at the roots even post oxidation.. I imagine its more the type of henna that makes the difference or something in the different mix.. at least for my test vs yours.

[far_away]

I'm just putting a post up to froth about the Jamilla body art quality henna that I tried.

I steeped it in a mix of lemon juice, a little apple cider vinegar and cold water for a night and a day and then applied it the following evening over my light brown roots and LUSH henna'd ends.

The finer henna went on very easily but after half an hour I was being driven crazy by drips running down my face.

I was informed that I didn't have to worry about putting a barrier around my normal hair line so long as I wiped up drips immediately but that was wrong as I ended up with an orange forehead.

Since then I have had a beautiful auburn cascade of hair with two compliments on the colour, including one of the shop assistants from LUSH who said she has been trying to get this colour for years. I love the coverage and the colour feels fantastic.

The only drawbacks are the drips and the shedding I did during the washing out process.

All together a score of 10/10 for colour, 8/10 convenience and 8/10 hair quality.

[ilovelonghair]

I still have a question that no one answered too :( : is it possible to make sure the color doesn't oxidise, so you can keep the orangy color?

[khyricat]

I know of no way to prevent oxidation.. but as to the drips- I use cornstarch to thicken my henna, or you can just use less liquid to henna, if its a good consistancy, it won't drip... I like the cornstarch method as even if I accidentally get too much in with the henna its still not drippy.. some people use conditioner in with their henna once they have let it dye release with some water (or diluted acid) for the same purpose, they can thin the overall consistancy without risk of making it drippy.

[Riot Crrl]

You can't prevent oxidation. It's always interesting to me that people even want to, because I always hate the pre-oxidation period. I look like a popsicle.

You can however as khyricat said do diluted conditioner glosses, so that you can henna more often with less buildup of color. When I tried one, all it seem to do was create the pre-oxidation "glow" and that's about it. (I already had henna full applications in my hair though, so it would have been hard to notice if it deposited a little color. I would have to assume it deposited some.)

[Nightshade]

Like these other fantastic gals have said, there isn't, though I wish there was. If you cut it with cassia (I use 65% cassia, 35% henna and a friend of mine uses 75% cassia 25% henna) it oxidized a lot LESS. My color changes with the cassia predominant mix is a lot less than with 100% henna and stays much lighter and brighter.

[ShadowSwallow]

So I'm just about ready to step into henna. I have the chamomile, Yemen henna, gloves, and have read just about every article available.

Any last words of advice before I do the deed this Saturday (hopefully)?

[Nightshade]

Apply to slightly damp and clean hair :) When I try to apply henna to dry hair it sucks the moisture out and is harder to work with.

Other than that, get a tarp and have fun!

[Rustella]

So I'm just about ready to step into henna. I have the chamomile, Yemen henna, gloves, and have read just about every article available.

Any last words of advice before I do the deed this Saturday (hopefully)?


Before and after pictures please, and don't forget to post them. We really are a selfish bunch and love to see results. :) Good luck!

[shellblue1]

Okay, I just applied my first henna (well henndigo actually). I used Rainbow Research in Persian Dark Brown (since my hair is dark and I don't want red). I found it hard to cover my entire head with the goop so I got most of it and figure I'll get better at this the more I do it. I also found it a little hard to get all the way down to my roots. All I used was 5 tsp. of the henndigo, about 1 tbs. of cassia powder, 1 tsp. of fenugreek powder, about 1 and 1/2 cup water, and a bit of Suave Coconut conditioner to make it mix thicker. It was drying out a little faster than I'd like so next time around I'll use a bit more water. I applied all of this to wet hair. I'm going to leave it on for an hour or an hour and a half. Oh yeah, the application wasn't that messy but of course this is coming from someone who chemically colors her hair black every month - and that can be really messy and not good for white countertops!

[wintersun99]

I have a quick question = hopefully easy to answer :)

I have been using about a tablespoon or two of honey in my henna mix, read somewhere that it makes it easier to apply/rinse out... have NOT noticed a difference in stain. So, now I'm ready to do another full henna (not a gloss) and I'm out of honey... anyone know if molasses would be wise to use as a replacement?

[ShadowSwallow]

I wouldn't replace it (of course I know comparatively very little about henna ;)). Honey's moisturizing, but molasses is supposed to be drying. It would probably be too drying combined with the henna.

[Shell]

One way to get henna off of skin is to use hydrogen peroxide. It will fade it, and dry out your skin a bunch. You can also apply lotion, and be sure to wash it with soap. It is best of course not to get henna on your skin (I know, now I tell you!), so put oil, lotion, or vaseline on your forehead next time!

[vindo]

I had it on for 3 hrs..the color turned out a little orangey :(

I would like a burgundy type of red. I still dont understand why my hair doesnt produce this type of color. I thought dark hair = burgundy type of red?:confused:

Well, I think I might be getting there eventually..its not as orange as before.

[Riot Crrl]

What really made a difference for me for getting darker red vs. Tang orange, was leaving it on for ridiculous periods of time. Overnight and beyond. I now leave it on for an average of about 12 hours. My longest henna was 18 hours.

[GlennaGirl]

I had it on for 3 hrs..the color turned out a little orangey :(

I would like a burgundy type of red. I still dont understand why my hair doesnt produce this type of color. I thought dark hair = burgundy type of red?:confused:

Well, I think I might be getting there eventually..its not as orange as before.

My hair got burgundy-sparkly after several 2-hour henna sessions (overlapping one another).

My siggie pic isn't representative of this, so don't be scared! :p The siggie pic is much more recent.

[ilovelonghair]

Thanks for answering my question :-) I think i finally found something that could be cassia, but need to check if it's the real thing, and then I can make a henna/cassia mix and see what that does

[khyricat]

emichee - I leave it in for at LEAST 8 hours at a time.. if I do less I get too much of the carrot top for what I want.. and it really takes 2 sessions like that to turn my whites what I like, but on my darks its just sun glow no matter what...

Maybe some longer hennas are in order for you?

Amie

[vindo]

What really made a difference for me for getting darker red vs. Tang orange, was leaving it on for ridiculous periods of time. Overnight and beyond. I now leave it on for an average of about 12 hours. My longest henna was 18 hours.


emichee - I leave it in for at LEAST 8 hours at a time.. if I do less I get too much of the carrot top for what I want.. and it really takes 2 sessions like that to turn my whites what I like, but on my darks its just sun glow no matter what...

Maybe some longer hennas are in order for you?

Amie

I really think next time I will leave it on for much longer :o
I tried sleeping with Henna once but the weight was just Horror..my neck hurt really bad, for some reason more than when sitting up ( My lengths hang as a hennaed braid in a plastic bag ^^)

OK so next time I will plan for a whole Henna day :p

[Nightshade]

I have a quick question = hopefully easy to answer :)

I have been using about a tablespoon or two of honey in my henna mix, read somewhere that it makes it easier to apply/rinse out... have NOT noticed a difference in stain. So, now I'm ready to do another full henna (not a gloss) and I'm out of honey... anyone know if molasses would be wise to use as a replacement?

I know a lot of brunettes use molassas in SMT instead of honey with equally good results. I don't think it can hurt to try.

[wintersun99]

I know a lot of brunettes use molassas in SMT instead of honey with equally good results. I don't think it can hurt to try.

I decided against it. Actually, I didn't really need it as the henna mixed really smoothly. I will try it in the next SMT, that's a great idea!

[Riot Crrl]

I really think next time I will leave it on for much longer :o
I tried sleeping with Henna once but the weight was just Horror..my neck hurt really bad, for some reason more than when sitting up ( My lengths hang as a hennaed braid in a plastic bag ^^)

OK so next time I will plan for a whole Henna day :p

Gosh, sorry, I tend to forget that. My hair's about half as long as yours, so that would make my bag half as heavy. Maybe one of those u-shaped airplane pillows, lol.

[khyricat]

I normally bundle my hair on top of my head while I henna, since I henna the length this isn't a big deal, I wrap it around my head and then put the plastic wrap, then shower cap adn then my henna cap over.. I don't see this changing much as the length increases other than HOW i bundle it- I used to do mroe of a bun, now I wrap it more around the crown instead a few times..

[ShadowSwallow]

I just washed out my first henna! :D I'll be taking the pictures tomorrow with my sister's help out in the sun. I'll post the details with the first round of pictures, then more when it oxidizes. ;)

All I really notice now is that my scalp is quite orange. It seems like the olive oil I put on to keep it from staining just helped it stain more.


Before and after pictures are now in my album! :D

[Riot Crrl]

ShadowSwallow it's very nice and subtle. Don't worry, the orange will come off your skin quickly. For me it's like one, two at the very most times of washing it.

[ShadowSwallow]

Thanks, Riot_Crrl.

I used chamomile tea with about 2 tbsp of lemon juice for the liquid and 200g of Yemen henna. After letting it sit overnight I thinned it out again with just water, slathered it on, and let it sit for 5hrs. I'm really happy with the color. :D

[Celebrian]

Grrrr! Have you ever prepared your henna mix, and then had everything go pearshaped?

I was looking forward to a nice round of about 4-5 hours hennaring today. Prepared the mix, and waited until I thought it was time to apply... First of all, my hand slipped as I went to add a little more liquid (steeped cardomom seed tea, for the smell really) and I ended up with henna soup - no, make that henna bouillion!!

Next, it became obvious that I would only be left with about three hours in which to wear it... so, I thought 'ok, better than nothing'.

Well! That 'soup' dripped and dripped like crazy (the kitchen surface has orange splotches now) and it then became clear that I would have to abort my hennaring, partly because of the constant dripping (which was driving me mad!) and partly because my husband then reminded me that we had to get to bed in order to get up early for an appointment!

So, all I've had is 2 hours of henna soup on my head (and even that took as long to get out as a fullblooded and prolonged henna!).

Grrrrrr!!

Apart from that, it does look quite nice and refreshed colorwise... :D

I shall do another one tomorrow night - hopefully for much longer!

[vindo]

Umh..I have another question :o..

I stained the white bathroom furniture with henna..is there a way to get the stains off? Its white painted wood.:(

(Or maybe a clever and affordable way of painting it)

[Riot Crrl]

Umh..I have another question :o..

I stained the white bathroom furniture with henna..is there a way to get the stains off? Its white painted wood.:(

(Or maybe a clever and affordable way of painting it)

Oh, painted wood is a tough one. I managed to stain a sink, a tub and some linoleum tile. It came off from bleach products. I don't know if that's the best idea on painted wood, though. Maybe you could try it in an inobtrusive area on a small spot and see if it peels the paint or anything.

If not, sand prime and paint I suppose.

[khyricat]

I would just prine and repaint... I cover EVERYTHING when I henna.. DH laughs.. I have an old sheet I put on the floor, and I paper towel the counter top... I use those towels in clean up, so I figure that makes it a bit better..

[Celebrian]

I know I should know the answer to this one by now - but I don't have time to do a couple of loooong (5 hour plus) henna's in the near future.

My question is (as I continue to deal with the green lights!) will it also work to do a couple of hours each, a number of nights in a row?

I've got the idea into my head that the longer the same cowpat of henna remains on my head - the deeper the henna will penetrate my (green) hairshafts... But is that the case? Wouldn't a series of fresh applications do the job just as well?

Or am I risking interrupting the successful uptake of henna into those shafts?

Does this question make any scientific sense, at all? :o

[wintersun99]

I think this answer probably depends on one's hair... in my case, my hair stops absorbing henna around 4 hours, so leaving it on longer makes no difference in either color or condition.

[Celebrian]

I think this answer probably depends on one's hair... in my case, my hair stops absorbing henna around 4 hours, so leaving it on longer makes no difference in either color or condition.

:( Hmmmm, so I wonder what kind of hair would keep guzzling the henna up? You cut recently, didn't you? So, is this your fresh growth that stops eating henna after four hours - or was that the case with your older lengths as well?

[burns_erin]

I had success using peroxide several times a day. It was on latex paint, not flat but not all the way to semigloss either. Of course then I had to clean the whole vanity that way after I got rid of the henna stain. I had not noticed till then how dingy it had become.

[squiggyflop]

um i have a question.. what does chamomile tea do for the henna exactly?

im looking to get a lighter color so is there a way to remove just a bit of the henna on my length.. i want to just do glosses on the roots from now on.. but i dont want a really noticable line between regular henna and the glosses

oh and the lid of my toilet is painted wood.. i got henna on it and ended up using a white spray enamel paint on it.. sometimes mr. clean magic erasers work too

[khyricat]

my hennas build up if I can't do the full 8 hour application, but I have noticed a difference between 5.5 adn 8 hours ON MY WHITES.. I can't see henna build up at all on my darks as its the sunglow that I see on them and only that... all I can suggest is test swatches..

[Pegasus Marsters]

Can anyone recommend where I can get BAQ henna in the UK for a reasonable price? Or should I just order it from abroad?

[Riot Crrl]

Pegs if you would like to order BAQ online, there is Henna Boy: http://www.henna-boy.co.uk

[Pegasus Marsters]

Pegs if you would like to order BAQ online, there is Henna Boy: http://www.henna-boy.co.uk

Thanks muchly. Do you have any advice on how much I might need?My hair is only just past my shoulders but is thick. I really want to be a red-head and I'm realising I've NEVER seen a henna-head that I didn't think had gorgeous hair.

I know some people say that their hair grows faster with henna, can anyone here agree with that?

[Riot Crrl]

Thanks muchly. Do you have any advice on how much I might need?My hair is only just past my shoulders but is thick. I really want to be a red-head and I'm realising I've NEVER seen a henna-head that I didn't think had gorgeous hair.

I know some people say that their hair grows faster with henna, can anyone here agree with that?

I don't think you would need over 100g... but! It is much more unpleasant to run out without covering all your hair than it is to have leftovers. (The leftover dye released henna freezes well and only dyes even better when it's thawed out and used.) The estimates on the sellers' sites are usually really on the high side which I guess is for this reason.

I don't know if it actually directly stimulates hair growth, but it could help with that in indirect ways like improving scalp condition and preventing splits. It does seem to prevent splits pretty good, I can't find any and haven't trimmed since February, which is pretty unheard of.

[Pegasus Marsters]

I don't think you would need over 100g... but! It is much more unpleasant to run out without covering all your hair than it is to have leftovers. (The leftover dye released henna freezes well and only dyes even better when it's thawed out and used.) The estimates on the sellers' sites are usually really on the high side which I guess is for this reason.

I don't know if it actually directly stimulates hair growth, but it could help with that in indirect ways like improving scalp condition and preventing splits. It does seem to prevent splits pretty good, I can't find any and haven't trimmed since February, which is pretty unheard of.


Awesome, thank you :) I now have to contemplate if I really can do this... I'd have to have a day where I was feeling particularly good, I think I'd go mad having that stuff on me if I had a headache :(

[Riot Crrl]

Awesome, thank you :) I now have to contemplate if I really can do this... I'd have to have a day where I was feeling particularly good, I think I'd go mad having that stuff on me if I had a headache :(

A mud pack, plastic bag and ski hat is not the most comfortable way to wear hair, but it's not so bad, I'm getting kinda used to it now and figured out how to wrap it better so it doesn't drip.

If you are worried about the smell, there is no doubt that henna has a smell, and people love or hate it to varying degrees. IIRC you have been a chemical dyer, and so have I. Chemical dye treatments are over with quicker, but henna has nowhere near the eye-burning, fume-inhaling, over-chlorinated-poolness of chemical dyes. It's more just like hmm, cooked spinach mixed with dirt.

I didn't check if Henna Boy has cheap samples, but if he does you should get one and do a strand test. Then you can check how you feel about the smell and texture, in addition to the color.

[GlennaGirl]

Hi, henna girls 'n boys.

I had been trying to lighten the bottom half of my hair from a former henndigo and had just henna on the few inches of new growth at the roots.

So I did a henna/cassia four days ago and the indoors results are in my siggie.

I'm a little disappointed that I really didn't get much "redder" from the previous henna-ing, but I do "blend" a lot better now.

I guess I really just do have darker hair than I thought! That's okay. It's sort of mahogany now. And mahogany doesn't s*ck.

The bottom is still darker than the top but it blends SO much better. For a while my hair was nearly black, with reddish just-henna roots.

Just wanted to report on my results as some people here had given me the idea to henna/cassia for a lighter red. Thanks, everyone!

[khyricat]

looks pretty Glenna.. and I love the mahogany, wish I could get that and not just red highlights... then again I'll have too much red soon enough

[Nightshade]

Thanks muchly. Do you have any advice on how much I might need?My hair is only just past my shoulders but is thick. I really want to be a red-head and I'm realising I've NEVER seen a henna-head that I didn't think had gorgeous hair.

I know some people say that their hair grows faster with henna, can anyone here agree with that?

I agree that 100g should be enough for you, and that you can freeze the leftovers. Try mixing it up to the consistancy of pancake batter and then apply it to slightly damp hair. If the henna starts to dry out as you apply it things get more complicated, and damp hair helps slow that down.

And check out the henna article if you haven't already :) It has some advice on the whole process, including rinsing.

Headache-wise, you can always lay down and nap for a few hours while your hair soaks, that way your neck isn't supporting the hennaed weight.

[GlennaGirl]

Thanks, kyricat!

[burns_erin]

Thanks muchly. Do you have any advice on how much I might need?My hair is only just past my shoulders but is thick. I really want to be a red-head and I'm realising I've NEVER seen a henna-head that I didn't think had gorgeous hair.

I know some people say that their hair grows faster with henna, can anyone here agree with that?

My hair is a bit past shoulder length and very thick as well. I mix up 200 grams and have a bit left over after wards. If I put honey in the mix the henna goes through my thick hair better, and I also seemto use less.

My hair definitely grows faster when I use henna, I also have way less split ends and breakage.

[GlassEyes]

Hahaha, I thought you couldn't stand henna, Pegs? Not the color, of course, but the ickyness. XD

I've got a quick question for ya'll. Since I've grown rather attached to my hair color (and i don't want anymore damage since I just had to butcher my hair e-e), I'm not going to dye it black. However, I'm pretty sure I don't want it any darker. So what I'm asking is, if you put henna on your hair before dye release, do you still get the conditioning properties?

If not, I'll just wait for dye release. Darker'd still look nice. XD

[Nightshade]

GlassEyes- You can try, and you may get some of the conditioning benefits, but honestly, go for cassia at that point. You won't get the same level of conditioning with henna that hasn't released dye, and I'm always wary about reccomending henna at all when someone doens't want more color.

If you're okay with a bit of color, perhaps a henna gloss?

[GlassEyes]

GlassEyes- You can try, and you may get some of the conditioning benefits, but honestly, go for cassia at that point. You won't get the same level of conditioning with henna that hasn't released dye, and I'm always wary about reccomending henna at all when someone doens't want more color.

If you're okay with a bit of color, perhaps a henna gloss?
I'm perfectly fine adding another layer of color on. I just like the color the way it is now. I sincerely doubt I'll hate it if I add more. xD

Besides, I've got lots of henna leftovers, and I don't have mohair to experiment with so it'd go to waste. I'll just wait for dye release then. Thanks!

[Shorty89]

I have a question. Where can you find henna and indigo in Canda? My mom is thinking of using henna (if i can convince her). Shipping costs from hennaforhair are crazy expensive!

[Riot Crrl]

Shorty89 you might want to check out Henna Sooq: http://www.hennasooq.com

[khyricat]

Khadija (Hennasooq) is a great resource for information.... never ordered from her as I'm in the states..

[Rustella]

Well I finally did it. I took my DD15 to my hairdresser to get her haircut. HD had not seen my henna yet, and had warned me against it several months ago before I started using it.



She likes it! She said the color is great on me and a good color in general. I asked her if she thought I should go darker as I'd been thinking about it and she said no, that I should keep it nice and bright just like it is and not go darker. That settles it then. :)

[squiggyflop]

so no answer on what chamomile tea does to henna.. why do people use it? this is just too big a thread to go sifting through it

[khyricat]

I imagine people like the scent and it has some moisturizing properties, I don't think it does anything to henna otherwise...

[Nightshade]

Khadija (Hennasooq) is a great resource for information.... never ordered from her as I'm in the states..

I'm in the states and I order from her :) It takes a little longer to get the henna, but the quality is supurb as is her customer service



so no answer on what chamomile tea does to henna.. why do people use it? this is just too big a thread to go sifting through it

It doesn't do a thing to the color, but I find my hair better conditioned after (as chamomile has all sorts of great stuff in it). So it's just another added herbal bonus. I use the tea, not the actual powdered chamomile in my mix as that would dilute the powder more than I want.

[squiggyflop]

I imagine people like the scent and it has some moisturizing properties, I don't think it does anything to henna otherwise...
hmm well my hair always seems well conditioned with my normal henna mix.. but if smell is a factor can i use jasmine green tea?


It doesn't do a thing to the color, but I find my hair better conditioned after (as chamomile has all sorts of great stuff in it). So it's just another added herbal bonus. I use the tea, not the actual powdered chamomile in my mix as that would dilute the powder more than I want.
hmm better conditioned.. i only really do my roots and im going to switch to a roots only gloss.. would chamomile tea still work as a rinse? like if i dumped a cup of cold chamomile tea in my hair as im getting out of the tub..


ok so i have annother question for you henna gurus.. im sure its been askes a million and one times.. what are the treatments for lightening up henna when its built up too much color?
as you can see the bottom of my hair is light and the top has gotten too dark.. i dont want it as light as the bottom part i just want the gloss only roots to blend in better..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_bluedressback.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/bluedressback.jpg)

[Missie]

Can anyone recommend where I can get BAQ henna in Australia please

[Isilme]

Squiggy, if I remember correctly, your hair was chemically treated before you started to use henna? If yes, I think your virgin hair with henna is always going to be darker just because it's virgin. It still has it's own natural pigment intact unlike the ends. You could try long soaks with olive oil and a mix of conditioner and lemon juice. But be prepared for only a faint difference. Try and see if you can get a lighter colour on the new growth and stick with that mix if you can.

[Nightshade]

hmm well my hair always seems well conditioned with my normal henna mix.. but if smell is a factor can i use jasmine green tea?http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_bluedressback.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/bluedressback.jpg)

Green tea may be drying because it has more tannins. Couldn't hurt to try, though.


hmm better conditioned.. i only really do my roots and im going to switch to a roots only gloss.. would chamomile tea still work as a rinse? like if i dumped a cup of cold chamomile tea in my hair as im getting out of the tub.. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_bluedressback.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/bluedressback.jpg)

Chamomile works wonderfully as a rinse :)



ok so i have annother question for you henna gurus.. im sure its been askes a million and one times.. what are the treatments for lightening up henna when its built up too much color?
as you can see the bottom of my hair is light and the top has gotten too dark.. i dont want it as light as the bottom part i just want the gloss only roots to blend in better..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_bluedressback.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/bluedressback.jpg)

I've got to agree with Islme on this one, the problem is that when you chemical dyed the ends they got bleached under the added color. Most permanant dyes are actually a two-step process, the first bleaching away your natural color, the second depositing color, which is how they can take two people with naturally different hair colors and give them both the color on the box. The issue is that eventually the hair dye will fade (and reds are very prone to this), which leaves your ends lighter.

You could try a gloss, or even using a high amount of cassia and a bit of henna. Cassia imparts it's own golden tone as well a good conditioning benefits. My current mix is about 65% cassia, 35% henna.



Can anyone recommend where I can get BAQ henna in Australia please

You could always check with Rini. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=4782)Though she doesn't henna anymore, I know she was sourcing it locally in AU.

[Missie]

thanks Nightshade :)

[Riot Crrl]

Yeah, henna over virgin vs. henna over dye is always going to be a little different. This is going to be my destiny for the next 2-3 years. Since my ultimate goal is to have just henna over virgin, trying to lighten up my roots under the henna would be counterproductive to me.

I would rather find a way to darken up the length to match the roots, but I can't seem to.

[Celebrian]

Yeah, henna over virgin vs. henna over dye is always going to be a little different. This is going to be my destiny for the next 2-3 years. Since my ultimate goal is to have just henna over virgin, trying to lighten up my roots under the henna would be counterproductive to me.

I would rather find a way to darken up the length to match the roots, but I can't seem to.

*Cough* er, did you ever consider just one tiny little application of a darker red PPD dye...

Better answer me on my other thread...

Anyway, as I am regularly henna'ing, I had better start making appearances here again!

So - I am (at present) a confirmed Lush Caca Rouge baby, doing them about once a week (at least) to cover green/blue after effects of bleaching indigo (I just put that in for those who don't know about the boring story!).

I love the smell of this particular henna on mixing... hate wearing henna on my head (don't we all?) ... loathe the rinse-out... love the effects on my hair = shine and strength and rich, warm red lights.

And I adore the smell of my hair for days afterwards (oops, my font is slipping again!) which smells like cut grass baked in the sun.

Also, the red leans slightly more toward a golden, more natural hue - unless you overdo applications. I shall have to watch out that in covering whole head each time, I don't start to move to burgundy, which is a risk with overdoing any henna.

[Riot Crrl]

*Cough* er, did you ever consider just one tiny little application of a darker red PPD dye...

Already did it once with brown when I panicked that my henna was too bright at first. It was gone in three days. As are all PPD dyes on my stupid hair. That is the reason I'm considering a Manic Panic type thing, oddly enough, the semi-perm vegetable dyes seem to stick BETTER on my hair than permanent PPD.

If you are really bored and would like just about the full background on how I found this out, I wrote pretty much a novel about it here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=136368&postcount=24).

[Oskimosa]

hmm well my hair always seems well conditioned with my normal henna mix.. but if smell is a factor can i use jasmine green tea?

hmm better conditioned.. i only really do my roots and im going to switch to a roots only gloss.. would chamomile tea still work as a rinse? like if i dumped a cup of cold chamomile tea in my hair as im getting out of the tub..


ok so i have annother question for you henna gurus.. im sure its been askes a million and one times.. what are the treatments for lightening up henna when its built up too much color?
as you can see the bottom of my hair is light and the top has gotten too dark.. i dont want it as light as the bottom part i just want the gloss only roots to blend in better..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/th_bluedressback.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/kidmol/bluedressback.jpg)

To lighten up henna, there is NO quick fix. But that's great for you, since you really just want one part to blend in with another. I searched for weeks searching for ways to lighten henna, and came up with these results: http://www.hennaforhair.com/forum/index.php?module=phpwsbb&PHPWSBB_MAN_OP=view&PHPWS_MAN_ITEMS[]=6796
So there you'll find a list of stuff you can use. A recipe would be something like a 4:1 ratio conditioner to cinnamon, or a 4:1 of honey to water. (you could combine the two..) basically its releasing a low level peroxide into your hair without doing the damage developer would to. Try putting that on the part you want lightened maybe three times a week for anywhere from 1-4 hours. If you use cinnamon, try to keep it off your skin because it can irritate it. You should see it lighten slowly but gradually, based on what I've heard everyone else say.

[ktani]

Conditioner is no longer recommended to be used in honey lightening recipes.

It can be tricky - conditioner can contain ingredients that interfere with honey lightening and the water content of conditioner used in the 4 parts water to one part honey dilution can shorten the amount of water needed for optimal honey dilution.
See #15 in this post for pictures of reported honey lightening results on hennaed hair.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=143352&postcount=1164

[lookingglass]

I just got my order of the new Yemmen henna, supposedly the best for covering grey's b/c of its high dye content (I have more and more these days!:mad:) from Catherine at TapDancingLizzard. OMG! I could smell it through the envolope and it was in 2 ziplock bags inside that!:cheese: I can't wait to refresh!!! I will post an update tomorrow after I henna!

[burns_erin]

I am currently using the Yemen henna from Catherine and definitely notice better gray coverage since my last henna happenings. Of course I also have way more grey now.

[Gabriel]

I used Lush Caca Brun a couple of days ago. I've used their henna before but I can't remember what color and I wasn't overly impressed. This time I am very happy with the results .(following suggestions gleaned from all of you!)

3 blocks grated and mixed with very very hot tap water, stirred and then set in the sun (over 90 degree temperature)for about 8 hours, then applied and covered with a shower cap and towel and left on for 8ish hours.

Soaked hair with water then worked in a fair amount of conditioner twice and then regular shampoo and condition.

Left my hair soft, shiney with a slight auburn tint in the sun.

[Celebrian]

I used Lush Caca Brun a couple of days ago. I've used their henna before but I can't remember what color and I wasn't overly impressed. This time I am very happy with the results .(following suggestions gleaned from all of you!)

3 blocks grated and mixed with very very hot tap water, stirred and then set in the sun (over 90 degree temperature)for about 8 hours, then applied and covered with a shower cap and towel and left on for 8ish hours.

Soaked hair with water then worked in a fair amount of conditioner twice and then regular shampoo and condition.

Left my hair soft, shiney with a slight auburn tint in the sun.

Gabriel, as a fellow Lush henna user, I'm glad you're so pleased with the result.

However, I was slightly suprised that you used very hot water and then left the mix in hot sun for eight hours, then wore it for eight more hours! My suprise is due to the fact that Brun contains quite a high percentage of indigo, which is killed by very hot water as also being left in hot sun for hours - and would have been dead as a doornail by the time it climbed onto your hair! These recommendations are ok (for some people) with regard to henna alone, but indigo needs different treatment in order to survive!

Your mix was, then, virtually 100% henna by the time you wore it. This may make things a lot easier if you want to do it again, as you could use the Marron (even less indigo) or even the Rouge (none).

I'm thinking you could get your auburn glints with a lot less hassle and time, that's all. :D

If you want more thorough detail, let me know...

[lookingglass]

I just got my order of the new Yemmen henna, supposedly the best for covering grey's b/c of its high dye content (I have more and more these days!:mad:) from Catherine at TapDancingLizzard. OMG! I could smell it through the envolope and it was in 3 ziplock bags inside that!:cheese: I can't wait to refresh!!! I will post an update tomorrow after I henna!

I mixed it up last night and dye relase was almost instant! I put it in the fridge to slow it down and had DH slop it on my head this a.m. (used the loose braid method, worked great!). I was going to just gloss the ends, but I had tons for some reason (100 g went really far~mixed with water to runny pancake batter consistancey). I left it on for 3 hours and then rinsed with the hose onto the ground. LOVE this method!!! No mess it the bathroom!!!

The color is really rich already! I'll try to get some new pics in my album. The consistancy was a bit gritty. I think I'll try the "Yemmen for African Hair" next time for it's finer sift. Overally, I am really, really pleased!

[Riot Crrl]

I mixed it up last night and dye relase was almost instant!

OK it must be that origin/crop then. It is all I have ever used, and it does that to me too. I always read about 8-12 hour dye release and think, "Am I doing it wrong?"

[DotDotDot]

<snip> I think I'll try the "Yemmen for African Hair" next time for it's finer sift. <snip>

I'm curious: What is the difference between regular yemen and yemen for african hair?

[Riot Crrl]

I'm curious: What is the difference between regular yemen and yemen for african hair?

It says that the sift is finer. It doesn't actually say that the "African hair" one is Yemen, that I see. But it does say best grey coverage which seems to imply it. It is the same price as Yemen though, so who knows.

[Robinlyn]

Has anyone tried Morrocco Method Light Brown Henna on their hair? I'm currently growing out my colored hair (I haven't colored since Oct '07). I want my virgin hair (dark blonde) to match my colored hair a little better. I also would love the benefits of henna!!

[Missa]

I haven't put henna on in a long time. Today I did half henna and half conditioner dye release 3 hours and on hair for 1 hour.

Before (natural)
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7287/p2110042az5.th.jpg (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p2110042az5.jpg)


Afterhttp://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1189/p2140013qa0.th.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p2140013qa0.jpg)

[khyricat]

pretty color Missa

[Gabriel]

Gabriel, as a fellow Lush henna user, I'm glad you're so pleased with the result.

However, I was slightly suprised that you used very hot water and then left the mix in hot sun for eight hours, then wore it for eight more hours! My suprise is due to the fact that Brun contains quite a high percentage of indigo, which is killed by very hot water as also being left in hot sun for hours - and would have been dead as a doornail by the time it climbed onto your hair! These recommendations are ok (for some people) with regard to henna alone, but indigo needs different treatment in order to survive!

Your mix was, then, virtually 100% henna by the time you wore it. This may make things a lot easier if you want to do it again, as you could use the Marron (even less indigo) or even the Rouge (none).

I'm thinking you could get your auburn glints with a lot less hassle and time, that's all. :D

If you want more thorough detail, let me know...


ack! That was why I didn't boil the water for my mix, I remembered reading something on one of the threads here about not cooking the indigo away, but then I just figured I'd leave it in the sun to develop (what's the henna word?) not thinking it was so hot it would do the same thing.

[thankyousir74]

Well Guys today is the day. Though I am one of the more quiet and lurking members of LHC I must be vocal about this and I hope you all will enjoy celebrating with me.

TODAY SHALL BE THE DAY OF MY FIRST HENNA

I'm so excited, i'm warming up the water for it now (careful not to boil) to aid with the dye release. wish me luck guys :D!

[Nightshade]

Well Guys today is the day. Though I am one of the more quiet and lurking members of LHC I must be vocal about this and I hope you all will enjoy celebrating with me.

TODAY SHALL BE THE DAY OF MY FIRST HENNA

I'm so excited, i'm warming up the water for it now (careful not to boil) to aid with the dye release. wish me luck guys :D!

Good Luck! Do post pictures and tell us how it went! :) And you can talk to us more, we're not THAT scary :eyebrows:

[CopperHead]

Best of luck with your first henna experience! I know you will love it. :)

[Celebrian]

Well Guys today is the day. Though I am one of the more quiet and lurking members of LHC I must be vocal about this and I hope you all will enjoy celebrating with me.

TODAY SHALL BE THE DAY OF MY FIRST HENNA

I'm so excited, i'm warming up the water for it now (careful not to boil) to aid with the dye release. wish me luck guys :D!

Enjoy the experience! Can't wait for the results. :D

[dvas]

Well Guys today is the day. Though I am one of the more quiet and lurking members of LHC I must be vocal about this and I hope you all will enjoy celebrating with me.

TODAY SHALL BE THE DAY OF MY FIRST HENNA

I'm so excited, i'm warming up the water for it now (careful not to boil) to aid with the dye release. wish me luck guys :D!


Good luck (from a fellow quiet and mostly lurking henna-using LHCer)! :D

[squiggyflop]

question to nightshade and anyone who might know about this..
i saw in a pic nightshade posted that she has golden red on top.. why does mixing cassia in with henna make it golden red? is the golden perminant because ive heard that cassia fades..if its just a way to dilute the henna why cant i dilut the henna with conditioner and only do a gloss? i want that golden red and ive got some roots that need to be delt with.. if cassia's golden color is perminant i would like to know where the cheapest place to buy cassia is.. if its just a way to dilute the henna i would love to hear of any less expensive things i could dilute it with.. i only leave henna on for an hour maximum.. partly out of lazyness partly because i dont want a dark stain.. i used to do it for 3 hours but that was before when i was trying to cover up dye damage..

[Nightshade]

squiggyflop- My best guess is that it's two reasons

Cassia contains a pretty decent amount of golden dye in it's own right. It's not more powerful than the henna, but...
The henna is diluted.So I'm thinking that with a dilute amount of henna, you get a bit of the orange and the staying power of henna, but it's also weak enough to let the golden of the cassia come through. Even on my medium brown hair, I get golden red.

It DOES fade, though, at least the first time. When I do my roots they fade a fair bit between that and the next henna. After a second application the golden red henna is colorfast (on me anyway).

I'm using 65% cassia 35% henna at the moment, blend it with strong warm chamomile tea, then leave it to dye release on top of the food dehydrator for 4 hours. Then I apply it for 2.5-3 hours.

I hope that helps a bit! :flowers:

[Brianna]

Has anyone tried Morrocco Method Light Brown Henna on their hair? I'm currently growing out my colored hair (I haven't colored since Oct '07). I want my virgin hair (dark blonde) to match my colored hair a little better. I also would love the benefits of henna!!

I haven't tried the Light Brown, but I tried the Medium Brown just a few days ago and I'm very pleased with the result. :) My hair was sort of medium-ish brown to begin with, and since I left it in nearly three hours it became more of a dark brown. You can see the results in my album, if you like. They do have a colour chart on their website if you haven't checked it out. :)

[squiggyflop]

squiggyflop- My best guess is that it's two reasons
Cassia contains a pretty decent amount of golden dye in it's own right. It's not more powerful than the henna, but...
The henna is diluted.So I'm thinking that with a dilute amount of henna, you get a bit of the orange and the staying power of henna, but it's also weak enough to let the golden of the cassia come through. Even on my medium brown hair, I get golden red.

It DOES fade, though, at least the first time. When I do my roots they fade a fair bit between that and the next henna. After a second application the golden red henna is colorfast (on me anyway).

I'm using 65% cassia 35% henna at the moment, blend it with strong warm chamomile tea, then leave it to dye release on top of the food dehydrator for 4 hours. Then I apply it for 2.5-3 hours.

I hope that helps a bit! :flowers:
i did find this very helpful thankyou:D

[akurah]

I have darker (burgundy) hair from henna... and whoa nelly, I still get orange. Granted, the henna is only one day oxidized, so it'll darken more, but check out the orange:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/akurah/P6210037-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/akurah/P6210039-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/akurah/P6210040-1.jpg

Granted, I think I'm greying at my hairline these days, hence the lighter color, but I've never let my roots grow out enough to tell for sure how grey I am or not. I wish I took a pic yesterday, holy cats it was ORANGE.

Not complaining in the least, just highly amused and hopefully warning people that even with dark burgundy red, you will be orange during some point in the oxidation time. I think it looks nice, and I'm fairly certain it'll darken to match the rest of my hair with enough time.

[Millielie]

I have a question. I want to do an over-night deep conditioning. If I add a little bit of Indigo to it would it darken my hair? My roots are much lighter as my colored lengths and I want it to be a bit darker.

[Rustella]

I just did another full-head henna! This was my third, but I tweaked it a little.

I was going to stop where I was and do roots only as I really liked the color, but I wanted even more conditioning and also more even-ness from the old highlights. The color turned out great-I wish it wouldn't oxidize as I really like it. I used leftover frozen henna cut with just a little conditioner, and left it on 3 hours instead of my usual six. It still looks rusty, which is what I like. I just hope it doesn't get too much darker. My white roots are golden orange, but I like them so far.

Ok, now I will do roots only. Really. :rolleyes:

Wish me luck on the final color results. (I know, I'm overthinking this, but the perfectionist in me just can't help it.)

[Robinlyn]

Thank you Brianna! Your hair is so pretty! I did see the chart on the website but I guess I just wanted LHC input. You helped, thanks! I think I'll give it a try!

[Riot Crrl]

I have a question. I want to do an over-night deep conditioning. If I add a little bit of Indigo to it would it darken my hair? My roots are much lighter as my colored lengths and I want it to be a bit darker.

You mean with unhennaed hair? It's not a good idea since it's blue.

[Millielie]

Yes, my roots are unhennaed.
I did a test strand but nothing happened. I took too much conditioner I think.

[betsala]

i posted this question in the cassia thread, but i figured i would ask here as well. i really want to try henna, but i am worried about darkening my naturally read hair. i really wanted the strengthening and improved shine of henna however so i tried cassia for the first time last week. well, my hair did not like it- it turned dry, strawlike, tangly and dull (despite smt and heavy oiling). now i am left with a bunch of cassia (silly me, tried to save on shipping by buyng a bunch at one time). i am wondering if mixing cassia with henna (like sqiggy and nightshade have been writing about) might give me the benefits without so much darkening. don't get me wrong, i would love to amp up my color in terms of shine and lustre, but as i age my natural red grows darker and i don't really want to encourage that right now ( i have looked at the color charts provided concerning henna results and i am afraid that darkening might be the result). my other concern is that since my hair reacted so negatively to the cassia (prepped with tea and ginger) it might react negatively to henna. any thoughts? i bow to your expertise :) .

[Nightshade]

i posted this question in the cassia thread, but i figured i would ask here as well. i really want to try henna, but i am worried about darkening my naturally read hair. i really wanted the strengthening and improved shine of henna however so i tried cassia for the first time last week. well, my hair did not like it- it turned dry, strawlike, tangly and dull (despite smt and heavy oiling). now i am left with a bunch of cassia (silly me, tried to save on shipping by buyng a bunch at one time). i am wondering if mixing cassia with henna (like sqiggy and nightshade have been writing about) might give me the benefits without so much darkening. don't get me wrong, i would love to amp up my color in terms of shine and lustre, but as i age my natural red grows darker and i don't really want to encourage that right now ( i have looked at the color charts provided concerning henna results and i am afraid that darkening might be the result). my other concern is that since my hair reacted so negatively to the cassia (prepped with tea and ginger) it might react negatively to henna. any thoughts? i bow to your expertise :) .

You could start with 3/4 cassia, 1/4 henna, which would give you a nice amp in color. :) It may fade a little but that seems okay in this case.

If you end up with a color you like, you can always just hit the roots.

Heck, you could always try just cassia first and see if the golden tones alone brightens things up before you add henna.

[betsala]

thanks nightshade. i think that i will try the cassia/ henna mix once my henna arrives. i will let everyone know how it turns out.

[Elainehali]

I did my first henna today. So far so good. Very orange, but I understand the oxidation idea. I can't wait to see the final color in 3 days!

:D

my hair feels stronger though, and that's pretty cool.

[Riot Crrl]

I did my first henna today. So far so good. Very orange, but I understand the oxidation idea. I can't wait to see the final color in 3 days!

:D

my hair feels stronger though, and that's pretty cool.

Since your avatar actually shows your face, lol, I can say I think it will look fantastic on you.

It is refreshing to find someone calm after the first time, it's usually 'ZOMG ORANGE AAAHHHH!' :D

On me it always seems to take more like 5 days to oxidize. At least it did at first. Now it is so dark red I can barely tell anymore.

[Elainehali]

Since your avatar actually shows your face, lol, I can say I think it will look fantastic on you.

It is refreshing to find someone calm after the first time, it's usually 'ZOMG ORANGE AAAHHHH!' :D

On me it always seems to take more like 5 days to oxidize. At least it did at first. Now it is so dark red I can barely tell anymore.

I think it's cause I've been dying/bleaching my hair from the age of 12. I've had all the colors, most of them by accedent. Orange isn't that bad actually.

I hope to get a rich red after a few applications.

[Riot Crrl]

I think it's cause I've been dying/bleaching my hair from the age of 12. I've had all the colors, most of them by accedent. Orange isn't that bad actually.

I hope to get a rich red after a few applications.

If what you want is a darker red (many people don't and want to keep it a bright copper) then here is my tip: leave it on super long! At least with the henna that I have, and with my hair, this was what made the major difference in getting the result as dark as I wanted.

Pay no attention to my avatar, the most recent pics are here: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showpost.php?p=163727&postcount=143

Unfortunately my hair is kinda wet there, but you get the idea.

[shellblue1]

My hair is very strange. Some of my hair strands are thick while other ones start off thick and towards the end they get really thin. They don't split, but are just thin. It's weird. Will henna thicken up the ends of those hair strands?

[Riot Crrl]

It might. It seemed to thicken up each of my hairs a little tiny bit I think.

My current problem: it is too hot to henna and my regrowth looks like ^&*^$&#37;.

[Isilme]

It might. It seemed to thicken up each of my hairs a little tiny bit I think.

My current problem: it is too hot to henna and my regrowth looks like ^&*^$%.

Try the slightly frozen henna we discussed in the thread about thawing henna:)

[Riot Crrl]

Ha :)

It would be nice at first, but I think it'll heat up.

[bohemian]

I'm a big henna fan! I used to dye my hair with the box and it was so fried! But since my last short cut I've just dyed it with henna and it is so healthy! I use Henna from LUSH; caca rouge. With my pale skin,blue eyes and freckles super red (even orange-y red) looks great on me. Glad to find others who use henna. Friends have commented that its like putting mud on to dye their hair. hehehe And yeah I swear it makes my hair thicker with more body too!!!:D:D

[crebbsgirl]

Alright, I have a question. I stopped dying my hair a month or so ago. I'm left with medium brown hair with caramel highlights. My natural colour (which is coming in) is a dark, dark brown (almost black really) and I'd like to go back to it. Should I get a pre-mixed henna from Lush or should I make my own, and does anyone have any good recipes? I have used henna for hair from the grocery store before - so I'm relatively new to GOOD henna ;) Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[MeMyselfandI]

Alright, I have a question. I stopped dying my hair a month or so ago. I'm left with medium brown hair with caramel highlights. My natural colour (which is coming in) is a dark, dark brown (almost black really) and I'd like to go back to it. Should I get a pre-mixed henna from Lush or should I make my own, and does anyone have any good recipes? I have used henna for hair from the grocery store before - so I'm relatively new to GOOD henna ;) Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

I would be more concerned about mixed henna being compound henna which is the bad stuff. There are mixed henna which is natural.

Most grocery store henna is real henna. Read the package, ask here for specific brands be cautious. The shift may not be as good. I recently used Iranian henna, there was a lot of grit in the bathtub, the colour was very good, not old. This store has a large turn around on the henna it sells.

Your dark hair hair will be reflect the henna colour but not be coloured. The coloured treated hair will have a different colour.

Henna does not lighten hair. If you want the coloured hair and the virgin hair to have less of a noticable difference you may need to mix in indigo.

Read this article: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=7

[Elainehali]

I just had my first wash after henna. I saw a lot of my pretty color go down the drain. =(

So I was wondering because most of my hair has been dyed and bleached multiple times, will the more porus hair lose the color faster than the more healthy hair up top.

I know that with boxed colors this is usually the case, but because henna bonds with the hair, do you think it will stick better?

[Riot Crrl]

I think it will stick a lot better than boxes. At least for me it was night and day.

I think it's normal to see some orange runoff for a little while, I do and my hair never really gets visibly less red.

[MeMyselfandI]

I just had my first wash after henna. I saw a lot of my pretty color go down the drain. =(

So I was wondering because most of my hair has been dyed and bleached multiple times, will the more porus hair lose the color faster than the more healthy hair up top.

I know that with boxed colors this is usually the case, but because henna bonds with the hair, do you think it will stick better?

I agree with riotcurl. I also noticed that the henna sticks well on my previously dyed and bleached hair. I find I get great lasting colour on the greys as well.

There is a difference in the colour on the non treated hair, the grey hair and the chemically treated hair.

[ccal]

This is very much my case... Your hair will be two toned, however, the henna helps somehow to blend the tones so that it look very natural... In my case, the bottom part is lighter than the top; I notice that the more I apply Henna, the darker this seccion gets, an the better it blends. In the sunshine, the overall red glow also helps to blend.... So, if you want to go back to natural, have healthy and beautiful looking hair, even if two toned, Henna is a great way to go!

[Elainehali]

The other day I was thinking that if my ends have trouble holding onto the color I could do "ends only application" (Has anyone done that?)

Last night after my hair dryed I saw that I didn't really lose much color, it just seemed that way in the shower.

I :heartbeat henna.

[Isilme]

I just had my first wash after henna. I saw a lot of my pretty color go down the drain. =(

So I was wondering because most of my hair has been dyed and bleached multiple times, will the more porus hair lose the color faster than the more healthy hair up top.

I know that with boxed colors this is usually the case, but because henna bonds with the hair, do you think it will stick better?

Probably yes, there seems to be two cases with treated hair, either it holds on henna for dear lfe, or just lets it go. It took a long long time and many applications for the henna not to fade from my treated hair. It's still lighter today. Soemtimes when I wanted my ends darker but no more henna on the virgin I hennaed my ponytail only.

[Missa]

I wanted to know if I use only lukewarm tapwater mixed with henna powder instead of lemon juice if I would get the colour to last as long on my virgin hair as when lemon juice is used. Would the henna have less staying power? Would the colour oxidize less? Would the colour be lighter without something acidic. I have Vancouver water, if that helps and I get very fast dye release from my usual mix which is henna mixed with tap water (lukewarm) and then a bunch of lemon juice. In about 2 hours I get lots of dye release. I want to try skipping the lemon juice. Is this a good idea?

[Riot Crrl]

I wanted to know if I use only lukewarm tapwater mixed with henna powder instead of lemon juice if I would get the colour to last as long on my virgin hair as when lemon juice is used. Would the henna have less staying power? Would the colour oxidize less? Would the colour be lighter without something acidic. I have Vancouver water, if that helps and I get very fast dye release from my usual mix which is henna mixed with tap water (lukewarm) and then a bunch of lemon juice. In about 2 hours I get lots of dye release. I want to try skipping the lemon juice. Is this a good idea?

There are those who say it doesn't oxidize or stay as well, but this is what I have been doing and it oxidizes fine and never budges.

Vancouver should have pretty decent water, yeah? I'm in Seattle so they are probably fairly comparable.

[burns_erin]

I wanted to know if I use only lukewarm tapwater mixed with henna powder instead of lemon juice if I would get the colour to last as long on my virgin hair as when lemon juice is used. Would the henna have less staying power? Would the colour oxidize less? Would the colour be lighter without something acidic. I have Vancouver water, if that helps and I get very fast dye release from my usual mix which is henna mixed with tap water (lukewarm) and then a bunch of lemon juice. In about 2 hours I get lots of dye release. I want to try skipping the lemon juice. Is this a good idea?

Alot of people get very good results with plain water, some people use chamomile tea, I use distilled water with cloves which is very mildly acidic. You might first try using a very minimal amount of lemon juice if stepping too far from the known bothers you.

[TamiSnowbird]

Hey! I haven't been to LHC in a while but I'm planning on henna-ing my hair soon and figured this would be the best place to ask.

I ordered my henna from Mehandi and it shipped out today. It should be here by the end of the week I hope *crosses fingers*. I got one of the bundles (the dark brunette one) and it's 1/3 henna and 2/3 indigo. I read the e-book, but I'm a little confused on weather to add lemon juice to the henna for the dye release or not. It says not to add it to the indigo, so is it okay to add to the henna if I'm going to mix the two together?

[Riot Crrl]

Hey! I haven't been to LHC in a while but I'm planning on henna-ing my hair soon and figured this would be the best place to ask.

I ordered my henna from Mehandi and it shipped out today. It should be here by the end of the week I hope *crosses fingers*. I got one of the bundles (the dark brunette one) and it's 1/3 henna and 2/3 indigo. I read the e-book, but I'm a little confused on weather to add lemon juice to the henna for the dye release or not. It says not to add it to the indigo, so is it okay to add to the henna if I'm going to mix the two together?

It is OK if you are mixing them together. Don't mix the indigo until right before applying, though.

As you can see in this thread, some of us are using no acid, a much milder acid (like chamomile tea) or only a little bit of the lemon juice and the rest water. So those may be options to consider.

[TamiSnowbird]

Thanks! Could I use ACV instead? My hair really seems to like ACV, or is that just too smelly?

[Riot Crrl]

You can use ACV. But remember, you're going to be smelling it for hours. And again I would suggest to consider just using a bit of it and the rest water.

[Brianna]

I was wondering - I recently coloured my hair with henndigo, and I'm very happy with the result. But does anyone know if hot oil treatments has a tendency to lift the colour of either the henna or the indigo? I know henna has a tendency to stick firmly, but I'm not so sure about the indigo. I suspect using hot oil treatments in the past may have lifted some of the commercial dye I'd used, and I'd rather that not happen again. :)

[Riot Crrl]

I suppose it is possible. Indigo is different on everyone. Some people it is permanent the first time, some seem to need several applications before it stops fading, and a few others may always get some fading. If it is prone to fade on you anyway, the hot oil might help it along. But if it's not, oil probably won't budge it anywhere.

You can always strand test some hot oil treatments on a strand and see what that does. If you don't want to cut your hair, I have strand tested things on my head before by treating a little strand and then wrapping it in a little piece of plastic and tying it off. (I don't recommend this for processes like bleach, but if the worst case scenario is indigoing a small piece of my hair too dark, or in your case fading it a little, I figure it'll blend in.)

[crebbsgirl]

Alright, I have a question and I apologize if anyone has asked before - I can't seem to find the answer. What happens if you mix your henna, and the dye release happens before you're ready to use it. I.E. I was going to mix some tonight, but I won't be using it until I get home from work tomorrow. Is this an issue?

Thanks! :)

[Riot Crrl]

Put it in the fridge, stat. That will stall it at least a couple days. If it's going to be longer than that, freezer.

[CopperHead]

You can freeze it with no problem at all. In fact, frozen henna stains much better for me. Just thaw it out when you are ready to use it.

[crebbsgirl]

Ok sorry, I promise I'm not daft... do I fridge/freezer it after the dye release? Or after I mix it?

[Riot Crrl]

After dye release.

[crebbsgirl]

Perfect, thank you so much! I'm off to mix!! :)

[tiny_teesha]

Um, i just mixed some jamila henna with enough boiling hot water (that doesn't hurt the henna does it?) to just mix it (really thick) and then i added a pinch of corn starch (as i've herd it makes it easier to apply) and then i added a teaspoon of cloves. It was about 50g of henna. I left it for about 6-7 hours in the sun/windowsill, and now i've just popped it into the freezer.
then after it freezes and i want to use it i just thaw it out and then mix some more boiling water with it to make it pancake consistancy and to warm it up faster.
I use this for my mothers white hair- has anyone out there who also has white hair has any better tips to make a non-orange strong stain in as little time as possible, she normally leaves it on for 1-4 hours.

[Riot Crrl]

I would not use boiling, that can demise it. I never mix it with anything warmer than my skin.

I've heard of the cornstarch thing too, but it's usually more involved than adding a pinch. Like half cornstarch gel and half henna mud. I have no experience doing that myself though.

I'm the wrong person to answer the question about saving time, lol. I get the deep stain I want by leaving it on ridiculously long. My last henna was about 17 hours. I'm now in henna nirvana. I have a bunch of grey hair and a lot of peroxided hair. It is all very dark red now.

[tiny_teesha]

ops....lol. I think i herd som people use boiling water....but to me it doesn't sound right so i normally add a bit of cool water then the same amount of just boiled water.
Oh i don't really mind about the corn starch, i just thought i'd add it this time see what happens...it turns out pretty neat, i just do my mothers roots and that's it.
haha, yeh when i did henna too i left it on for 12 hours, my mother doesn't like to either.
I think it also depends on the type of henna, i've red yemen and rajisthani have a cooler red stain and jamila has an orange stain. :( But jamila is only $1.65 per 50g here!!! And i'm unemployed- though it is for my mum, so why doesn't she go buy the good stuff ;)

[Nightshade]

Um, i just mixed some jamila henna with enough boiling hot water (that doesn't hurt the henna does it?)

Boiling water doesn't hurt it at all! I mixed up some henna with boiling water, then tossed it in the microwave for good measure, and it was still staining strong after two days, and still faintly on the third. You can check out the whole experiment here if you want (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=48729&postcount=23).

[Celebrian]

Boiling water doesn't hurt it at all! I mixed up some henna with boiling water, then tossed it in the microwave for good measure, and it was still staining strong after two days, and still faintly on the third. You can check out the whole experiment here if you want (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=48729&postcount=23).

Did you keep 'em? If so, did the boiling water ones retain their color equal to the others?

ETA Oh sorry, I misunderstood the experiment. I thought you were comparing boiled water versus cooler water. :o

[Nightshade]

Actually I DO still have them in a drawer, and they held their color just as well as other experiments I've done (such as the henna crop experiment, still have all those too). Granted, as they're in a drawer they're not being washed or exposed to sun or wear, but the color stayed on its own.

[TamiSnowbird]

Whoo! I got my Henna and Indigo packets today! How crazy would it be for me to not do a strand test and just apply it all to my hair? My hair is very dark brown/almost black so I'm fairly sure I won't get too much of a color change anyway?

[Riot Crrl]

Whoo! I got my Henna and Indigo packets today! How crazy would it be for me to not do a strand test and just apply it all to my hair? My hair is very dark brown/almost black so I'm fairly sure I won't get too much of a color change anyway?

If your hair is almost black, can I ask why the indigo? Is there grey in it?

[TamiSnowbird]

If your hair is almost black, can I ask why the indigo? Is there grey in it?

No, but I'd like to avoid/tone down the red in the bright light and have it be just a dark brown all over for now. The ends are lighter than the roots so I want them to get darker, but not necessarily redder if that makes sense?

[Riot Crrl]

No, but I'd like to avoid/tone down the red in the bright light and have it be just a dark brown all over for now. The ends are lighter than the roots so I want them to get darker, but not necessarily redder if that makes sense?

OK, then are you going to do a one step or a two step?

The worst things that can happen are basically:

1. Allergies. If you are not going to strand test and have not used these before, I would urge at least a patch test on your arm. Allergies I don't think are very common, but possible.

2. Too much red, not enough indigo, but if you have more indigo you could remedy this later

3. Too much indigo, too dark black

[Kat]

Has anyone ever henna'd their hair and then stopped using henna eventually? What did you do, just wear it two-tone, cut it? (Wondering more about those with lighter hair, not those with darker or already-red hair where it wouldn't be so noticeable).

[crebbsgirl]

Thank you LHC and henna!! My I just finished rinsing after my first henna in years and my hair, she is beautiful again!! I used Ravyn's recipe found here:

http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/ravyn/

The colour is a little lighter than I anticipated, so I think I may have to add more indigo next time. Those oats were a pain to rinse out though. I think I may have to find a way to leave them out next time!! But seriously, just..... wow.

[tiny_teesha]

Thank you nightshade! I'm guessing it DOES harm indigo though right? Boiling water on indigo?

[Pink131980]

Thank you LHC and henna!! My I just finished rinsing after my first henna in years and my hair, she is beautiful again!! I used Ravyn's recipe found here:

http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/ravyn/

The colour is a little lighter than I anticipated, so I think I may have to add more indigo next time. Those oats were a pain to rinse out though. I think I may have to find a way to leave them out next time!! But seriously, just..... wow.

:O Thank you! for that link! I've been searching and searching for a mixture that would be nicer to my hair than the lemon juice mixed with the henna. I have only henna & indigo'd my hair once and I love the color, but the lemon juice sucked all the moisture out. I think I'll try this mixture next time :D

[DotDotDot]

I have a question: Is there any way to reduce the mess of applying/washing out henna, beyond the basic putting newspaper on the floor?

[Riot Crrl]

I have a question: Is there any way to reduce the mess of applying/washing out henna, beyond the basic putting newspaper on the floor?

I apply it in the shower and wrap it up and rinse the shower out before emerging. Then when I get dressed I have to put on like a hoodie that zips up or something like that.

I just do it by feel, but if you need a mirror there are those shower mirrors that suction to the wall.

When I rinse it's the same thing in reverse, get in the shower before removing plastic.

[thankyousir74]

I have a question: Is there any way to reduce the mess of applying/washing out henna, beyond the basic putting newspaper on the floor?

Doing it in the tub :D that's what I do!!!

You could use a tint brush I guess but that takes too long IMHO, plus I find it fun just to mush it all on there. But I have short hair so the mess factor isn't as bad than if I had your length ^_^\

And I guess you can do it section by section (in an organized manner, not the one triangular section and the random four strands sticking out).

I don't have any specific advice other than that but I'm just listing things that would make my henna ritual a bit less chaotic, HTH

[curly girl fla]

I have a question: Is there any way to reduce the mess of applying/washing out henna, beyond the basic putting newspaper on the floor?

I'm amazed at how un-messy the process has been for me. I tend to make my mix on the thicker side, so no drips. I don't put anything on the floor when applying, and simply need to rinse the sink, bowl, utensils...when rinsing, I just stick my head under the faucet in my bathtub, and there has been nothing but the tub to rinse out at the end.
I just did another application Saturday night overnight of Catherine's henna for African American hair, and it does apply/remove more smoothly than the Jamila, which I had no real issue with either. The color is an amazing deep red-auburn on me, and it hasn't even oxidized yet. My husband will think it's too dark, no doubt, but it is exactly what I was hoping for. I'll have to try to get some decent pictures later. I will probably only need to do roots and glosses from here on out...I suppose Yemen would have had the same effect, but I guess I'll never know now :smile:

[khyricat]

Tinyteesha - I use cornstarch, but long hennas on my whites- 8 hours at a time, every 3-4 weeks.

I also freeze the henna making up 3 batches at a time, and then freezing 2 and using one.

Hope that helps!

[lilalong]

The few times I hennaed I:
got naked into the bathtub
applied Henna (mixed thickly, so no dripping)
put on shoer cap
put tight fitting wool head over shower cap
Rinse off the mud from my body and the tub.
Get out and get dressed again.

The whole process didn't take me more that maybe 15 min, but my hair is fairly short.
No big messes, though.

[Isilme]

I put my henna shirt on and take my henna bowl into the bathroom, and I part my hair working my way over my head, when I'm done I wrap my hair in a bun and take off my gloves. Then I ask bf or one of my parents to wrap me up entirely in saran wrap. Then I spend the following two hours being harassed by my father chasing me with the camera and laughing at me;) But before that I clean up anything that might have gotten on the floor, but it's no big deal since we have tile floor. If I would do a full head application which I haven't done in a long long time I would bend over at my waist in the shower and in smush it into my hair and then make a giant bun.

[crebbsgirl]

Ok, how often is too often to Henna?

[DotDotDot]

Thanks for all your replies, guys! :flowers: I really want to henna again, but my mom doesn't like it because of the mess, so if I ever get the courage to actually ask I can suggest all these things.

[Riot Crrl]

Ok, how often is too often to Henna?

If your hair can handle all the rinsing and stuff, it ain't never too often. :p

At first when I was desperately trying to get it red enough, I did it two days in a row. And after that at least once a week for a while.

There used to be a poster on h4h who had been hennaing each Friday since the age of 6. (I don't recommend that because there can be an reaction issue with kids who have a certain blood deficiency, unless they have been tested to make sure they don't have the deficiency. But that is what she had done.)

[sedonia]

Wish me luck everyone. I decided to take the plunge and henna my hair. I ordered henna and cassia from mehandi.com and used Nightshade's copper recipe. I did a strand test this morning and am now sitting here with the mud and saran wrap on my head.

Its a bit itchy. I don't think it is a bad reaction itchy, just a can't-scratch-my-head-so-its-going-to-itch itchy. Oh, but beauty must suffer. Two more hours. ack!

[MeMyselfandI]

Wish me luck everyone. I decided to take the plunge and henna my hair. I ordered henna and cassia from mehandi.com and used Nightshade's copper recipe. I did a strand test this morning and am now sitting here with the mud and saran wrap on my head.

Its a bit itchy. I don't think it is a bad reaction itchy, just a can't-scratch-my-head-so-its-going-to-itch itchy. Oh, but beauty must suffer. Two more hours. ack!

sedonia,

Congrats on taking the big leap. I remember my first time and all the research I had done. Once I did it I relaxed.

Keep us posted on how it is going.

[Riot Crrl]

I agree with MeMyselfandI, it can be nerve wracking at the beginning. Now it's just like "hmm, got regrowth, time to henna."

[sedonia]

sedonia,

Congrats on taking the big leap. I remember my first time and all the research I had done. Once I did it I relaxed.

Keep us posted on how it is going.

Thanks! Well, its just uncomfortable. I guess I'm some kind of neat freak but its just driving me crazy sitting here with this mess. I have an hour and a half to go.

I think I deserve some chocolate.

[sedonia]

I think I deserve some chocolate.

{checks chocolate stash} And do I have any Green and Black Maya Gold? Heck no, nothing but Hershey's Cacao Reserve 60%.

[Riot Crrl]

Go ahead and nom some. That could be a totally legit component of a personal henna-ritual.

[sedonia]

Oh, I'm a redhead! My hair is still damp but I think it is going to be just the color I wanted.

I sectioned out a little silver streak at my temple, coated it with eucerin cream (closest thing to vaseline I had) and kept it out of the mudpile. It really pops against the red! I'm so glad I bothered to do this.

Thank you, Nightshade, for the great recipe and instructions in your henna article!

[Riot Crrl]

Yay, another new henna head! Welcome to the fold. I'm glad you're pleased with the result.

[Nat242]

I'm going to do a strand test, as per usual, but I was wondering if anyone has tried Mangal Henna? I bought it today at my local Indian grocer (along with the old Afshan brand as a stand by), and I was wondering if anyone is familiar with it.

I want to give Mangal a try because the package displays a manufacturing date and an expiry date, which is unusual for Indian grocer boxed henna (in my experience), it has directions, which is also unusual, the henna powder is in a foil packet rather than plastic (unusual again), and the henna'd hands on the box are described as a "serving suggestion", which cracks me up :D

So - any experience? I will of course, let you know how I go with it. I'm waiting for my Special Effects hair dye to arrive - I'm trying to achieve a cooler tone without going to burgundy.

Many thanks!

-- Natalie

[Riot Crrl]

Which Special Effects did you order?

Sorry I have no wisdom about Mangal. I'm still staring at this box of Reshma wondering if it is OK.

[Nat242]

Blood red. It's the only colour I could identify positively as cool-toned.

Thanks for the reply!

-- Natalie

[Riot Crrl]

Strand test first! :D

I like Special Effects. I thought it stayed in well. Pity they don't make any reasonably natural colors, or I would still be using it.