Henna Thread, take two

[Henna Sooq]

LOL!!! you guys are amazing :)

[Xepher]

Okay so, I have no idea how to resize these pictures, so I'm just going to post the links :rolleyes:

Before, dirty blond roots(semi wet still):
http://i33.tinypic.com/282m5ab.jpg

After two henna applications, though its a bit darker now after having time to oxidize:
http://i36.tinypic.com/2cn3wm.jpg

I'm much happier with my hair's color now :) Still doesn't feel thick or as strong as I'd like but at least I'm happy with one thing about it in the mean time.

[getoffmyskittle]

Okay so, I have no idea how to resize these pictures, so I'm just going to post the links :rolleyes:

Before, dirty blond roots(semi wet still):
http://i33.tinypic.com/282m5ab.jpg

After two henna applications, though its a bit darker now after having time to oxidize:
http://i36.tinypic.com/2cn3wm.jpg

I'm much happier with my hair's color now :) Still doesn't feel thick or as strong as I'd like but at least I'm happy with one thing about it in the mean time.

You have a lovely color! It's the perfect advertisement for henna. :)

[Xepher]

You have a lovely color! It's the perfect advertisement for henna. :)

Aww thank you :o

[Katurday]

Hello Henna-heads, I have a question! Well, after henna-ing my hair for the second time, it is still a very coppery brown color. (Don't get me wrong, a lot of ladies would love to have it) But, it is too coppery for my olive skin tone. What would be the best/fastest/easiest way to darken up and cool down the color into a wine/burgundy shade? I'm willing to let it build up, but would prefer to have something to add to the mix for quicker results. Thanks!

[Themyst]

Hello Henna-heads, I have a question! Well, after henna-ing my hair for the second time, it is still a very coppery brown color. (Don't get me wrong, a lot of ladies would love to have it) But, it is too coppery for my olive skin tone. What would be the best/fastest/easiest way to darken up and cool down the color into a wine/burgundy shade? I'm willing to let it build up, but would prefer to have something to add to the mix for quicker results. Thanks!

What kind of henna are you using?

[Henna Sooq]

Yes that's a really good questions. Coppery, hhmmm... Like after some time you could deepen up the color because after a few henna treatments you'll get deeper results because of the henna build up. But if you used yemeni henna, it should be a really nice deep red. That henna is really amazing!

But yes, which henna did you use? Also quickest way to darken it up and easily, is by using some amla powder to tone some of the red up. Maybe post pics up if you have time.

[RocketDog]

I have a quick question - I did a full application on Sunday and am thinking about doing another application to try and deepen the color. I have about 300gms of henna that I'll be defrosting, and I don't know if I'll use all of it. Is it okay to re-freeze the remainder again for later use, or will that ruin the paste?

[tja]

About darkening henna, I tried amla and cloves powder and it seems it worked well on my natural hair roots. I still have some "coppery" color over my old blonde dye so I am planning to either add a bit of indigo or do another 1-2 henna dyes.

[RocketDog]

I added cloves and paprika in pretty large quantities, then a tidge of cinnamon and cardamon for scent when I mixed mine. Didn't seem to do much for the color, but the mud smelled good. I'm sitting here with a headful of mud that will hopefully push my color more towards red/auburn and away from orange/copper just a bit...

[Henna Sooq]

Rocketdog, it should be okay to re-freeze one last time after you use it, but don;t keep it out too long after it's thawed. Use it and put the rest back. I do the same with my henna cones for body art

[Katurday]

My henna doesn't have a label saying where its from - I had a friend pick it up from an Indian store. I did strand tests, so no metallic salts, but I don't know the kind of henna it is. Amla is an interesting idea. Does anyone know where I can get some online?

Maybe I should really reconsider just buying the Yemeni online...Unfortunately, I'm tight on cash. I'll try to dye again this weekend and see if it darkens.

[Henna Sooq]

Katurday, are you in the Ontario or Canada area? (for shopping for amla)

[RocketDog]

Rocketdog, it should be okay to re-freeze one last time after you use it, but don;t keep it out too long after it's thawed. Use it and put the rest back. I do the same with my henna cones for body art

Thanks for the reply. I ended up using all of the paste, but I'll remember this for future batches. From here on out I'm doing roots-only so I'll try to portion stuff out into single-use baggies. Good to know I can get 2 freezings out of the paste without harming it too much!

[Henna Sooq]

RocketDog perfect!!!

HerbalKarma, we're not allowed to advertise directly on here. Put your link, in your siggy as your post might get flagged.

[Katurday]

Ontario area.

[Heidi_234]

HerbalKarma, it's against the boards policy to advertise your site or sell your trade over the forums. If you ignore us one more time, I'm afraid you'll be reported and probably banned. We are all for henna suppliers, but there are rules to follow.

[Stephichan]

So just a little while ago I set out to do my roots for the first time. Let's just say this was a straight up epic fail. It started out okay, I went to get nitrile gloves. They only had large. I bought them, thinking that if I didn't like it, I could always deal with orange hands. I picked up some art brushes too, just to maybe help me out (cheap ones, so that if it didn't work out I wouldn't regret it). I measured out my henna more carefully than when I did my first full-head application. I grabbed some warm water. And that's where the fun began. I got too much. I considered either
A. Scrapping it and starting all over.
B. Adding more henna which is where I went wrong-ish last time.

I chose C, none of the above. I figured after dye release I'd add my thickest conditioner and it'd be good. It wasn't good. Well, slightly better. I figured I'd deal. I considered applying it to dry hair, since it was so much more runny than I wanted. I chose not to. I went to the communal bathroom. At first, forgot my towel to blot my hair dry. Then forgot my comb, and decided to make do without (will never try that again). Things went okay at first, then noticed my hair dripping. Dripping orange. Added some more conditioner to dilute/thicken it more and decided to just go the whole hog. Except I kept dripping. Everywhere. I wrung my hair and a flood of orange poured into the tub. Darn. Added more mud. Had to wring again. Double darn. Had to do this more times than I wanted. A million darns. Now I'm sitting at my computer constantly wiping drips and just trying to make it to the half hour. I'm not gonna make it. If I don't like it, I'll try again on Friday...

Moral of the long story: Don't be clumsy like Stephichan ;) If you mess up, it's okay to start over. It may be better to have a long prep as opposed to a million different attempts.

[pradabacon]

My goodness! I found this site looking for some info on henna because I've been thinking of doing it, but there's so much to learn! I guess I better start reading before I actually put anything on my head. :)

[halo_tightens]

My goodness! I found this site looking for some info on henna because I've been thinking of doing it, but there's so much to learn! I guess I better start reading before I actually put anything on my head. :)

I think you can probably learn just about anything you'd ever think to wonder about henna, right on this site. Have fun! :)

[RocketDog]

Since I'm naturally blonde, I have to henna my brows or I look silly. But wearing saran wrap on my face while it stews is such a hassle - so I'm trying something different today! I applied the paste just like I did the first time, but instead of using saran wrap I smeared a layer of conditioner over the henna to keep it moist. I'll report back if it works.

Does anybody else have little tricks for their eyebrows?

[rach]

My goodness! I found this site looking for some info on henna because I've been thinking of doing it, but there's so much to learn! I guess I better start reading before I actually put anything on my head. :)
just before i came here i kept bouncing back here on my searches for over a month on henna which is partly then i signed up in the end just to double check my recipe before i took the plunge. there is loads of info here........ enjoy :D

[florenonite]

Since I'm naturally blonde, I have to henna my brows or I look silly. But wearing saran wrap on my face while it stews is such a hassle - so I'm trying something different today! I applied the paste just like I did the first time, but instead of using saran wrap I smeared a layer of conditioner over the henna to keep it moist. I'll report back if it works.

Does anybody else have little tricks for their eyebrows?

What's your natural hair/eyebrow colour? If it's very fair you could probably get away with not hennaing your eyebrows because most natural redheads (at least the ones I've met) have very fair eyebrows.

[Themyst]

Since I'm naturally blonde, I have to henna my brows or I look silly. But wearing saran wrap on my face while it stews is such a hassle - so I'm trying something different today! I applied the paste just like I did the first time, but instead of using saran wrap I smeared a layer of conditioner over the henna to keep it moist. I'll report back if it works.

Does anybody else have little tricks for their eyebrows?

I just smear the henna on my eyebrows and let it get a bit crusty. It's just eyebrows so not too hard to rinse off. By the time it does harden, it's pretty much done it's job already. I did read where someone cut little strips of Saran Wrap and pasted them on.

[RocketDog]

What's your natural hair/eyebrow colour? If it's very fair you could probably get away with not hennaing your eyebrows because most natural redheads (at least the ones I've met) have very fair eyebrows.

I'm naturally a medium blonde, and my eyebrows were pretty much invisible. I shaped them but unless you were literally in my face you couldn't see them. I like using henna on them not only so they match my hair, but so you can actually SEE them. I have an album with some photos of what the henna looks like on my eyebrows - it doesn't get as dark as it does on my hair, so it looks natural (at least to me)

[Heidi_234]

RocketDog, I like how your eyebrows look in the profile pic.

I use my eyebrows as an indicator - if my hair starts to match them in color it's time to henna :p They are actually darker than my hennaed hair for some reason.

[Henna Sooq]

I wonder how many people per minute/hour become interested in henna'ing hair? or using henna in some form or another?

Wouldn't that be a neat poll to do? Maybe it'd be related to how many times people search henna out in google per day based on the hour, something like that. They must keep track of this information somewhere.

Heidi, are you one of the moderators? Didn't realize that :)

[florenonite]

I'm naturally a medium blonde, and my eyebrows were pretty much invisible. I shaped them but unless you were literally in my face you couldn't see them. I like using henna on them not only so they match my hair, but so you can actually SEE them. I have an album with some photos of what the henna looks like on my eyebrows - it doesn't get as dark as it does on my hair, so it looks natural (at least to me)

Judging by your profile pic, the hennaed eyebrows do look lovely and natural on you. You could totally pass as a natural redhead without the henna, with the invisible eyebrows; when I was thinking about henna DBF told me my eyebrows were too dark for it to be natural-looking, because his dad and the other redheads he knows all have invisible!eyebrows :p

[rach]

I wonder how many people per minute/hour become interested in henna'ing hair? or using henna in some form or another?

Wouldn't that be a neat poll to do? Maybe it'd be related to how many times people search henna out in google per day based on the hour, something like that. They must keep track of this information somewhere.

Heidi, are you one of the moderators? Didn't realize that :)
i vaguely knew a friend of mine used henna in her hair though it being black in colour there wasn't much change except in the light were it looked warmer in tone.
anyway i found out this was the route i wanted and it knew that dying my hair again darker near natural shade might have well been setting my hair alight (it really was fragile) and i've seen so many people colour shade fade horribly and then i came across the healing properties of it and the permanence of it and basically that set the ball rolling, looked into henna, indigo and i knew each one had to be thought of thoroughly as it's a one way route and i hennaed (with the back-up idea of indigo) i feel in love with RED and i got stuck :p

[Heidi_234]

Heidi, are you one of the moderators? Didn't realize that :)
No I'm not, what made you think that? :ponder:

[Henna Sooq]

Rach, thanks for sharing that! The healing properties of henna, along with the vibe you get with henna gatherings is something else, for sure.

Heidi, oh remember when that vendor posted up a link to their products and when you responded you said something to the effect " if you don't listen to us then there would be such, such, happen..." something like that but when you said us, I thought perhaps you must be one of the moderators.

But now I suppose you meant us as in all of here at LHC :)

[Heidi_234]

Uh huh, now I see. :) I was really reluctant to click the report button because it's a sure ban on the spot, so I wrote that this-is-your-last-change post instead. Mods don't like self-modding actually, and I can understand that, but I didn't feel like getting that person banned.

btw. mods usually sport green-colored usernames, admins are pink. :wink:

[Henna Sooq]

Oh I hadn't noticed the colors. I usually look for the moderator words somewhere under their screename.

Yeah once you're banned, you're banned. But they are usually good about giving pre-warnings when they can. It is a tough job for sure. But else can you do?

[truwave]

Cool thread thanks

[butterflycayton]

Since I'm naturally blonde, I have to henna my brows or I look silly. But wearing saran wrap on my face while it stews is such a hassle - so I'm trying something different today! I applied the paste just like I did the first time, but instead of using saran wrap I smeared a layer of conditioner over the henna to keep it moist. I'll report back if it works.

Does anybody else have little tricks for their eyebrows?

My trick is put on henna and then use scotch tape across them. Tried the saran wrap but it was too big and bugged me. Tape works great for about 1 hour. Then rinse.:)

[Henna Sooq]

or even medical tape would be good to, the breathable type.

I used that on on my nails when I henna them. It's perfect and doesn't budge. That way I just got to bed and remove in the morn

[vindo]

I have not hennaed since summer (June)...it was interesting to see my roots come out. They were not my natural color right away, thought that was interesting. They were orangey, then yellowish and now its my normal dark brown.
I decided to grow it out to see if my hair has undertones, since weirdly henna often turns out orange on my really dark hair...:confused:

Now it will soon be time for me to think about the right henna which I have not found yet..:( I had one from turkey that stained nicely, but I suspect it might have had sodium picramate...:rolleyes:

Since my roots are rather large I wonder if I could even get them to match the rest after the first application.
Would you suggest 2 apps, 1 just for the roots or have you been able to solve that problem in a different way?
Would be great if someone has a answer for that! :flower:

[Heidi_234]

Emi, since your hair is dark, I think even one application with smooth the demarkation line and blend your roots nicely. 2 application can't hurt, obviously, but you can go for one and see how that goes.

I was getting rather frustrated with the orange thing too, but that's henna for you. It will darken and become redder with repeated applications, but to me it seems there will always remain a coppery orange tinge to it.

You can try the Yemeni henna, it was said it got rather strong stain, so you'll get more for an application.

[Henna Sooq]

Yes try out yemeni, have you ever done that type of henna powder as yet?

[vindo]

Emi, since your hair is dark, I think even one application with smooth the demarkation line and blend your roots nicely. 2 application can't hurt, obviously, but you can go for one and see how that goes.

I was getting rather frustrated with the orange thing too, but that's henna for you. It will darken and become redder with repeated applications, but to me it seems there will always remain a coppery orange tinge to it.

You can try the Yemeni henna, it was said it got rather strong stain, so you'll get more for an application.


Yes try out yemeni, have you ever done that type of henna powder as yet?

I have tried it on a ball of hair but both hairballs looked rather reddish brown, the Jamila and the Yemeni henna hair ball. Maybe I did something wrong with that test?
My Hennas so far were...
Rajasthan: gives a light red tone
Jamila: Gives a strong orange tone first, later auburn with copper highlights.

I heard Yemeni Henna gives auburn tones and would be better if you go for darker tones with henndigo..:confused: I'm really hoping for a nice strong dark red or at least red this time. Anything but orange or auburn :(

[tiggens]

I have been henna-ing for about a year now. My hair is naturally very dark and I get very little change in color. I was wondering what would happen if I used a gentle bleach to lift the color a couple of levels. I don't want to go blonde first, just lighten up so my henna shows as more red. Has anyone had experience with this? Is bleaching always a terrible idea?

[Heidi_234]

Emi, I really really hear you on the orange tone thing. I pretty much hate it, even though I 'hate' my natural color even more. The Rajasthani henna test gives some hope though - maybe if you layer it you can intensify the red stain? Does that make sense?

Or maybe you could deliberately look for henna with that additive (the name escapes me)? I know it's not the best advice, but did that henna had any adverse effects on you? Maybe the color is worth it, I think that if I had RED red hair with that kind of henna, I'll definitely consider using it. :shrug:

[vindo]

Emi, I really really hear you on the orange tone thing. I pretty much hate it, even though I 'hate' my natural color even more. The Rajasthani henna test gives some hope though - maybe if you layer it you can intensify the red stain? Does that make sense?

Or maybe you could deliberately look for henna with that additive (the name escapes me)? I know it's not the best advice, but did that henna had any adverse effects on you? Maybe the color is worth it, I think that if I had RED red hair with that kind of henna, I'll definitely consider using it. :shrug:

Since it was not ideal, the color faded fast I just wanted ti give another henna a try..seems like Yemen and Morrocco are the only ones left. But in case noone of the are great I will def. get back to that Rajasthani Henna. It confuese me though that this one is supposed to be the least strong red of all...:confused:

Noe adverse effects from Rajasthani Henna but the Jamila made my hair very dry and it lost shine...did not really get it back either, that scared me so much that I stopped for over a half year :(

[Henna Sooq]

rajasthani indian henna is about up there with yemeni, and very close to it. I guess it's just a bit harder to tell because when getting henna from India, it's the country that has the MOST suppliers trying to sell it unlike the other countries most of us get henna from.

Moroccan henna is more orangey-red and good for creating brown to black tones with indigo because the henna won't peak through so much.

[earthymamawitch]

rajasthani indian henna is about up there with yemeni, and very close to it. I guess it's just a bit harder to tell because when getting henna from India, it's the country that has the MOST suppliers trying to sell it unlike the other countries most of us get henna from.

Moroccan henna is more orangey-red and good for creating brown to black tones with indigo because the henna won't peak through so much.

particularly interested in opinions on the raj, as I'm planning on doing belly art with this pregnancy (posted to the henna page and henna tribe about it) and it was recommended to me along with the KISS method for getting the darkest belly stain. I do like Yemen's cherry tones, and have been doing multiple apps to build up to burgundy, but if I'm ordering Raj for the belly I'd like to see how it works for hair because then I can just order enough for both at once and save some trouble (the hubby will growl about buying MORE henna and if I can just tell him it's all for the belly as opposed to some for that AND some for the hair, he'll shut up lol) Khadija, you feel it compares favorably to Yemen? Is this in the cool cherry red of the tone, or the depth of the stain, or both? Definitely want a cool based red for the hair and the darkest stain possible for the belly.

Also is the hype about Mehandi's Raj Monsoon henna really true, is it really THAT special? or would any good Raj henna work? And if that latter is true, who else supplies it besides Mehandi?

Thanks!!!
Jenn

[Henna Sooq]

Here is another example of a special word used for marketing. anyhow whatever... Monsoon raj...etc...well the thing with India, is that there are TONS of farms and suppliers that want us all to buy from them, so the most unk mail I get is from India. It takes really years to get the right suppliers in my opinion. Because they don't always understand what you want.

But also my point is that, for the longest most suppliers thought the henna came in from India in the summer, and then I came to find out it came in the fall time, through a third party who worked for a shipping company I was going through, and they could care less, but they told me the truth. So then plenty of people realized that as well. So I can't really say whose is the best because it's hard to say the sources of the companies henna from India. Too many suppliers.

In my opinion, I love jamila and rajasthani indian henna together. The best of both worlds. Its the same recipe Riffat uses, and many other professional henna artists. I recommend wrapping up the belly art once it has been done with hypafix (medical tape), and let it stay on as long as possible. My recipe yields this gorgeous color on dark skin, so you really know it's an amazing recipe!! (but this is all off topic...sorry)
more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennasooq/4056736956/in/set-72157594392666355/

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/Waboosia/HennaonTilleystainresults.jpg

[tiggens]

Emi, I really really hear you on the orange tone thing. I pretty much hate it, even though I 'hate' my natural color even more. The Rajasthani henna test gives some hope though - maybe if you layer it you can intensify the red stain? Does that make sense?

Or maybe you could deliberately look for henna with that additive (the name escapes me)? I know it's not the best advice, but did that henna had any adverse effects on you? Maybe the color is worth it, I think that if I had RED red hair with that kind of henna, I'll definitely consider using it. :shrug:

Perhaps you have already but, have you considered mixing a red deposit-only color into your henna? I did this with very nice (cooler red, no orange) results. There are drawbacks to this method, of course, including dye run-off/staining, and upkeep when the red fades and the orange starts to poke through again which for me was about 3-4 weeks.

[earthymamawitch]

Here is another example of a special word used for marketing. anyhow whatever... Monsoon raj...etc...well the thing with India, is that there are TONS of farms and suppliers that want us all to buy from them, so the most unk mail I get is from India. It takes really years to get the right suppliers in my opinion. Because they don't always understand what you want.

But also my point is that, for the longest most suppliers thought the henna came in from India in the summer, and then I came to find out it came in the fall time, through a third party who worked for a shipping company I was going through, and they could care less, but they told me the truth. So then plenty of people realized that as well. So I can't really say whose is the best because it's hard to say the sources of the companies henna from India. Too many suppliers.

In my opinion, I love jamila and rajasthani indian henna together. The best of both worlds. Its the same recipe Riffat uses, and many other professional henna artists. I recommend wrapping up the belly art once it has been done with hypafix (medical tape), and let it stay on as long as possible. My recipe yields this gorgeous color on dark skin, so you really know it's an amazing recipe!! (but this is all off topic...sorry)
more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hennasooq/4056736956/in/set-72157594392666355/

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b351/Waboosia/HennaonTilleystainresults.jpg

Thanks Khadija. I'm not looking to get involved in the politics of who gets their henna where and whose is better - I just want to get what I need and keep the drama out of it lol.

Where can I find your recipe - is it on your site, or the blog? You do have some lovely belly art in the Flickr album. Thanks!

Jenn

[Henna Sooq]

Thanks Jenn. So true, so true! That's why I love coming here. No drama. :)
Yeah recipe is in my blog under recipes and how to's. Just browse a little through older posts and it'll come up. I put lavender EO in my recipe for safety reasons

[Silver]

Hi everyone,

question about henna and oil - I searched the forum and found postings saying that you might as well use henna while there's oil on the hair, or you even put oil in the henna-mixture. I used henna today for the first time and now, my scalp is very itchy (having problems with my scalp in general, so it's not only because of the henna) and I'd like to apply oil (on the scalp). But I don't know yet if I have to dye again tomorrow and if so, I'd rather not wash my hair before (that of course would be only more irritating for the scalp). If the oil interferes (...ehm..I'm sure this is the wrong word in this context..sorry..:rolleyes:) with the henna, I wouldn't apply it now.
This it what's in the oil I'd like to use:
Cocos nucifera oil, Trigonella foenum graecum extract, Emblica officinalis extract, Centella asiatica extract, Eclipta alba extract, Abrus pecatorius extract.
So - it's a mixture.

I'm really sorry for my language problems, I hope it's understandable anyway. (if not, please ask!)

thanks in advance!

[Henna Sooq]

Hi Silver, the itchiness might be dryness but if you JUST did the henna application and washed it out, then it could be itchy because it isn;t washed out well enough. When you combed it out, did you see little bits of henna at all? or rub your scalp and see if any henna bits fall out. You may need to give it an extra rinsing, like even a bathtub soaking, as best as you can.

If you need oil, yes you can use it, either as a pre-oil or in the henna recipe or even after you henna. I can't really tell which oil you have, and don't have a chance to look it up. But isn't there just a name or brand of the oil you are using? I see amla and coconut...is that right?

[Silver]

Hi Henna Sooq, thanks for your answer! :)
I don't think the oil is sold in the USA - the brand's name is Auromère (they import ayurvedic products and they also sell in the USA, but the range of products is different, I just looked on their website - the products look a little bit different and my oil isn't listed)- it's called Keshawa oil (and it's a mixture: coconut oil, amla, fenugreek, Centella asiatica (can't find an english name for that), False Daisy (never heard of that too, but seems to be the english name for it) and Rosary Pea (there are a lot of english names for it; Precatory bean, Indian Licorice etc.).
But I also have other oils, like jojoba, if this is better? I'm a bit scared oil could prevent my hair from getting dyed by the henna - but on the other side, some people here on the board already did that and didn't have any problems. I'm kind of unsure though...
No, there aren't any henna-bits. I guess it's not caused by the henna..:confused:

[Isilme]

You can oil your hair as much as your heart desires!:) Some people have had oil interfere with dye uptake but I think you should at least try. There are also many people who henna on oiled and/or dirty hair (including me)

[burns_erin]

You can oil your hair as much as your heart desires!:) Some people have had oil interfere with dye uptake but I think you should at least try. There are also many people who henna on oiled and/or dirty hair (including me)

It seems to me that oil inhibiting dye is most prevalent for people with grey or white hairs. No proof to back this up, but it seems to me I am always thinking, when I see this topic "Yep, that is just like me."

[Henna Sooq]

That's interesting, I never knew those who oiled and had grey hair had some inhibiting of color taking. It's an issue to look at and see how often this happens to others.

Just add a little oil only if you need it afterwards or in the henna itself. Like 1-2 tbsp per 100 grams to start off with, as desired.

[Henna Sooq]

PS Do you speak french? Is the company a french speaking one as well? Just wondering because of the accents.

[NurseMama]

Okay, I just got a new shipment of henna and cassia from Henna Sooq. I added some amla to this order because my hair is just too orangey! I need it to calm down a bit, but I am afraid of adding too much and making it too ashey brown. The hennaforhair site just talks about adding less than a tablespoon so that the henna dye isn't overwhelmed.

To those that use amla, how do you add your amla? How much do you add? Does it need to dye release like the henna?

Thanks for your help! I am dye releasing my henna tonight and I would like to test some hair balls tomorrow if possible.

[Henna Sooq]

I'd recommend at least 1-2 tbsp of amla powder per 100 grams of henna, so as to not overwhelm the henna dye. Add it with the henna powder, and then your liquid. No it doesn't need the same amount of time for dye release, usually amla alone can be used after 10-15 mins of sitting, but adding to the henna powder is fine as this way you can have your consistency down packed when adding the liquid and won't have to add more liquid later on.

[rach]

i'm finding my hair is grow fast at the moment (probably because the ends are healthier) but i'm finding myself getting the henna itch around this time each month (knowing that it's not harmful) and usually henna a week later.
how often do people henna here?

[Silver]

@Henna Sooq: No, I don't really speak French (well, not as a native speaker), the brand seems to be american, don't know where the name comes from.

I added a bit of coconut oil to the henna, I'm not sure if it makes a difference as I'm still looking for "my" henna-mixture.

[Henna Sooq]

Silver, oh okay! I guess it's just a fancy brand name! I like it, it's very original

Wishing you much success in your henna path to recipe wonderness! (whatever that means, lol!)

[NotOfThisWorld]

Can Amla be used on light hair? I have strawberry blonde hair (especially strawberry thanks to the small henna applications).

Also - does Amla help once you've already done a full application henna on a curly's head? My sister lost her ringlets when we did henna... just wondering if a Amla application now might help bring back some of the curl?

[Stephichan]

i'm finding my hair is grow fast at the moment (probably because the ends are healthier) but i'm finding myself getting the henna itch around this time each month (knowing that it's not harmful) and usually henna a week later.
how often do people henna here?

I've hennaed twice and the applications were a few months apart. Right now I'm just doing my roots and enjoying my light-red/orange color. In a few years I'm going to go for the fiery red that one of my strand tests came out as. I might henna more often at that point.

[Henna Sooq]

Can Amla be used on light hair? I have strawberry blonde hair (especially strawberry thanks to the small henna applications).

Also - does Amla help once you've already done a full application henna on a curly's head? My sister lost her ringlets when we did henna... just wondering if a Amla application now might help bring back some of the curl?

Do a hair strand test to be sure it doesn't leave any tones on your hair as everyone's hair can absord a bit differently. If you use it alone there should or may or may not be color change, as not a lot of people use is straight and the ones who do that I know, have dark hair. The amla in with your henna will tone down the red of henna, so you may not want that since you use henna to color. Or it may not bother you to tone it down a little bit.

Yes it would help with bringing back curly's especially straight. There were a few people on another forum using it as a straight paste. It doesn't always work for everyone, but overall most do get their curly's back.

[tangocurl]

Isilme,
Very helpful post!!!


don't forget to use saran wrap! The henna should be kept warm and damp/wet on your hair for some hours, otherwise it'll just dry out and be even more of a mess! Never let the henna dry while in your hair:) If you want black hair, your best bet would be to use caca noir, just grate it with that thing your use for carrots. Add water but definitely not hot!

Yes, that's what I've been doing--warm water added to the stuff melted double-boiler style in a glass bowl set in a pot of simmering water on the stove. (Once I tried just adding water and not doing the melting, and I got no creamy texture, no coverage, and no stain.)

In my case I do NOT want black hair--I want brown. The Noir over my hair gives me brown; my starting color is neither light nor dark. I have used about a square at a time on all 30 inches of my hair so this is a pretty dilute concentration we're talking about. I foresee that I will have to use one square every 1-2 weeks to maintain this color I now have decided I like :p



And apply direct to your hair. You see, the instructions from lush are pretty bad, caca noir is mostly indigo tinctoria (hope I spelled that one right) and the dye molecule in indigo dies (as in die, death) if kept for dye release as you would do with henna, also it dies from too hot water. So, grate the block before adding water, add water and make a smooth thin paste as fast as you can and then apply to your hair swiftly and wrap with cling film. Keep it in your hair as long as you can stand it, you see, indigo looses the ability do dye after about one hour, but the henna will dye much much longer and is needed in your hair to have something the indigo can cling to.

I have been leaving it in my hair in the 25 to 40 minute range. I wonder if I would get a longer-lasting result if I left it in longer. I don't want significantly darker henndigo color than what I get with one square of Noir left on about 30-40 minutes. I just want it to last longer :)



If you were using just henna you would first mix a paste with only henna, let it sit for dye release, add to hair and keep it there for some time (like, at least two hours) then you would use indigo when you had rinsed out the henna. Just like I explained earlier about not using hot water or wasting any time. But because lush wants to sell products that are easy to use (hrm...) the just made a cake with both henna and indigo and have pretty lousy instructions. And all that cocoa butter in the cakes makes it harder for the dye molecules in both henna and indigo to stick.

Bummer--one of the things I love about it is how the cocoa butter feels! Don't know if it is the cocoa butter or the henna and indigo, but something seems to loosen my curl and thicken my hair overall. I saw a couple shed hairs definitely colored by the Caca Noir, and they were obviously larger in diameter than my shed hairs before. I am wondering if this is an effect of the henna & indigo or the cocoa butter?



Oh, and don't believe a word about what lush says about getting a more brown shade if you skip the cling film or whatever, that's just not true.

Huh! That's why I had avoided using the cling wrap, because I believed the Lush instructions, and wanted to keep the henna in the "copper" end of the range instead of the burgundy tones.

Thanks for reading ;)

[NotOfThisWorld]

Thanks HennaSooq.

[Henna Sooq]

welcome! anytime.

[Katurday]

I too am getting that henna itch lately. My hair has darkened to a lovely deep red (so lovely that my friend tried to copy it with chem. dye) but it just isn't enough for me. Darker! Redder! Shinier!

Good thing that possible black hair is something I would not mind.

[georgia_peach]

Hi All! I am a long time Yemeni henna user who grew out some serious light gray roots for the last 10 months or so. I've done one henna two weeks ago and am getting ready to do another. The gray roots are a lighter, brighter orange compared to the rest of my hair. No surprise there, but I'd really like to do another whole head application, but wonder if I should just do my roots again to get them to "catch up" with the rest of my color. I'll put a couple of henna photos in my album, if you don't mind giving me your opinion. Thanks!

[Autumnberry]

Hi All! I am a long time Yemeni henna user who grew out some serious light gray roots for the last 10 months or so. I've done one henna two weeks ago and am getting ready to do another. The gray roots are a lighter, brighter orange compared to the rest of my hair. No surprise there, but I'd really like to do another whole head application, but wonder if I should just do my roots again to get them to "catch up" with the rest of my color. I'll put a couple of henna photos in my album, if you don't mind giving me your opinion. Thanks!

I looked at your pictures, and, to me, the color gradation looks fine. I think that with your current color, there is the possibility of many full head applications getting the length very dark and burgundy. That would create more contrast between the roots and length. Perhaps roots-only are what you need. I don't find that roots-only applications are too difficult. You don't need to worry about a demarcation line with henna, you'll save money by using less henna, and there is less henna to wash out, which makes the rinsing easier. I use a dye-application bottle with the tip cut off to accommodate the thickness of the henna. Good luck and keep us posted with pictures :D.

[Saria]

Hi all! Im gonna do henna for my hair next weekend and i came to here to ask some advices. Last time i did full color my hair about 1.5 years ago on salon.. long time.
And about half year ago i did soft color (demi permanent color)
oh i dont know what the real word is for that but yeah. My hair is kinda light brown still some color left from last color so my ends are different colour.

Here is some pics of my hair now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset.jpg
And other : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset2.jpg


So how would I get kinda deep red colour or just simply red colour to my hair without orange on my light ends on the top of my hair. And yeah my basic (own) color has some red tone would that make it more red? I talked about Hibiscus on other thread and i was thinking i would make stron hibiscus tea and mix my henna to it.. maybe few drops of lemon and use that mix on next day. Should i put some paprika? or any other ideas for red hair?

[Olde Soul]

I like to use two parts lemon juice, one part strong Lemon Zinger tea (has hibiscus) and one part pomegranate juice for the liquids, seems to give a nice deep red. I also use paprika and cloves, so you might try that.

Good luck!

[Henna Sooq]

Also getting yourself some really good henna powder helps with the color. The deepest red results most of would agree, would be from yemeni henna. Do you have that?

[Saria]

Also getting yourself some really good henna powder helps with the color. The deepest red results most of would agree, would be from yemeni henna. Do you have that?
Oh here they sell only henna called Satva henna and it's pure henna from egypt. I dont know how good it is. But i have heard that is better than other mac urth henna what is sold other cities.

[burns_erin]

Hi all! Im gonna do henna for my hair next weekend and i came to here to ask some advices. Last time i did full color my hair about 1.5 years ago on salon.. long time.
And about half year ago i did soft color (demi permanent color)
oh i dont know what the real word is for that but yeah. My hair is kinda light brown still some color left from last color so my ends are different colour.

Here is some pics of my hair now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset.jpg
And other : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset2.jpg


So how would I get kinda deep red colour or just simply red colour to my hair without orange on my light ends on the top of my hair. And yeah my basic (own) color has some red tone would that make it more red? I talked about Hibiscus on other thread and i was thinking i would make stron hibiscus tea and mix my henna to it.. maybe few drops of lemon and use that mix on next day. Should i put some paprika? or any other ideas for red hair?

Try mixing and freezing, then thawing and using and leaving it on at least 4 hours. That is what I do. And, be prepared to do several full length applications before getting to switch to roots only. Good luck and have fun.

[nowxisxforever]

I'm at work and don't have time to check the whole thread, but is there any reason to NOT put coconut oil in a henna mix? Please advise. Thanks! ;)

[Henna Sooq]

The only reason not to put coconut oil is that if you were allergic to it, or your hair just doesn't need the extra moisturization but overall it is safe and a good choice.

[nowxisxforever]

The only reason not to put coconut oil is that if you were allergic to it, or your hair just doesn't need the extra moisturization but overall it is safe and a good choice.

Awesome, thank you. I have not used oils in my henna mixes yet, and was thinking that I had told the girls (I am hennaing with my room-mate and my girlfriend tomorrow) not to use any conditioner as their conditioners have 'cones and I don't want that to interfere with the dye uptake (especially as girlfriend has silvers and we want it to be as strong on her as possible), and between that and the oxidation process, I bet we could use a bit of conditioning. I usually put about half a bottle of cone-free conditioner in the mix also, but was thinking coconut oil might be nice, too.

I'm all excited to henna tomorrow... and get to mix it up tonight. I love just putting a handful of clove powder in it, it smells so good! I'm planning on putting in amla and hibiscus also, perhaps some other herbs, I'm not sure, I forget what I have. I usually use black tea and a squirt of lime juice as the liquid, and add the powders at the same time as the initial mixing, and then add the conditioner after dye release.

[nowxisxforever]

Also I hardly ever use conditioner, only oils... and the room-mate blowdries her hair so it ends up needing more moisture, and the girlfriend has curly hair which I imagine loves moisture. So I'm hoping the coconut oil will be a good addition to my mix. Yay!!

[Henna Sooq]

YEAH!! let us know how it all turns out :) have fun and don't get too messy!

[nowxisxforever]

YEAH!! let us know how it all turns out :) have fun and don't get too messy!

We'll try!! Will post pictures if I can. :)

[RocketDog]

argh, I mixed up a batch of henna last night to do my roots and for some reason I got barely any dye release at all... I didn't change any part of my preparation routine, so I'm not sure what happened. All I got was a pale orange stain, so I have creamsicle-orange roots instead of the highlighter-orange I normally get. Boo!

Guess I'll need to mix up another batch and see if I can figure out what went wrong...

[earthymamawitch]

argh, I mixed up a batch of henna last night to do my roots and for some reason I got barely any dye release at all... I didn't change any part of my preparation routine, so I'm not sure what happened. All I got was a pale orange stain, so I have creamsicle-orange roots instead of the highlighter-orange I normally get. Boo!

Guess I'll need to mix up another batch and see if I can figure out what went wrong...

Rocketdog, what brand is the henna you used, where did you get it from? And how old is it - sometimes the age and how you store it can affect freshness and thus the amount of dye.

Jenn

[RocketDog]

It is Jamila 2009, stored in the freezer and pulled out 12 hours before mixing with my normal chamomile tea and some cloves and paprika.

[aahavaa]

I wonder if really cold weather can affect it? Is it real cold where your at Rocketdog? I find my body art henna doesnt take nearlly as well in colder months and I have to leave the mix out for more than a day to get the same dye release Id get in summer.Esp with Jamilla.

[chitra]

I wonder if really cold weather can affect it? Is it real cold where your at Rocketdog? I find my body art henna doesnt take nearlly as well in colder months and I have to leave the mix out for more than a day to get the same dye release Id get in summer.Esp with Jamilla.
I live in extreme north in Canada..it is like minus 40 here and I find that henna doesn't relase dye,even though my heater is on..it really needs a warm place.

[Lady Danger]

Hi all! Im gonna do henna for my hair next weekend and i came to here to ask some advices. Last time i did full color my hair about 1.5 years ago on salon.. long time.
And about half year ago i did soft color (demi permanent color)
oh i dont know what the real word is for that but yeah. My hair is kinda light brown still some color left from last color so my ends are different colour.

Here is some pics of my hair now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset.jpg
And other : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/Sarienette/hiukset2.jpg


So how would I get kinda deep red colour or just simply red colour to my hair without orange on my light ends on the top of my hair. And yeah my basic (own) color has some red tone would that make it more red? I talked about Hibiscus on other thread and i was thinking i would make stron hibiscus tea and mix my henna to it.. maybe few drops of lemon and use that mix on next day. Should i put some paprika? or any other ideas for red hair?

It's difficult to capture in pictures, but your hair is almost exactly the same shade mine was. It's borderline ash blonde/light brown. One application of henna gave me a rich red. It was orange the first 2 days after I applied; then it deepened. Try one application and leave it on for a minimum of 4 hours. Then give it a solid 5 - 7 days and let it oxidize. If it's not dark enough for you after that time, do a second application.

[Henna Sooq]

I agree jamila sometimes really needs an extra umph of heat or time to get a really good color out of it especially if you live in really cold areas.

[RocketDog]

Well, I made a second batch with just henna and the tea, no paprika or cloves, and got fantastic dye release like I normally do, just using steaming hot tea and letting it set on a shelf in my bathroom to stew. I don't know what was wrong with my other batch, but I ended up mixing the leftovers of both batches and putting it in the freezer, so hopefully freezing the funky stuff will help squeeze some more dye out of it. If not, I'll just use it for glosses or something...

[slz]

........................

[florenonite]

A question that has probably been asked already but I'm not really ready to read all of the thread's 159 pages :D so please bear with me : are there typical differences between hennas from different places in the world ? Like, is Yemeni henna different from Moroccan and from Pakistani and from Indian, and among Indian henna, how does Punjabi compares to Rajasthani, etc, etc ?
Maybe some are known for a higher dye content, or some more "red" others more "orange" ... well, I have no idea, so I really don't know what to choose - help please !

There are subtle differences in how red vs. orange various hennas are. I believe Rajasthani and Yemeni tend to give a more true red than the others, but I could be wrong. Hopefully someone will come along soon who knows which ones are which.

[Heidi_234]

There are subtle differences in how red vs. orange various hennas are. I believe Rajasthani and Yemeni tend to give a more true red than the others, but I could be wrong. Hopefully someone will come along soon who knows which ones are which.
Not too wrong. H4H advocated PP henna for true red, but uhh - let's not beat the dead horse, shall we? :wink: Most the hennas out there, good, high quality, BAQ hennas supposed to have good dye content. The differences rather subtle IMO, and barely noticeable on dark hair. It is said that this or that henna gives redder or browner results, but honestly, I saw different crops of henna tested on mohair - they all look practically the same. So, if it's a good reputable crop like the current Yemeni crop, then, well it's good henna.

[Um Enis]

How much henna do you need to just do the roots? Or roots to ears maybe? Or to word it differently, how long will 200 grams last doing just the roots: 1 application? 2? 3? 4?

[slz]

............................

[mowo]

OK, now I need a little help. I have just read as much as I can in these thread and still I feel stupid :P.
Maybe I start from the beginning. I put henna on whole hair two weeks ago. It looks quite nice and I love the colour. :D I can only add that before henna I had chemical dyeing which fade out. So ends of my hair are a little darker then roots. Now I want to put henna second time. Many of You write about putting henna only on roots. So second time I should now put only on roots or on full lenght hair? :rolleyes:
And if I should do only roots than how to do this? :o Here my imagination failed. I remember how thick henna was last time when I put it on my head and I can't imagine how put this mud only on my roots. Second thing is when You put it already on roots how put on this foil and hat? :confused: Really I hope that You will help me because my imagination isn't too big this time ;)
Sorry if my questions are obvious but I really don't know and feel a little confused.

[Isilme]

Ok, I'm tired right now but I'll do my best to explain. You switch over to roots only applications when you are satisfied with your colour. If you do repeated henna applications over and over again your hair is going to get darker each time. Many henna user do not want this.
So, let's say you have a full length of hennaed hair that you don't want darker, just copy the method on your roots.
You say your mix was thick, if you add a bit more water or maybe even some conditioner it's going to be much easier. Just part your hair, apply henna, make a new part right next to the first one. And put on saran wrap, no tin foil or anything like that. Just plain old plastic. (that's it, when you are done with the whole head)



OK, now I need a little help. I have just read as much as I can in these thread and still I feel stupid :P.
Maybe I start from the beginning. I put henna on whole hair two weeks ago. It looks quite nice and I love the colour. :D I can only add that before henna I had chemical dyeing which fade out. So ends of my hair are a little darker then roots. Now I want to put henna second time. Many of You write about putting henna only on roots. So second time I should now put only on roots or on full lenght hair? :rolleyes:
And if I should do only roots than how to do this? :o Here my imagination failed. I remember how thick henna was last time when I put it on my head and I can't imagine how put this mud only on my roots. Second thing is when You put it already on roots how put on this foil and hat? :confused: Really I hope that You will help me because my imagination isn't too big this time ;)
Sorry if my questions are obvious but I really don't know and feel a little confused.

[indigo_blue]

I'm thinking about dying my hair Black, it's already a dark brown from henna/indigo mix. I henna'd my hair about a month ago, will the indigo still cover?

[nowxisxforever]

Henna is in! We did make a big mess of my kitchen, though-- quick query: How to get out the henna stain from linoleum & countertops? Thanks in advance~~~ :)

[mowo]

Ok, I'm tired right now but I'll do my best to explain. You switch over to roots only applications when you are satisfied with your colour. If you do repeated henna applications over and over again your hair is going to get darker each time. Many henna user do not want this.
So, let's say you have a full length of hennaed hair that you don't want darker, just copy the method on your roots.
You say your mix was thick, if you add a bit more water or maybe even some conditioner it's going to be much easier. Just part your hair, apply henna, make a new part right next to the first one. And put on saran wrap, no tin foil or anything like that. Just plain old plastic. (that's it, when you are done with the whole head)

Thank You Isilme for help and explaining :o Now I understand. One more time thanks :flowers: So next time I do henna on whole head to have darker colour and I see how it will be. Then maybe I will begin with only roots. :D

[Um Enis]

How much henna do you need to just do the roots? Or roots to ears maybe? Or to word it differently, how long will 200 grams last doing just the roots: 1 application? 2? 3? 4?

did my question get lost?

[Lohari]

How much henna do you need to just do the roots? Or roots to ears maybe? Or to word it differently, how long will 200 grams last doing just the roots: 1 application? 2? 3? 4?

I buy my henna in 100 gram packs and with one pack I can do my roots and a quite strong henna gloss if I don't get frustrated and just smear all of it to my roots. So in my opinion you should be able to do at least 3 root applications with 200 grams of henna. Maybe two if you do roots to ears.

[Velouria]

I only use about 50 gms. to do my roots. I mix it quite thin, I guess. I also make an effort to keep the mix as close to my roots as possible, to avoid too much overlap so as not to go burgundy. But it still ends up on the newest 3 inches of growth.

[j-spectre]

Hi everyone. I can't seem to find information as to how to get your result to be as red as possible. I heard that maybe cloves might help?

I have medium brown hair with blondish sunlight-highlights at the tips. I am looking for a reddish stain, as red as possible. Can anyone give me tips? I think I'd rather it be too dark than orange...

[j-spectre]

Not too wrong. H4H advocated PP henna for true red, but uhh - let's not beat the dead horse, shall we? :wink:
Hey, are you saying that PP doesn't actually give red? That's what I bought... should I try to exchange for something else? What do you recommend? (I bought mine on mehandi)

[RocketDog]

I get amazing red results with Jamila henna, mixed with chamomile lemon tea and paprika, with cloves for scent.

[Star Eagle]

what did you put in your henna mix? your hair is beautiful..

what is your recipe and what color was your hair before you hennaed? I had this color with dye and then had an allergic reaction and stopped.. I have only done henna twice and its copper color not what I want. The first time I used bulk red henna from the health food store and two days ago I use Jamila 2009 and its a darker copper... help?

[Heidi_234]

Hey, are you saying that PP doesn't actually give red? That's what I bought... should I try to exchange for something else? What do you recommend? (I bought mine on mehandi)
Hey, don't panic. I got good stain with PP, and it's my favorite henna from the ones I've used.
It's just that singling out this henna and saying it's THE henna for those who want red, is somewhat not okay in my book (not to mention the whole Jamila on the foil inside thing). They stain practically the same color, and your starting color makes far more difference than the crop.

[burns_erin]

Hey, don't panic. I got good stain with PP, and it's my favorite henna from the ones I've used.
It's just that singling out this henna and saying it's THE henna for those who want red, is somewhat not okay in my book (not to mention the whole Jamila on the foil inside thing). They stain practically the same color, and your starting color makes far more difference than the crop.

Amen, chiming in as the crazy person who did half head experiements (I did half PP half Jamilla) there were really no discernible color differences. So switch with abandon till you find what you want. Even though I found one I prefer that gives me the cast I want, no one else even notices the differences they are so subtle. Of course there does seem to be some more variance on dye release times etc, but it is likely this is more due to water issues and temperature issues.

[MandyBeth]

I've just so far used a Jamila, which left me fairly red, but it faded to a auburny color. See avatar for idea.

I just used H4H's Dark of the Moon special henna, and holy cow it's gone several strong shades brighter/more red. I'd love to go to the purple-ish tones, but don't think I have the starting color for it.

Mixes - Starting with about 125 gm of henna powder, mix with 16 oz green tea, 1/2 a lemon shot, 2 spoonfuls of hibisucus soaked overnight in 8 oz water - I used the water left in the cup, probably about 6 oz of really purply red "tea" that stained my tile worse than the henna did, and then enough water to make a pretty thick goo. Let sit, then mixed in some clove powder and ginger (about .06 lb of clove, .03 lb of ginger) and enough water to make sticky mud. That's my offical term, thank you very much.

The Jamila blended up really nicely with about 8 oz water first, then another 18 oz water at the second stir in. It went in pretty well, but short hair, I just did the squish and mush method. Wrapped up head, left on for 4 hours, rinsed with lots of conditioner, took about 30 minutes or so to rinse.

The DotM did NOT blend as nicely as the Jamila. Plus, it soaked up a lot more water, umm, first mix took a full 16 oz bottle of water, second mix in took another 26 oz of water. So I mushed it in really well and left a lot in to make sure there was enough henna in my hair. Wrapped up head, left on for 5 hours and rinsed. That stuff is nasty to rinse out, I don't care what the package says. Seriously - I have jaw length short hair - it took 1 bottle of conditioner for the water to stop running orange. Did a vinegar rinse, washed with shampoo bar, hit up conditioner twice more, gave up and used diluted SLS shampoo, then 1/2 SLS, 1/2 water scrub and conditioner 3 more times. Thus using up the second bottle of conditioner.

If the color stays like this, I think it is worth it - my hair is much more agreeable. But dang is it annoying to rinse out.

[rogue_psyche]

Sitting with henna on my head as we speak. This is the first henna with my new Gold and Hot Conditioning Cap. So far the heat is worth the extra weight on my head. I feel like one of those old ladies who gossip under the bonnet dryer whenever they go to get their hair done. :p

[wickedgood]

I'm looking forward to hennaing soon :) I purchased some henna from the Indian grocery down the street from where I work (Reshma henna, $2.99 for 200 grams - very fine sift and WAY cheaper than most online stores).

I took my saved hair strands and used packaging tape to attach them to a piece of cardboard. Doubled up the strands by attaching the ends to the tape and cutting the loop created. Then cut the cardboard into strips. On Thursday I mixed my sample mixtures in espresso cups - really the perfect size to stick the hair-taped ends of my cardboard strips into. I labeled the cardboard with the liquid I used to mix the henna with. I would take pics of the results, but my hair is so thin and my camera sort of sucks - not much detail would be picked up I'm afraid. However, my results are as follows:

Henna + chamomile tea: a nice reddish-orange color. Quite a bit of variation between strands of hair (I had my hair professionally dyed last May). Has darkened slightly over the past 2 days.
Henna + honey & a tad of water: no change. Seems nice and shiny though.
Henna + warm water: very similar to the chamomile mixture. May be very slightly darker. After 2 days has darkened slightly but still has nice reddish highlights.
Henna + lemon juice: no change in color. Probably because I didn't seem to get any dye release (the other mixtures to reach dye release fairly quickly). After rinsing out, the hair strand seemed crispy.
Henna + conditioner (cheap suave): no change in color. Half my hair strands fell out which scares me as I definitely don't need to lose any more of my already-thin hair.
Henna + yogurt: no change in color. Probably would have been more if I had mixed in more henna.

I also bought some senna tea from Whole Foods on Friday, and mixed up a 1/3 henna, 2/3 senna combo with chamomile tea. It seems to not have as deep a color as the straight henna. I'll have to wait a few more days to compare all the strands after oxidation is complete, but right now I'm leaning towards either the henna/chamomile tea mix or the henna/senna/chamomile tea mix.

I'm wondering if I should attempt to grind the senna finer if I do decide to go with that mix, as right now it's little pieces of leaves and would probably be not that fun to attempt to rinse out of my hair. I don't have a mortar & pestle and it might prove more trouble than it's worth to bother with it.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to hennaing my hair, which is dark brown at the roots & crown but fades to mousy brown mid-way down my bsl hair. And hopefully vanquish those few pesky white strands that have popped up over the last year or so :p

[Taika]

how often do you henna?

[wickedgood]

I hennaed my hair on Friday evening, using 3 TBS Reshma henna mixed with chamomile tea. I kept the mix rather runny because my hair is so fragile (I don't want the added weight to break the hairs). I left the mixture on for about 2.5 hours, and the end result is... ok. Kind of muddy - it darkened the ends/curtain a lot, which had been lightened by chemical processing a few months back. So my hair seems a lot thicker/longer now just because you can SEE the hairs better, lol. The dark brown virgin roots are less noticeably changed - I'd say the biggest difference is that the highlights are now reddish rather than golden. Which - I sort of liked the golden highlights, so that's kind of a sad change. Also, even though I made the mixture really thin, I still shed tons of hair when rinsing. Not sure if it was due to breakage or knotting or what. Boo.

I'm not going to write off henna just yet though. I have read several posts stating that the henna needs a few times to build-up, and I still have about 1.5 of the henna left to mess with. I know I'm not going to get 'red' hair, but it would be nice to obtain hair that is at least more interesting, lol. Anyway, I figure that if I still am unhappy with the result after a few weeks, I can always oil the mess out (I hennaed a few years ago, and found that a few cycles of coconut/olive oil and washing pulled most of the henna out).

[Isilme]

Be careful with henna. The henna you oiled out would have been a very weak henna. Because henna is permanent with bolded letters. REALLY, REALLY permanent. Please be careful if you don't like red!



I hennaed my hair on Friday evening, using 3 TBS Reshma henna mixed with chamomile tea. I kept the mix rather runny because my hair is so fragile (I don't want the added weight to break the hairs). I left the mixture on for about 2.5 hours, and the end result is... ok. Kind of muddy - it darkened the ends/curtain a lot, which had been lightened by chemical processing a few months back. So my hair seems a lot thicker/longer now just because you can SEE the hairs better, lol. The dark brown virgin roots are less noticeably changed - I'd say the biggest difference is that the highlights are now reddish rather than golden. Which - I sort of liked the golden highlights, so that's kind of a sad change. Also, even though I made the mixture really thin, I still shed tons of hair when rinsing. Not sure if it was due to breakage or knotting or what. Boo.

I'm not going to write off henna just yet though. I have read several posts stating that the henna needs a few times to build-up, and I still have about 1.5 of the henna left to mess with. I know I'm not going to get 'red' hair, but it would be nice to obtain hair that is at least more interesting, lol. Anyway, I figure that if I still am unhappy with the result after a few weeks, I can always oil the mess out (I hennaed a few years ago, and found that a few cycles of coconut/olive oil and washing pulled most of the henna out).

[wickedgood]

Oh, no worries. I would LOVE red hair - it just seems like henna doesn't really like sticking to my hair? Then again, both of my henna experiences so far have been only one application only. So maybe I'll get a better result if I do it again.

I got a similar result from Jamila + lemon juice that I did with the Reshma + chamomile, although the texture seems a lot better this time (I think lemon juice is just WAY too harsh for my hair). Anyway, here's my hair before I hennaed it on Friday, and just a few minutes ago:

Before henna -
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4301896014_65853ce6d0.jpg

2 days after henna -
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4301896388_2572a21e3b.jpg

My hair seems darker overall, but I doubt if anyone not in the know would perceive it as being significantly redder.

[little_cherry]

I'm about to henna again :) I have fine-ish hair to the top of my shoulders but have to use 100g since I have so much hair! I love to henna :) Yemeni is my choice :)

[Shorty89]

My first batch of henna should be arriving soon and I"m anxious to use it. But does it stain clothes at all? I'm in martial arts with white uniforms and I don't want to get henna dye all over mine or anyone else's uniform if I dye it before class.

[kmangus]

I always use PP. It is THE color for me. It always produces a rich cherry red and it looks phenominal on my skin!

The Mix:

200 g Punjabi Prime Henna (from mehandi.com)
100 g Cassia Obovata (from mehandi.com)

1. I dye release both the cassia and Henna for 24 hours, but I do it seperately and then combine them into one huge bowl.
2. I brew red zinger tea (from wallmart) and let it chill in the fridge for about 3 hours.
3. After it is chilled I add it to the cassia/henna mix along with one TBS EVOO, and one TBS honey.
4. Glop the mud on my roots and saran wrap.
5. Pop in StarWars Episode 2 and 3 ......4-5 hours later VIOLA! Red fit for a Ninja!

Also, I find that if i am having difficulty getting the mud out of my hair i just pour EVOO on my head along with the condish and it seems to help quite a bit. ;)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/KatelynMangus/Snapshot_20100124_6.gifThis picture is in the dark...I tried taking sunlight pictures but the shine was too intense to translate!

[Friesiangirl]

I have Jamilla henna sitting on my dresser as I type. Tomorrow morning I'll be applying it--I'm pretty darn excited. I've been waiting almost a year and a half to do this.

Hayley

[rogue_psyche]

My first batch of henna should be arriving soon and I"m anxious to use it. But does it stain clothes at all? I'm in martial arts with white uniforms and I don't want to get henna dye all over mine or anyone else's uniform if I dye it before class.

Do not henna in your uniform. Henna is super messy and stains my white t-shirts green. If you ever have a uniform that is to old or whatever to wear to class, it would be a great henna-only robe.

[Shorty89]

Do not henna in your uniform. Henna is super messy and stains my white t-shirts green. If you ever have a uniform that is to old or whatever to wear to class, it would be a great henna-only robe.

I'm not that stupid :lol: I just meant that if I henna Monday night would I risk bleeding (while working out) on the uniform Tuesday night.

[Henna Sooq]

I did about 300 grams of yemeni powder on thursday night (for a full head application), and I was such a ditz and did it with no gloves on....hehehe! I think I was being lazy or I must really love henna right? So my hands are pretty rough looking, but it's faded some. It's really too late now, but I think I'll use gloves next time, especially since I was hoping to do some henna designs on my hands, not henna splotches. :)

I keep it simple:

Just warm water, a splash of lemon juice, a touch of sugar and let it sit perhaps about 1.5 hours. I mixed some indigo on the side for hubby, and then added some yemeni to it as a paste and then he applied it. It was more indigo then we usually do, but it came out really nice on him. Usually it doesn't get all his greys in his beard. But it covered really nicely this time, and he said he liked the darker color. It suits him well. it was like a chocolate brown.

[rach]

sugar? ................

[Henna Sooq]

Yes I like adding sugar to my recipe for hair. I find it makes it a little more smooth and sticky. A few gals on here use sugar too. Maybe it was nightshade who did too.

[Friesiangirl]

Well, it's sitting on my head. I'm pretty darn excited about this--I'll post pictures after I rinse it out in a few hours.

Last night, I was like a kid before x-mas. I kept waking up to check if it was 9am yet (dye release time) and I kept dreaming about what it'll look like. I was pretty pathetic.

:D

[Henna Sooq]

Well, it's sitting on my head. I'm pretty darn excited about this--I'll post pictures after I rinse it out in a few hours.

Last night, I was like a kid before x-mas. I kept waking up to check if it was 9am yet (dye release time) and I kept dreaming about what it'll look like. I was pretty pathetic.

:D

Nah, it's all henna good :)

[Friesiangirl]

Haha thanks! I'm trying to get the time to go by faster. Only 2 hours to go!

Hayley

[Henna Sooq]

I know it can take a bit long. I usually just sleep with it. But it's hard when you got lots to see on top of. It wasn't too comfy this time.

[Friesiangirl]

Yeah, I figured I don't want to leave it on too long the first app.. I'm leaving it on for a good 3 and a half hours. Maybe a bit longer. I am hoping for more copper/orange than deep dark auburn. I'm a tawny/redish/light light brownish person naturally.

I am just excited to send pictures to my aunt and mum because I happen to be the only non-red head in the family.

Hayley

[rogue_psyche]

I'm not that stupid :lol: I just meant that if I henna Monday night would I risk bleeding (while working out) on the uniform Tuesday night.

D'oh! :doh:With my super-porous bleeding hair, I've stained a white towel with orange splotches when I was putting my freshly washed hair into a towel turban. This only happened once and I'm a bit of an oddity as far as my bleeding henna goes. To be sure, I'd not let your wet hair touch your uniform but I see no need to be too careful. It doesn't rub off like manic panic does.

[Belisarius]

I'm not that stupid :lol: I just meant that if I henna Monday night would I risk bleeding (while working out) on the uniform Tuesday night.
Yes, that could happen. But it depends on the henna and your hair and such.
I had some stains on my white dress shirt the next day, but was able to wash them out. Can't you do henna on saturday?

[Shorty89]

D'oh! :doh:With my super-porous bleeding hair, I've stained a white towel with orange splotches when I was putting my freshly washed hair into a towel turban. This only happened once and I'm a bit of an oddity as far as my bleeding henna goes. To be sure, I'd not let your wet hair touch your uniform but I see no need to be too careful. It doesn't rub off like manic panic does.


Yes, that could happen. But it depends on the henna and your hair and such.
I had some stains on my white dress shirt the next day, but was able to wash them out. Can't you do henna on saturday? I could but I got my henna today and I have the time to henna tonight.

[Friesiangirl]

Well, I am off to rinse it out. I'm so excited.

EDIT:

It was fairly easy to rinse out... not quite sure of the color yet--definitely coppery though. I'm happy!

[Henna Sooq]

I could but I got my henna today and I have the time to henna tonight.

WOWIE!! your hair is so gorgeous, lush and LONG. Good for you! You're doing an amazing job!

[Shorty89]

WOWIE!! your hair is so gorgeous, lush and LONG. Good for you! You're doing an amazing job!Aww thanks. I gave in and mixed up the henna. I'm just waiting for dye release now and I'll hope I don't dye anything orange tomorrow.

[Henna Sooq]

yeah like your hands. Just did that....I should have put gloves on. Sometimes I just love feeling the paste.

[Shorty89]

yeah like your hands. Just did that....I should have put gloves on. Sometimes I just love feeling the paste.I hate using gloves when dying my hair. I find missed places so much better with bare hands, but then my hands end up pink, purple, red or whatever colour I'm using. As long as it doesn't get all over my martial arts uniform (or other people's uniforms) I'm happy.

ETA: Henna is on my head and I have bright orange stains on my face :P

[Henna Sooq]

PHEW!! I thought I was alone on the hands issue. haha! Great :) I really massage it in too until I feel the coolness on my scalp. I think I did a pretty good job with it on my own. I just think it's time for a hair cut. Not too much but it's been over a year since I've had one. I really need it. Yeah I went about a year between hair cuts :)

Yeah no one wants it on a white uniform or clothes. What style of martial arts do you do? My hubby has been doing martial arts forever! Actually I am really thrilled for him because he just got his purple belt (he went down to NC for training this past weekend). So now he is the ONLY certified Budokon (www.budokon.ca or .com) teacher in all of Canada that has a purple belt making him the highest ranking teacher. Otherwise he does Tang Soo Do, and Jujitsu. I hope I spelled it right. Anyhow off topic!

[Gvnagitlvgei]

I don't quite know where to post this question but I'm wondering if I can put in a Bigen permanent dye (powder, no ammonia) over a recent natural henna? I have a few greys and I'm tired of some of them coloring red, some of them not taking as well and ... I'd like to dye my hair but I don't want trouble. Would this dry my hair out too much. What about in future? Can you henna over a dye?


I appreciate all comments. BTW, the pic below shows a lot of red hi-lights but those aren't the greys...

[little_cherry]

After I wash my henna paste out, I do an ACV rinse. I've noticed that the henna bleeds less. Has anyone done this with similar results?

[firefly42]

I just purchased the Rainbow Henna available at Whole foods and was planning on using it on my hair and i was just wondering if anyone has used this brand? i bought the light brown version which appears to be mostly Cassia...

[Henna Sooq]

I don't quite know where to post this question but I'm wondering if I can put in a Bigen permanent dye (powder, no ammonia) over a recent natural henna? I have a few greys and I'm tired of some of them coloring red, some of them not taking as well and ... I'd like to dye my hair but I don't want trouble. Would this dry my hair out too much. What about in future? Can you henna over a dye?


I appreciate all comments. BTW, the pic below shows a lot of red hi-lights but those aren't the greys...

You can use bigen hair dye but as long as the henna you have been using is 100% pure so that it doesn't react in any negative ways.

But why not just indigo? Then you would naturally have darker hair rather then red

[Henna Sooq]

After I wash my henna paste out, I do an ACV rinse. I've noticed that the henna bleeds less. Has anyone done this with similar results?

I never tried that but it'd be interesting to read more about. Why not post a new thread about this as it may get lost in the sea of this henna thread :)

[Shorty89]

Henna results in my blog :D I did a white vinegar rinse after mine and it seemed to help smooth my hair down.

[MagieNoire]

I don't quite know where to post this question but I'm wondering if I can put in a Bigen permanent dye (powder, no ammonia) over a recent natural henna? I have a few greys and I'm tired of some of them coloring red, some of them not taking as well and ... I'd like to dye my hair but I don't want trouble. Would this dry my hair out too much. What about in future? Can you henna over a dye?


I appreciate all comments. BTW, the pic below shows a lot of red hi-lights but those aren't the greys...

Hi, Bigen is loaded with PPD and I know from experience that it hangs around in the liver for a long time. Indigo is great for darking hair or for a more uniform dark color.

[Henna Sooq]

Hi, Bigen is loaded with PPD and I know from experience that it hangs around in the liver for a long time. Indigo is great for darking hair or for a more uniform dark color.

Exactly, thank you for adding that in there.

[Shorty89]

My hair is doing good, but it feels strange now - not dry exactly, but sort of like it's overoiled or something weird. Any ideas on how to fix this?

[Henna Sooq]

maybe you may have to go step by step to let us know so some of us can help figure out what might have happened. Was it lush henna you used? just wondering as it does have cocoa butter in it.

[Shorty89]

No, it was...oh crap....what's the name. It started with an R, rah something or other. I dampened my hair a bit with a spray bottle then separated my hair into chunks before putting the dye on. I waited about five hours and then soaked my hair in the tub to losen stuff, then rinsed (with lots of conditioner) it out. I then used some vinegar to finish things off. Once it was dry enough to comb, I used some coconut oil on it. I'll do either a CO or add more oil but I'm not sure which would be best.

[Henna Sooq]

No, it was...oh crap....what's the name. It started with an R, rah something or other. I dampened my hair a bit with a spray bottle then separated my hair into chunks before putting the dye on. I waited about five hours and then soaked my hair in the tub to losen stuff, then rinsed (with lots of conditioner) it out. I then used some vinegar to finish things off. Once it was dry enough to comb, I used some coconut oil on it. I'll do either a CO or add more oil but I'm not sure which would be best.

In the shampoo bar thread, you'll see that the acidic level like of the vinegar rinse, was too high that made some people feel greasy/waxy and such. maybe it's just too much acid. maybe you just need to wash your hair again to bring it down to neutral...hhmm. let's see what some others have to do say

[Shorty89]

In the shampoo bar thread, you'll see that the acidic level like of the vinegar rinse, was too high that made some people feel greasy/waxy and such. maybe it's just too much acid. maybe you just need to wash your hair again to bring it down to neutral...hhmm. let's see what some others have to do sayMaybe. I do vinegar rinses regularly with no problem but maybe after the henna it reacted differently.

[Henna Sooq]

hhhmm it may have behaved differently. I think so. I'm hoping someone would chime in with their personal experience, as I've never used acv or vinegar after a henna treatment.

[little_cherry]

I've ACV'd after a henna and it turned out lovely. I had 2 cups of lukewarm water and added about 2 tbs of ACV..or just enough for the water to taste a little vinegary. If I used too much ACV, my hair would look lank and feel a little...waxy, I guess!

[RocketDog]

I use a chamomile tea/white vinegar rinse after rinsing out my henna and have never suffered with the greasies, but whenever I use ACV in any dilution I get instant lank, glommy hair. The only way I've found to remedy it is wash again, usually with very diluted shampoo and apply conditioner like normal.

[Heidi_234]

Shorty89, did you henna before? It could be the change in texture you're not used to, although I doubt that. It could be the resin maybe? Or that's how your hair feels when dried out a bit? Mine becomes woolly in a unique way, which I only experience after henna (if I don't shampoo it out).

I'd give it a wash or two, the weird feel should wear off I believe.

[saskia_madding]

You know what's weird? I got that feeling too after my second and third henna gloss. The only thing I can think is the lemon - I used it time #2 and 3, but not #1. I think I'll go back to not using it next time I do a gloss. I'm hoping just a regular shampoo and conditioner will get it out.

[Shorty89]

Shorty89, did you henna before? It could be the change in texture you're not used to, although I doubt that. It could be the resin maybe? Or that's how your hair feels when dried out a bit? Mine becomes woolly in a unique way, which I only experience after henna (if I don't shampoo it out).

I'd give it a wash or two, the weird feel should wear off I believe.It's my first henna and your description sounds about right. I rinsed it last night and put on lots of coconut oil and it feels more like normal.

[rach]

Shorty89 your results look great on you !!!!!

[Shorty89]

Thanks :D (ten character limit).

[Fiferstone]

OK, I've got orange ears and some splotches but the mud is on my head. I have used LUSH henna for years and this is my first attempt with Yemeni henna (thanks HennaSooq :)). I plan to leave it on for 6 hours and see what I get and yes, I did do a strand test and I very much liked the shade it was. I put the henna-soaked strand (hairball from brush) into a plastic ziplock baggie, and put the baggie in my jeans pocket and carried it around with me all day. The shade is a lovely auburn and I hope thats what I get.

I use coffee because I want a more auburn result, and I mixed in about 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I then froze it overnight in a ziploc bag with one of those zipper closures. I then thawed it out in warm water this morning, and snipped a tiny corner of the ziploc bag to make a "pastry horn" sort of applicator. This is going to take a little getting used to but I think I'll get the hang of it eventually.

I think I might be able to get away with 200g at a time (it seems to have covered nicely and my hair is fully saturated). Compared to the LUSH caca marron, I find it much easier to work with. Because the LUSH contains cocoa butter if it's not kept very warm (uncomfortably warm to me) it starts to solidify, but overheating the mud I think weakens the dye strength.


I also think that the LUSH henna has a much stronger smell. The strongest this smelled was when I initially mixed it up. After freezing/thawing I find it has very little perceptible smell.

Also, no scalp itchies thus far. :cheese:

Wish me luck!

ETA: I washed the henna out after 6 hours using a ton of cheap coney conditioner to loosen the mud (Tressemme, literally a gallon jug that I'm trying to use up), followed by my usual shampoo, and a lighter application of conditioner, followed by my usual ACV rinse.

Wow. Just Wow. It's much easier to work with than the LUSH caca's. For one thing, it's not glued to your head after several hours, and loosens up quite readily. I also had no perceptible unpleasant odor, just a mild "grassy" smell, unlike with the LUSH caca. My DH and DS think LUSH caca smells foul, and DH drew the line at me sleeping with it on my head, can't say I blame him. With the Yemeni henna I found I had much less shedding/breakage during the removal and subsequent detangling process, It took a lot less water to get it out. And the color. Oh my goodness. I posted a picture of the Elling Woman bun I managed to do today in the thread on the Elling woman in the Mane forum if anyone wants a look. (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=14032&page=23)

I'll post a picture of it down in a couple days when the color has had a chance to settle, but I'm sold. I think I've found a new henna :).


I will definitely let everyone know how it goes when I rinse it out (I've got a full day of cleaning ahead of me :)), and I will post pix and provide links, because the albums are not yet working, it seems.

[Henna Sooq]

can't wait to hear updates! I did a friends hair this past Saturday. I have never seen so many drippies in my life....I always wondered about how people experienced that and now I see it. I don't ever get that. I mixed it exactly the same as my own personal mix.but do some people drip more then others? is it body temperature?

[Heidi_234]

Whoa that's so RED red I can't believe my eyes. Why does everybody get red hair from henna but me? :wail: Fiferstone, it looks truly amazing, I love it!

[little_cherry]

I may have a theory on the henna drippies which touches on what hennasooq said about body temperature. I think it may be the water actually evaporating from the henna mixture because of the heat from the scalp. I'm going to guess that most people who get the drippies use plastic wrap or shower cap, then a towel or cap over the top? I know I do, and I get the drippies. Perhaps the evaporated water gets collected in the plastic wrap/shower cap and drips?

I really need to henna soon. this time I'm going to freeze my mixture.

[Fiferstone]

Funny, I tie two plastic grocery bags over my head (charming, I know), don't cover that with anything (I'm staying home for the duration and my family are resigned to my monthly haircoloring madness), and I don't get drips. I only got drips when I was adding olive oil to the mix as a n00b, I now know NOT to do that :).

[Henna Sooq]

I may have a theory on the henna drippies which touches on what hennasooq said about body temperature. I think it may be the water actually evaporating from the henna mixture because of the heat from the scalp. I'm going to guess that most people who get the drippies use plastic wrap or shower cap, then a towel or cap over the top? I know I do, and I get the drippies. Perhaps the evaporated water gets collected in the plastic wrap/shower cap and drips?

I really need to henna soon. this time I'm going to freeze my mixture.

The thing is, well I do usually go to sleep with my henna, but when the occassion occurs that I do, do my hair in the day I always use a shower cap now, but it's the Burt's Bees one so it's inside is plastic and the outside is material, if that makes a difference....

My hair is also much heavier, thicker, and longer then the person's I just did.

Hers was average thickness, and about 2 inches past her shoulders , above bra strap, and I used saran wrap to wrap hers.

I'm thinking that some people will have drippies more so then others. Body temperature and how one wraps it has to play a role in that. or adding too much liquid perhaps. Like as if it starts to melt in a way right?

[Henna Sooq]

Funny, I tie two plastic grocery bags over my head (charming, I know), don't cover that with anything (I'm staying home for the duration and my family are resigned to my monthly haircoloring madness), and I don't get drips. I only got drips when I was adding olive oil to the mix as a n00b, I now know NOT to do that :).

aaww I forgot. Yes in the past I've used plastic grocery bags too with no drippies....hhmmm maybe I should have just make it thicker. Or maybe I rubbed it in too well, and created a lot of warmth because I was massaging all of that in.

[NurseMama]

So I am thinking about deepening my now very coppery red henna to a more reddish brown. I have had too many comments lately on my hair color (some were positive, some were "whoa that's red!) and I am not sure if I am comfortable having this bright of a color. Plus, I am a labor and delivery nurse and when I turn on the brightest lights on the planet (delivery lights) I feel like my head is lit up like a dayglo carrot.

I have ordered some samples to try out adding some indigo on hair balls, but I thought that I would come here and find out other's experiences with adding indigo for a reddish brown.

My goal here is to find a color that is a more natural looking color on me.... Thanks for your help!

[Gvnagitlvgei]

Hi, Bigen is loaded with PPD and I know from experience that it hangs around in the liver for a long time. Indigo is great for darking hair or for a more uniform dark color.


Indigo doesn't work for my greys. I used the Bigen but only on the little tiny greys at the temple. Then I applied a henna gloss which I had mixed with amla and left in an iron pot overnight to cure darker. It came out great. Indigo gives me blue hair. :eek:

[Henna Sooq]

Wow blue hair, your hair must REALLY absorb it :) Usually blue tones come from indigo and henna, with a second application of indigo, but it seems your hair completely took to it.

What if you just didn;t use as much indigo, like as a one step rather then a two step process so it doesn't come out so deep.

[rogue_psyche]

I slept with henna mud in my hair for the first time this week. I got lots of stain but a terrible nights sleep. I was very lucky that it wasn't very messy though.

I love all of the different colors henna has given me, from strawberry blond from the burgundy on my unbleached roots. I'm aiming for full saturation of henna as a long term goal. Who else wants all the color henna can give them?

[Heidi_234]

I do. :wink: But I think it already did. :p

[rach]

Who else wants all the color henna can give them?

♪we do, we do ♬
♩Who else wants all the color henna can give them?♩
♬we do, ho-oray ♫
:disco::disco::disco::disco::disco:

(excuse my little song outbust :p)

[rogue_psyche]

♪we do, we do ♬
♩Who else wants all the color henna can give them?♩
♬we do, ho-oray ♫
:disco::disco::disco::disco::disco:

(excuse my little song outbust :p)

Everybody dance along!
:happydance: :bounce: :cheese: :happydance:


/dance party hijack

[Tarja Sky]

What's the difference between using lemon's juice and chamomille thea?
I'm new and I want to try henna in the future instead of chemical dyes...

[rach]

lemon juice can be drying which is why i generally avoid it .
chamomile tea has acid properties too but also is also conditioning.
both instances are suppose to help in emphasizing the dye release.

[Sjirsten]

Hmm..I just mixed up some Jamila henna to use in a gloss (will do strand test first) and I am noticing a very pale orange stain when testing on my wrist after just 1 hour...Could my henna already be dye released?

[florenonite]

Hmm..I just mixed up some Jamila henna to use in a gloss (will do strand test first) and I am noticing a very pale orange stain when testing on my wrist after just 1 hour...Could my henna already be dye released?

If you're noticing staining, I think that's a sign of dye release. I don't remember how long Jamila takes, but different types take different amounts of time, and it also depends on how warm it is. If you left it in a warm place it probably has dye-released.

[Henna Sooq]

A few people do use chamomile tea for the benefits of that herb, but also to bring out more golden tones. It's used a lot with cassia, and honey I've seen. It's a good choice over lemon juice, which like Rach has mentionned it can be drying.

Or you can just use warm water.

[Tarja Sky]

I'd prepared my test strand with a little bit of lemon juice and mostly chamomilla tea. It stood now for two hours in a warm place, so I'm going to check it and put it on :D

[Sjirsten]

I did a gloss yesterday with 3 tbs Jamila mixed with warm water and 1 cup conditioner. I love the colour, gorgeous!

But one question, should I wait a couple of days before washing (maybe the colour needs to settle or something) or should I just go on as usual?

I use CV poo-bars, acv rinse and conditioner..

[Cholera]

I'm not sure if this has been addressed (as I don't really want to read through 169 pages of henna stuff), but what do you guys do about henna staining your scalp? Is there a way for it not to? And is this a big problem when it's henndigo?

[Henna Sooq]

Do you mean staining the edges of your scalp, as in your hair line or in the middle of your scalp.

On your scalp on the inside of your hair, the color doesn't ever show through unless a person has bald spots or something like that. I have done henna on a teenager who had thin hair so yes I did see her scalp but after the henna application I didn't see any weird staining on her scalp but in fact her whole head looked much thicker, as her hair strand got thicker with the henna. Like fuller.

[Cholera]

Thanks Henna Sooq, I was mostly worried about the edges of the scalp and where my part is. I'm hoping my hair looks fuller!

[Henna Sooq]

aaww okay I understand now :) Welcome!

I'd just recommend you put some vaseline there is you can for the edges. I know it's vaseline but it's so thick and works really well. if it does go on the edges try to wipe it away and keep it away from there, and if it stains it doesn't last very long and is very faint. About 48 hours is how long it could last from my experience. because I'm not really careful or diligant in using vaseline, but it doesn't stain badly.

[Cholera]

Ohhh, awesome. That's great news. Thanks again.

[Trixie]

I did a gloss yesterday with 3 tbs Jamila mixed with warm water and 1 cup conditioner. I love the colour, gorgeous!

But one question, should I wait a couple of days before washing (maybe the colour needs to settle or something) or should I just go on as usual?

I use CV poo-bars, acv rinse and conditioner..

I also do henna glosses, and I always try to wait a couple days before washing my hair. I have no idea if waiting actually helps "retain" the color or anything, but it just seems like it helps. So - I CO wash for a couple of days after my glosses. :)

[Star Eagle]

here is another henna site henna hut.com its great because the henna is already mixed all you have to do is add hot water and apply leave on for 1 hour and voila... deep rich color.
Star

[rach]

did i mention i love henna??? ok maybe a bit.

ignoring the state of my "white" bathroom and forgetting the Vaseline hence neck stains :p

mermaid soak followed with shower i smell all over of henna. incredibly therapeutic :meditate:

[slz]

......................

[Henna Sooq]

Rach, did you mention it?! :)

[hanne jensen]

I just hennaed my hair for the first time yesterday. It's a beautiful very deep copper color in dim lighting and in full daylight it's a lot lighter. I just love the deeper color. Should I henna again in a week to get the deeper color? I left the henna in 4.5 hours. How long should I leave it in the next time?

[Henna Sooq]

The same amount of time is fine. It's when you do more then one application that it begins to build up and this gives you deeper results in general. Yemeni henna is very good if you want a really nice red henna.

[Misso]

I prepared my henna yesterday morning. I used one cup Iranian henna, mixed with 2 cups of chamomile and lavender tea and a small amount of ACV. I waited till the night and then added 10 drops of chamomile EO and 5 of Patchouli. This morning I added a swirl of honey mixed it well and then applied.

I carefully divided my hair. Then covered floors and sink with garbage bags, wore an old shirt, wore plastic gloves, and then started. T

he application was perfect very few drops on the floor, it spread so easily in my hair and stayed there. Perfect. I just need I guess a cup and a half for roots plus spreading a little on the length not all the way down, for that I need more than one cup, I should remember this for next time.

At the end I put the hair in a low bun helped keep in place with pins then the usual plastic bags and cover. Usually I try to make a high bun or twist which was not very comfortable, this way is the opposite it is holding well, looks better, covers easily if I need to go out and amazingly comfortable, no pulling or heavy weight feeling or anything.

If this ease of application is due to the added honey and there was no problem with dye uptake then I am sold.

I'll report back.

[indigonight]

You forgot to mention rennaissance henna http://www.renaissancehenna.com/ in the first post..perhaps it has been added since then... too many posts to read!

Out of all European suppliers Sabrina has the best henna, best quality, most reliable service and she is super friendly and helpful. Of all the henna suppliers in the UK I have enjoyed ordering from her and using her products the best.

I'm doing a henna sunday today with some maka and amla mixed in for good measure...

I may possibly be moving to Canada in a couple of months, so hennasooq I'll be calling on you for future orders when that is the case ;-) I hear only good things about your service too!

[Leena7]

I hennaed my hair for the first time a few days ago. I first used Rainbow Henna from whole foods in red, so it was just plain henna. Two days ago, I bought some BAQ henna at an Indian store to deepen the color. I wish I had an accurate picture of how it looks. My avatar is my hair before it oxidized.

[autumnsdaughter]

Okay, I've been enabled! :D I ordered some punjabi from Mehandi, and I'm really excited! It will be interesting to see how my hair takes the dye, due to my dyeing history- I got it done deep, vibrant red at a salon for several years, and last year dyed it dark brown from a box, but it still has deep reddish undertones. My natural color is a soft, light brown with golden undertones. Hopefully the henna will help to even everything out, and give me a really vibrant, deep red! I am thinking of mixing it with hibiscus tea- anyone have a good experience with that? I'm hoping for a more cool toned red, rather than copper.

[Cirafly24]

I hennaed my hair for the first time tonight using Rainbow Henna in dark brown. Actually, I'm sitting here with a plastic bag on my head because it's still in.

I mixed it with hot water as per the directions, until it was the consistency of cake batter. It was really, really hard to spread, and I'm certain I missed spots because of that. I hope it's not too noticeable.

It was also incredibely messy...I wish I had read the above post about garbage bags on everything! Luckily I cleaned it all up with no stains. I really hope it turns out ok *crosses fingers*

Edit to add: The change in color is very subtle, I'm kind of disappointed. There are some uneven areas, and what I would swear is a faint green cast. :(

[Belisarius]

I hennaed my hair for the first time tonight using Rainbow Henna in dark brown. Actually, I'm sitting here with a plastic bag on my head because it's still in.

I mixed it with hot water as per the directions, until it was the consistency of cake batter. It was really, really hard to spread, and I'm certain I missed spots because of that. I hope it's not too noticeable.

It was also incredibely messy...I wish I had read the above post about garbage bags on everything! Luckily I cleaned it all up with no stains. I really hope it turns out ok *crosses fingers*

Edit to add: The change in color is very subtle, I'm kind of disappointed. There are some uneven areas, and what I would swear is a faint green cast. :(
Just do it again. Let it sit beforehand for a longer period of time and let it sit on your head for a longer time.

[autumnsdaughter]

Yay! Henna is shipping! Can't wait to get it and get some fiery locks o hair! :bounce:

[LadyJennifer]

I used the Rainbow dark brown twice now (within a week of each other), and found it was very grainy and hard to rinse (even though I added some methi to the mix). For application; I apply to damp hair by parting, smearing henna on part, parting again a little over, smearing on part, etc. until all is covered. I get my whole head covered in 10 minutes easy this way, and no uneven spots.
I tried Henna by pinki (recommended by another member here) and it was silky smooth to apply and so easy to rinse it was ridiculous. I didn't have any mud in the drain either (which I did have with Rainbow).

[little_cherry]

I'm sitting here with henna on my head! I love how it feels! :)

The Yemeni from Henna Sooq is by far my favorite henna.

I'll be posting pics here and in my blog soon!

[rach]

I'm sitting here with henna on my head! I love how it feels! :)

The Yemeni from Henna Sooq is bar far my favorite henna.

I'll be posting pics here and in my blog soon!

:drama: can't wait to see results

[earthymamawitch]

I used the Rainbow dark brown twice now (within a week of each other), and found it was very grainy and hard to rinse (even though I added some methi to the mix). For application; I apply to damp hair by parting, smearing henna on part, parting again a little over, smearing on part, etc. until all is covered. I get my whole head covered in 10 minutes easy this way, and no uneven spots.
I tried Henna by pinki (recommended by another member here) and it was silky smooth to apply and so easy to rinse it was ridiculous. I didn't have any mud in the drain either (which I did have with Rainbow).

Ooooo LadyJennifer, please post pix of the HennabyPinki, I'm glad to hear you liked it and dyeing (HAHA) to see how it turned out!

Jenn

[crabpixie]

I have been using yemeni henna for about a year, I usually mix mine with lemon juice and ginger, then leave for 24 hours for dye activation.
I was able to achieve a rich glossy burgandy red.
Recently, I have decided to go back to my natural dark blonde, as this is quite impossible without severe damage, I 'cool' my henna with buxus gloss.. my avatar is the colour I achieved with that :)

[Marz Hase]

I'm SO ready to get rid of the black dye and become a henna head!

Okiedokie. So usually I dye my hair with a half and half mix of black and purple to get a black with a purple shine. I let it fade for six months to become a black-brown with a red hint to it, and then redye it. My roots are the same black-brown, but with a blonde shine and a few blonde strands throughout. I'm currently at that six-month mark.

What mix can I use to get it that warm and deep black-red look? I bought some samples of indigo and yemeni henna from mehandi.com to strand test. I feel that if I use both henna and indigo, the blue and black will cancel each other out and leave a straight black color.

Anyone else with my hair color achieved this look? :)

[little_cherry]

I just uploaded a couple of new henna pics in my blog (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=66550)! :)

[Marz Hase]

Oops. I forgot to add pictures... took them this afternoon. Forgive the size, they're from my cell phone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/mentallywicked/evahairsun2.jpg
Probably the most accurate, color wise. Sun, in my car.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/mentallywicked/evahairsun1.jpg
Kind of a bluish tint to the photo. In my car again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/mentallywicked/evahairinside2.jpg
In my bathroom

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/mentallywicked/evahairinside.jpg
Also in my bathroom!

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Misso]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=4915&pictureid=66552

OK so this is a photo of my roots after my last mix, last week. The rinse was fine I did it with water only, but used a scalp scrubbing thing (my husband has those) to avoid the orange scalp and it worked.

I hope the photo works, this is my first time posting a photo from my album to a thread.

[rach]

I'm SO ready to get rid of the black dye and become a henna head!

Okiedokie. So usually I dye my hair with a half and half mix of black and purple to get a black with a purple shine. I let it fade for six months to become a black-brown with a red hint to it, and then redye it. My roots are the same black-brown, but with a blonde shine and a few blonde strands throughout. I'm currently at that six-month mark.

What mix can I use to get it that warm and deep black-red look? I bought some samples of indigo and yemeni henna from mehandi.com to strand test. I feel that if I use both henna and indigo, the blue and black will cancel each other out and leave a straight black color.

Anyone else with my hair color achieved this look? :)
if you do cut off a strand and like this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=32806&highlight=hendigo) and try different levels of henna and indigo it will help achieve what you want.
also this thread may be of some use to you on your research -
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21272&highlight=hendigo

[DanaLee]

New henna head and member,Hi all I posted over at the new start here board I will tell ya a lilltle bit about me .I am a hairdresser 24 yrs I dont do hair anymore except family quit about 2 yrs ago, I do keep my lic up tho .I love henna it makes my hair so nice ,I had to cut my almost waist length hair off due to alot of chemical damage all my own fault so I am starting all over ,goodness this is gonna take a long time BUT with my hair color it will be easier ha ha .

[Marz Hase]

Thanks for your advice, Rach!

Where do you cut off the hair strands? I don't want funky grow-in... oO;;

[rach]

Thanks for your advice, Rach!

Where do you cut off the hair strands? I don't want funky grow-in... oO;;

mid head where it won't show, you don't need much or make up hair balls with hair from your brush maybe?

[autumnsdaughter]

Received my henna from Mehandi today! :) I am waiting to do it until Easter, because I have a few days off then and can let the color settle down before going back into work. I am really impressed with the speed of the delivery, it was much faster than what I was expecting!

[Omarrah]

WOW. I finally finished reading the entire thread. Lots of great info here.

I'll be mixing my second batch of henna today!!! I'm hoping, hoping, hoping to go red instead of orange! You can read about my first henna and see pictures here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43841). I'll update to that thread probably tomorrow since I plan on sleeping in the gunk. :D

Wish me luck!!

[Marz Hase]

Does it matter what conditioner you use to remove the grit? I've got a full bottle of the VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, but I wasn't quite sure how that would work, it being a clarifying conditioner and all.

My henna is here and I have yet to gather enough hair to do a few strand tests... I'm considering just cutting some out of my head as suggested. ><

Should I go ahead and freeze my henna powder to keep it fresh?

Another newbie question! I've read on hennaforhair.com that I need to let the yemen sit for 6-8 hours for dye release, but on Henna Sooq is says 2 hours for hair... What's the more accurate time table?

PS: BPALers... How much BPAL do you add to your henna mix?

[halo_tightens]

Going to do something new this time... I've got pure Jamila on my roots right now. I've been doing roots-only for a while now, so I don't darken up the length too much.

Today, though, I also have a bowl of about 80% cassia, 20% henna sitting in the kitchen to dye-release! Pretty soon I'm going to glop that all over my length, without bothering to rinse out the henna from my roots. I'm hoping to refresh the length color just a touch, maybe get a little extra gold, and get the wonderful cassia-conditioning that I've heard so much about!

I'll be back this evening either raving or b****ing, I'm sure... :D
(Not a strand-test kind of gal these days, lol.)

[Dreah]

I just slopped on my first henna application =D It was sort of an interesting procedure... I'll have to streamline it a bit for next time. And also make my mix a bit thinner... I think it was way too thick this time. But here's to learning!

Also, considering the orange stains all over my arms and neck, I can't wait to see how it turns out! ^_^

[Dreah]

So, I just washed my henna out! My hair is still really wet, but so far I think I'm in love with the color! My roots are dayglo orange, as I expected, but I know that will tone down in a couple days.

My only issues I had with the process were the following: trying to detangle afterwards, and an alarming amount of shed hairs. I'm not sure if the sheds were caused by the ridiculous amount of tangling I had going on or what, but it was a bit scary. :( I also used conditioner 4-5 times while in the shower, trying to detangle and it just wasn't happening. Perhaps it was my application process that caused all the tangles? I just kind of slopped it on, lol. Also, my hair is still wet, but it feels like it's been sapped of moisture. Is this normal? I didn't use any acids in my mix. Hrm.

Once it's dry I'll post some pics :D

[Omarrah]

Updated my thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43841&page=5) with pics of my second full henna app. These are pre-oxidation photos. So we'll see what I have in a week!!

[Lady Danger]

My only issues I had with the process were the following: trying to detangle afterwards, and an alarming amount of shed hairs. I'm not sure if the sheds were caused by the ridiculous amount of tangling I had going on or what, but it was a bit scary. :( I also used conditioner 4-5 times while in the shower, trying to detangle and it just wasn't happening. Perhaps it was my application process that caused all the tangles? I just kind of slopped it on, lol. Also, my hair is still wet, but it feels like it's been sapped of moisture. Is this normal? I didn't use any acids in my mix. Hrm.

Tangles: I try to apply my henna as gently as possible or else I will also get bad tangles (even just doing root applications) that won't wash out without shedding. I only made that mistake once - now I'm very delicate with my hair and I don't shed any more than a normal wash.

Moisture: Although I have never experienced the feeling, I think I've read in a couple of places that it's totally normal to feel a little dry after Henna, because it sucks up oils on your scalp. :)

[Dreah]

Tangles: I try to apply my henna as gently as possible or else I will also get bad tangles (even just doing root applications) that won't wash out without shedding. I only made that mistake once - now I'm very delicate with my hair and I don't shed any more than a normal wash.

Moisture: Although I have never experienced the feeling, I think I've read in a couple of places that it's totally normal to feel a little dry after Henna, because it sucks up oils on your scalp. :)


Thanks! After my hair dried the weird lack of moisture feeling vanished. So now I have soft, shiny henna hair. Yay!

I was trying to be gentle applying, but my hair is nearly classic length so it was pretty hard. Maybe I'll have to enlist the help of my roommate next time!

[Marz Hase]

Did my questions get lost? ^^;;;

[joiekimochi]

I have a question!!

I have naturally black hair, but I dyed and lightened my hair to a light yellow-brown because it's fashionable to have light brown hair over here. On the plus side, I look totally 'in'. On the minus side, my hair has zero shine. And I will have black roots. And my hair seems much weaker now.

So I want to henna over it so it'd be less thin and fine and plus get some shine. Not anytime soon, but when my roots become unbearable (jet black roots + light brown length = not 'in'). However, what would the effect be? Would my length turn orange while my roots remain black? Should I throw in indigo and dye my whole head jet black instead?

[Heidi_234]

Did my questions get lost? ^^;;;
I'm sorry your question went unanswered! I'm not too frequent in this thread, but I think that if you quote it in a new reply, there's a chance somebody'll see it and answer. Or you can also search (or google) the boards, it might turn out faster. :wink:


I have a question!!

I have naturally black hair, but I dyed and lightened my hair to a light yellow-brown because it's fashionable to have light brown hair over here. On the plus side, I look totally 'in'. On the minus side, my hair has zero shine. And I will have black roots. And my hair seems much weaker now.

So I want to henna over it so it'd be less thin and fine and plus get some shine. Not anytime soon, but when my roots become unbearable (jet black roots + light brown length = not 'in'). However, what would the effect be? Would my length turn orange while my roots remain black? Should I throw in indigo and dye my whole head jet black instead?

I'm afraid that's pretty much what's going to happen. Depends on how light the light parts are, if you do just one henna application it would turn rather bright orange, probably brighter than you'd like. If you keep doing more henna application the color will build up to a deep red, but I doubt it would blend well enough with your roots. :shrug:

I think this pic of mine will help:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2075&pictureid=36954

Doing a hennadigo is definitely an option, if you are 100&#37; sure you wouldn't want to to lighten the length ever again. If you try to bleach indigo'ed hair, chances are it will turn green. Same goes with henna, is you try to bleach it, it will turn super bright orange. So make sure you are 100% decided before you touch these plants. :)

[joiekimochi]

Sorry Heidi_234, I can't view your image! ;__;

[marikamt]

Does it matter what conditioner you use to remove the grit? I've got a full bottle of the VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, but I wasn't quite sure how that would work, it being a clarifying conditioner and all.

My henna is here and I have yet to gather enough hair to do a few strand tests... I'm considering just cutting some out of my head as suggested. ><

Should I go ahead and freeze my henna powder to keep it fresh?

Another newbie question! I've read on hennaforhair.com that I need to let the yemen sit for 6-8 hours for dye release, but on Henna Sooq is says 2 hours for hair... What's the more accurate time table?

PS: BPALers... How much BPAL do you add to your henna mix?

Marz hase... I don;t know about the BPAL, so I can't answer your question on that but as far as henna dye release, I have gotten consistent results with a variety of types waiting 3-4 hrs.

[redtea]

I have a question!!

I have naturally black hair, but I dyed and lightened my hair to a light yellow-brown because it's fashionable to have light brown hair over here. On the plus side, I look totally 'in'. On the minus side, my hair has zero shine. And I will have black roots. And my hair seems much weaker now.

So I want to henna over it so it'd be less thin and fine and plus get some shine. Not anytime soon, but when my roots become unbearable (jet black roots + light brown length = not 'in'). However, what would the effect be? Would my length turn orange while my roots remain black? Should I throw in indigo and dye my whole head jet black instead?

Like Heidi said, the light parts will definitely turn orange and the henna will be barely noticeable on your black hair (maybe a reddish sheen in the sun). You could either henna then indigo the entire length, or you could dye your length black again and then use henna. This should stop there from being such a difference between the virgin hair and the bleached hair. I know people who do henna followed by indigo say the indigo fades leaving their hair more orange again and they have to redo it every so often. It's also a two step process, which, even though I've never tried it, can be time consuming.

If you want to keep the color of your hair the same, you could try a cassia treatment and see if that helps.

[Heidi_234]

Sorry Heidi_234, I can't view your image! ;__;
Uh sorry, I was sure it was available for everybody to see. It just shows how henna built up in color on my ashy (darker) brown hair. Do 13 more posts and come back to see it.:wink:

[Marz Hase]

Alright, I'll give quoting it in a new post a go. :) Thanks Heidi!


Does it matter what conditioner you use to remove the grit? I've got a full bottle of the VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, but I wasn't quite sure how that would work, it being a clarifying conditioner and all.

My henna is here and I have yet to gather enough hair to do a few strand tests... I'm considering just cutting some out of my head as suggested. ><

Should I go ahead and freeze my henna powder to keep it fresh?

Another newbie question! I've read on hennaforhair.com that I need to let the yemen sit for 6-8 hours for dye release, but on Henna Sooq is says 2 hours for hair... What's the more accurate time table?

PS: BPALers... How much BPAL do you add to your henna mix?

[joiekimochi]

Ah now I can see the image!

By the way, does Rainbow Research henna require overnight sitting for dye release? I can't seem to find anything about it.

[Marz Hase]

Just a quick update. :)

Did one strand test with nothing but pure henna... wow, my roots turn a really deep orange while the rest of my hair is a dark red. It actually LOOKS lighter than my current hair color, but I think that's more of an illusion than anything.

Next weekend's test will involve another henna application to same strand test, plus another strand test with a henndigo application! I'm going to try 50/50...

Gah! I'm getting so impatient. I just want to do it already! LOL.

[Dreah]

I added a few pics to an album of my first henna results! My camera has been really fussy lately, so it's been hard to get decent pics. But so far I'm loving henna! My roots don't seem to be settling down to a nice red color just yet, so I think on Friday I'll be ordering some more.

[Marz Hase]

That's some gorgeous henna, Miss Dreah! How long did you leave it in for? :)

[Dreah]

I left it in for about 5 hours. I was shooting for 6+ but it was soooo heavy and was giving me a headache. I need to find a way to position my mud caked, nearly classic length so it doesn't hurt my neck next time. :P

[burns_erin]

So, I just washed my henna out! My hair is still really wet, but so far I think I'm in love with the color! My roots are dayglo orange, as I expected, but I know that will tone down in a couple days.

My only issues I had with the process were the following: trying to detangle afterwards, and an alarming amount of shed hairs. I'm not sure if the sheds were caused by the ridiculous amount of tangling I had going on or what, but it was a bit scary. :( I also used conditioner 4-5 times while in the shower, trying to detangle and it just wasn't happening. Perhaps it was my application process that caused all the tangles? I just kind of slopped it on, lol. Also, my hair is still wet, but it feels like it's been sapped of moisture. Is this normal? I didn't use any acids in my mix. Hrm.

Once it's dry I'll post some pics :D

Besides a thinner mix, I also like to add honey, about a tablespoon per 100 grams because it goes in and out better for me that way. The other thing to consider with shedding when rinsing, is that when you henna, your hair has most likely several hours where the normal shed process is interrupted, so you are getting however many hours of shed all at once.

[Misso]

I left it in for about 5 hours. I was shooting for 6+ but it was soooo heavy and was giving me a headache. I need to find a way to position my mud caked, nearly classic length so it doesn't hurt my neck next time. :P

Your henna looks great.

Last time I hennad I put the hair in a something like a low bun wrapped at the back of my head instead of the top. I secured it with some pins and then further held it in place with the plastic bags I use to wrap my hennad head with before the scarf. It held well for about 6 hours and did not cause any pain.

Your hair is thicker and longer but maybe it would also work for you.

[Milui Elenath]

Does it matter what conditioner you use to remove the grit? I've got a full bottle of the VO5 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, but I wasn't quite sure how that would work, it being a clarifying conditioner and all.

*snip *

Should I go ahead and freeze my henna powder to keep it fresh?

Another newbie question! I've read on hennaforhair.com that I need to let the yemen sit for 6-8 hours for dye release, but on Henna Sooq is says 2 hours for hair... What's the more accurate time table?

PS: BPALers... How much BPAL do you add to your henna mix?

As far as I'm aware any conditioner will do the job as its mostly used to get the henna paste out. I don't think a clarifying conditioner would interfere maybe someone else can clarify this :eyebrows:

I froze my henna powder as soon as I got it to keep it fresh, I still have the same batch a year later and if anything its gotten stronger.

I would say dye release time is somewhere between 2 and 8 hrs depending on the henna and the weather, if its warm it can be quick. Just keep testing it on your skin and when it leaves an orange stain after washing off you'll know it will be doing its job on your hair.

Can someone tell me though what is bpal? :D

[Misso]

I am planning on doing a henna tomorrow. I want to wash my hair today.I have been COing for the most part of the last three weeks. Last time I washed I used a shampoo but now I feel like my hair needs a co. Can I co a day before henna or is it going to affect color intake?

[autumnsdaughter]

I'm henna-ing for the first time right now, and it's a wee bit uncomfortable. It feels so heavy! It is really nothing like chemical dyeing, in terms of sensations.

It wasn't too difficult to spread in, it was just weird to work with. I used PP from mehandi.com mixed with Tazo Passion tea and a teaspoon or so of paprika.

Now it's just a matter of waiting. We'll see how long I can stand having my head wrapped in plastic!

[Henna Sooq]

Yes natural dyes takes a bit more time. Try to be patient and occupy yourself :) it'll all be worth it in the end (when following a really good recipe/regimen). I hope it turns out amazing!

[Henna Sooq]

more patience and it can be heavy with those of us with tons of hair (and heavy hair).

[Misso]

autumnsdaughter, I hope your henna turned out nice?

I eded up washing my hair with Mane & Tail Original, then left to air dry for a while and then applied my henna. My hair was too oily and coated from a serum I used on Wednesday that washing it seemed a better option.

I rinsed again with water only and it rinsed a bit easier because I mixed in Katheera with the honey this time I guess.

I did a whole head this time all the way to the ends. First time for me.

I have been noticing recently that henna helps with the halo, much smoother hair after use, though a tad dry.

[autumnsdaughter]

I think it did!:D It's sort of hard to tell, without sunlight, but I can tell that it is a nice rich auburn. I was hoping for a deeper, more vibrant red, but maybe I can get that the next time I henna.

My hair feel soft and silky, it has a ton of volume, and it seems less tangly. I'm looking forward to taking pictures in the morning! So nice to be a redhead again!:happydance:

[Stephichan]

So I finally got around to doing my roots again. I hadn't done them since October and they were getting really noticeable (my roommate said to me one day 'your hair is turning blonde...'). I actually decided to experiment with my mix and am very happy, so I thought I'd share.

I used about 2-3 spoonfuls of henna mixed with warm tap water until it was mashed-potato-like. After dye release (which was nearly immediate) I added a bunch of VO5 blackberry sage tea therapy. When that started to look runny, I added some Dove go fresh lemongrass/grapefruit condish to thicken it up some. When it didn't thicken up enough, I added some Giovanni 50/50. Then I added about a dozen drops of sweet almond oil. The amount and consistency seemed alright, so I added that to my slightly damp roots. When I had those pretty good, I added some Suave daily clarifying conditioner to the mix to dilute it further and put that on my length. Left it on for about an hour and 45 minutes.

Rinsing out was incredibly easy (it was actually easier than rinsing out some conditioners I've used in the past!). I followed with a CO and let my hair air-dry. Right now it's amazingly soft and smooth - not at all like the dryness I've been hearing so many people complain about.

Before people write this off as 'just a gloss', my hair is not some strawberry-blonde, it's actually a decent red (well, right now bright orange).

[polaris1492]

Ack! I'm thinking about chickening out of my first henna. Help me decide what to do!

Right now, I've got 20g of Punjabi Prime and 30g of cassia mixed (separately) with a mix of chamomile and chai rooibos tea. It's been sitting since last night. I'm not sure what ratio I'll want to mix it in, but I figure that should cover it. I've also got plenty of indigo ready to go, just in case I turn orange. My plan was to go ahead and freeze/thaw the henna and cassia before testing, because I only have a tiny little test strand, and I want to get the full dye release. Everybody talks about how much freezing increases the color, and I don't want to test on fresh then treat with thawed later and freak out. I'm pretty chicken, so I'm probably only going to do a gloss. But right now, I'm feeling really chicken, and considering just doing another cassia gloss treatment instead of mixing with the henna. It's been at least six months since I last used a cassia treatment.

Here's my (virgin) hair right now:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4476074294_ff4167d4d4_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65258171@N00/4476074294/) and http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4476067334_786f493a9b_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65258171@N00/4476067334/)
(click to see bigger versions)

I love the red-gold highlights it's already got, and I'd love to get a tiny bit more. But not too much! And definitely not cherry/plum/burgundy or orange. I'm wavering between "go for it!" and "you pretty much like it already, why risk it?" Aside from a bit of red-gold boost, I'm mostly in it for the conditioning/strengthening/thickening benefits. And it'd be nice especially for the ends to be in better shape-- my hair's not nearly as two-toned as it looks in the second picture, but the ends are a bit lighter and rougher than the rest.

Last year when I was using cassia, I mixed it with water, then about half and half with a thick conditioner, and <25 g was plenty for my very fine hair. I'm considering doing about the same this time, but adding a spoonful of the henna and leaving it on for an hour or two.

I'm not sure I trust my test strand-- I could only get a tiny amount, and I'm not sure that it's enough to see the effect of a gloss. Am I paranoid to test for a gloss, anyway? What would you do?

(And thanks for helping a newbie out. :) )

[polaris1492]

Ok, I was right that the test strand was too small to tell much, other than I was probably right that a straight henna would be too much. So now I've got two small strand tests on the underside of my hair, one straight henna and the othe 60&#37; cassia. We'll see how it looks in a couple of hours!

[Saria]

Hey! I need quick help. Would someone measure how much is 100g henna on metric. I got 1kg back of henna and i need to measure it but i dont have weigher to weight it. Help me quick please :) would it be about 200 ml or less?

[MAO]

Hey! I need quick help. Would someone measure how much is 100g henna on metric. I got 1kg back of henna and i need to measure it but i dont have weigher to weight it. Help me quick please :) would it be about 200 ml or less?

1 kg.= 2.2lbs.

1 kg= 1000 g.

1 lb. = 16 oz.

8 oz.= 250 ml.

250x 2= 500 ml.= 2 cups

[Heidi_234]

ml is volume measurement, hence Saria's question. I'd say, go by the look of it. If you don't prepare enough, you can always mix more, and if you mix too much, you can always freeze it. :)

[Marz Hase]

I have my first henna application sitting on my head right now! I used 400g of Yemen henna, and I'm not certain if it's overkill since the hubby applied it.

I mixed it with cinammon, clove, ginger and hot raspberry zinger tea. I set the bowl in the kitchen for dye release and went out to dinner. After 4 hours, it was leaving a strong stain on my skin!

I clarified and sat in the bath tub and let the hubby apply it to my hair. He has never dyed hair before and it took him awhile to figure out. I'd say the application process took about an hour and a half and he used ALL of the mud. He also got sick of wearing the gloves because he claimed he "couldn't feel how saturated my hair was". Despite my warnings, he took the gloves off half-way through application. His hands are oompa-loompa orange now. :D

We wrapped it with a shower cap, then saran wrap, THEN a satin sleeping cap. I woke up about an hour ago and was concerned that my head wasn't warm enough, so I slapped on a warm hat on top as well. I've got four more hours to go.

Cross your fingers for me! I'm about to buy more from Henna Sooq since their prices are a bit more friendly on the pocket book than H4H. I should have bought extra to begin with, but I wasn't aware that the first application might fade out. Here's to hoping I don't look too ridiculous for work!

I want to try henndigo since I like my hair dark, but I want the hubby to get more comfortable with application and maybe develop a faster application technique.