Amla/cassia DISASTER!

[xavcat]

Hi guys. So, having read all about the joys of cassia, I decided to do a nice cassia gloss. I love the natural wave of my hair and read that amla would help preserve that. So I did 100g cassia, maybe 40g amla, added water and let it sit in my Iraq-toasty room for most of the day.

I come home, I put the watery, muddy mess on my hair, wrap it in a shower cap and sit for a very drippy 30 minutes. I go to wash it out...and all but the very top inch or two of my hair is...I don't even know what color. But almost black? Gray? I can't describe it but it's awful. My natural color is medium ash blonde and most of my hair is dyed lighter than that (good ol' bleach...). And now it's green-gray-black. Amla and cassia from Mehandi.

Will it stay this color? I washed and conditioned twice and now have a heavy coat of coconut oil in since I've read on here that people have luck with that lifting color. What can I do, short of overdying it or cutting it all off? Has this ever happened to you guys? Do you have suggestions?

I know I don't even have to say this, but I could cry right now.

[Cailie]

Maybe a reaction to the bleach ... or maybe the herbs were not pure (?)

be patient, I'm sure people will help you (my own knowledge is sadly too limited :( )

[renarok]

I am very sorry for your predicament. I am not an expert on henna application, but I know that nightblooming has some experience lightening henna with sun in. I am hesitant to recommend any further chemical treatments because you have stated that you have bleached hair. I can only stress the importance of strand testing!!!!!!! Please try any color corrective techniques on an inconspiuous section of your hair. I would try intensive honey masques. Please post a picture so those of us with experience can have a better idea of what might work to correct the mistake. How does your hair feel?

[Themyst]

I don't understand. Cassia shouldn't change the color of your hair, nor does amla as far as I know. I've used both and there was no difference. Were these pure ingredients or a mix of some kind? I mean ... people use straight amla as a facial scrub even. :hmm:

[Fractalsofhair]

Amla is the part that does that. It has a slight ashy dye, I believe. It will fade within a month, I think. However, it's possible that the supplies weren't pure. Cassia won't rid your hair of a wave, I don't think.

[caribou55313]

Minerals (copper for example) in your water supply or water pipes will react with cassia that way; one of the reasons a strand test is always a good idea - your water supply can change in its chemical content from time to time. Here is a recent thread from the new H4H forum that addresses the problem:

http://forums.hennapage.com/node/137

Shower filter, instant lemonade mix (for the citric acid content), and shampoo containing tetrasodium EDTA are some of the remedies discussed.

[RavennaNight]

You got them from Mehandi? I'm really shocked. Are you sure there wasn't something else you added to the mix that maybe you forgot? It sounds really odd. Did you do the treatment right after the bleach? Like immediately?

[jackie75]

Cassia doesn't hold that long, & amla usually needs henna to grab onto to impart color from what I understand.

Try clarifying shampoo's or something harsher like prell, baby shampoo or head & shoulders. Those help to lift dyes. Make sure to condition well.

Or you can try honey lightening. Search this forum, & there's plenty of info here on that.

So sorry about your predicament! It should wash out soon!

[ktani]

Sorry to heat about your results! Cassia is pH sensitive and amla can turn a colour darker and it is very acidic. That said, the colour should wash out over time. You can honey lighten but is sounds as if the mix reacted with the dyed parts of your colour. See how washing it with shampoo goes. It should fade.

[Milui Elenath]

It sounds as if you've had good advice here and I have none to give but I do offer my sympathy.:grouphug: Hope it washes out for you and welcome to the board.

[Henna Sooq]

I am sure it will fade out soon, and glad you got a lot of great advice from everyone. Hope it fades out soon!

[lapushka]

Bleach doesn't play nice with impure henna nor does it play nice with indigo (personal experience --> green hair after bleaching natural dye). Maybe that goes for cassia too.

[UltraBella]

I don't know anything about cassia, but I know plenty about bleached hair. It is soo easy to stain bleached hair with just about anything. My suggestion is to try to strip some of the color back out with a clarifying shampoo, one made to remove chlorine in particular. The sooner the better. Wash with as warm of water as you can stand, dry, repeat several times. And then deep condition because it will be a little harsh and your hair will feel a little abused, but you can fix that. You have got to get that color off !! I am so sorry you had this experience :(

[xavcat]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great advice. I checked the thread from HFH and citric acid seemed to be a key recommendation, something I saw echoed in a Beauty Brains comment thread about hard water. So today I dumped a ton of Crystal Light lemonade single packets into a bowl, made a paste, got every around me sticky and sat for 15 minutes. Next time, shower cap. Warning: this stuff will BURN!

Two positive results: one, the black that was stuck to my nails and cuticles is all completely gone, no extra scrubbing or anything. Two, my hair is less swampish. The last five or six inches is still pretty dark and ashy, but there aren't any green tones anymore.

What kills me is that the three inches of roots are gorgeous and shiny and have the warm tone I was hoping to get. So shiny! So hopefully the rest will follow suit eventually. The fact that it did lift a little gives me hope that with a decent shampoo with EDTA (a chelator, good for all those minerals) combined with more citric acid masks will keep me going for the next three weeks. And after that? I leave Iraq and its evil, evil copper water.

I'm SO glad it lifted. Ladies, I did NOT want to cut but last night it was cut, bleach or wear a hat for the rest of my life. So here's hoping the progress continues and that my hair will be blonde again some day!

--Kate

[Milui Elenath]

I'm glad to hear you had some success. :)

[ktani]

Glad to hear it worked.

[sakuraemily]

did you say mehandi?
well, thats henna. and that mixed with amla and cassia can turn very interesting shades.
it would be better if you mix 2tsp of amla and 2tsp of fenugreek paste/powder the next time you do it.
proportions are quite important in any mix.

[jeanniet]

Minerals (copper for example) in your water supply or water pipes will react with cassia that way; one of the reasons a strand test is always a good idea - your water supply can change in its chemical content from time to time. Here is a recent thread from the new H4H forum that addresses the problem:

http://forums.hennapage.com/node/137

Shower filter, instant lemonade mix (for the citric acid content), and shampoo containing tetrasodium EDTA are some of the remedies discussed.
This is why I haven't dared try cassia. I think it would be perfect for my needs, but I can't risk the reaction with the minerals in my water.

[dropinthebucket]

Chickens (like me) might want to try cassia with distilled water, just in case of a chemical reaction with additives to your water, or minerals.

[caribou55313]

Everybody should actually do a strand or hairball test first before they use cassia (or henna). Even if you haven't had a problem using the dye before, your municipal water treatment plant sometimes adds things to your water that will result in these weird results with cassia. They don't announce it when they do that, they just slip it in there, and surprise! :(

Jeanniet, you may be able to use cassia even though your water is hard. Not all minerals do this. My water is quite hard but I've never had this kind of result. A hairball test will tell you :)

[Thinthondiel]

did you say mehandi?
well, thats henna. and that mixed with amla and cassia can turn very interesting shades.
it would be better if you mix 2tsp of amla and 2tsp of fenugreek paste/powder the next time you do it.
proportions are quite important in any mix.

She said she bought the cassia and amla from mehandi (mehandi.com, I presume), she didn't use mehandi henna.


I'd like to come with some helpful advice, but I have none. Glad to hear the green is gone from your hair, at least. :)

[Henna Sooq]

If there were local water concerns, I'd try distilled water with the recipe. I use distilled water with soap making.

[Nightshade]

There's a little purple packet of stuff you can get at Sally's that specifically designed to take minerals out of hair :) they're really inexpensive and work great!

I know this helps on henna more, but lemon juice and conditioner can pull new henna out. You could try the citric acid + conditioner if it'd make it less runny and not so drying :)