What have I done?!

[knux]

Alright so it's not the worst thing in the world, but I am still upset about it :(

I used Lush's Caca Henna last night and left it in for a few hours, when I got in the shower to rinse it off my hair was terribly knotted, (which I was expecting) so with patience, ridiculous amounts of conditioner, and about an hour of combing I finally got it all out.

Now I love the hint of colour and the hair above my ears is super shiny and a beautiful colour, but below... it's a different story. I knew that as I was combing through my hair that I was ripping/breaking a few strands, but I was trying to be as delicate as I could (as I said I spent about an hour, starting from the ends and slooooooooooowly working my way up section by section) but now I have all these broken pieces of hair sort of sticking up all over the place. Plus the length of my hair use to be so smooth, shiny and soft, and now it's...well none of these.

I fought the urge this morning to straighten them while I was doing my bangs, but I have no idea how to hide them/heal? them. Have I completely ruined my hair?
Please help! :wail:

[DTsgirl]

I have never hennaed, but when I yuck up my hair, a HEAVY coconut oil soak (like, get it nasty oily and then leave it in for 2- 3 days. Yay for super tight braids) usually placates it enough so that we can be friends again. Maybe some Seach and Destroy and other heavy duty pampering that has had good results for you in the past will help tame the frizzies and scariness.

[MrsGuther]

I know nothing about henna and its usage and how to help when henna goes bad. I am sending hugs and good hair thoughts your way though!!! I hope you find a solution to your problem!

[knux]

Thanks guys!:flower:

But I think that it has less to do with the henna and more to do with brushing it out in the shower. I am going to try and oil it heavily tonight and hope that my hair will meet me half way. Crossing my fingers!

[burns_erin]

Ok, we'll start with have you read the henna article, in the articles section? That is going to be the best place to start. As for any advice I can give you, I will try but am not sure how much help I can be because I use unadulterated henna. First off, wash it again, maybe even clarify, because alot of the time henna leaves residue that causes alot of problems. Then you might try heavily oiling. Coconut and similar palm oils are the only ones that can really penetrate the hair shafts. You might try looking at ktani's oil shampoo method to get some ideas.

To avoid this problem, or similar problems, I started freezing and then thawing my henna before use because it made it smoother, and also adding honey seemed to help me. These might not be appropriate for the product you are using.

You can also use the search function to find threads that discuss this specific product. Hope you find some of this useful.

[Eolan]

burns_erin is right, read the articles and look in to the henna threads. I don't henna myself, but I know some peoples hair get dried out from it and hence frizzes up. Are you sure it's breakage and not frizz? Since you were so gentle with it this would be my guess. In that case you just need to do some moisture treatments.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll get it sorted out. Good luck!

[burns_erin]

Popped back in because I am pretty sure I found the thread, and the particular group of people you want to contact. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=62200

[Mesmerise]

I have had the same experience with Lush henna and hair tangles! It's unfortunate that you ripped some of your hairs, but it's possibly not as bad as you think it is.

I would try some heavy oils (as suggested by others), and during the day after you've washed your hair, if you've got bits sticking up, then maybe lightly oil them... enough to sort of stick them down without making your hair too oily. Everyone has shorter bits through their hair, so it shouldn't be too noticeable when it settles down. The buildup on your hair from the henna (and other stuff mixed in with it) may also take awhile to reduce, and this could be affecting your hair.

[dropinthebucket]

Did you bag it, or leave it out "in the air"? Many people find they have to wrap Lush cacas in clingfilm or a plastic bag or shower cap to keep the mud from drying out during application. If it dries into the hair, you've got a super mess on your hands that is super hard to get out ! Many also find it easier to do a mermaid soak first in fairly warm water before starting the conditioner/wash bit. The warm soak helps keep the cocoa butter that Lush mixes its cacas with in a more liquified form, and thus, more easily washed out. Check out the Lush FAQ thread in the Recipes, Henna, and Herbal Haircare forum - you're bound to find some good hints for getting it out without damage, and also maybe some hints for post-Lush caca care.

[lilalong]

I always had dryness problems after hennaing, my hair never felt quite right immediately after. Give it a couple of days and a few washes (and maybe oilings, but some people say oil might remove part of the henna again), your hair should look and feel much better in a little while.

[Sanyia]

My hair gets tangly and dry for a couple of days after henna. I just oil it and put it up, wait for the second day and then wash it and condition well, and it's ok after.

[Red_Wednesday]

Sorry this happened to you. I've used Lush henna as well, I always keep it bagged and moist, so fortunately I haven't had much of a problem. Even with keeping it moist though, my hair can still feel very dry afterwards.

Can your hair tolerate honey? If so, you might try mixing honey into a good cone free conditioner and sitting under a heating cap for a bit. This will help soften your hair and bring a bit more moisture and elasticity to those broken strands. Not everyone's hair likes honey though, so if you can't use honey, I would suggest getting as much moisture to those strands as possible until your hair starts to be it's old self again. You can get this moisture with a few more frequent cowashings or even just rinsing your hair more frequently - since water is moisture.

These are the things I try when in the same boat. Oil is ok for me, but if I apply too much oil to my hair especially when it's overly dry it tends to block out the moisture that I'm looking for. This of course, depends of the kind of oil I'm using. Everyone is so different though so use your best judgement.

[Tookii]

Usually, what I do is really heavy oiling. This helps calm it down while it oxidises.
I think it pretty normal as people normally experience dryness after henna ing but it'll go away. Hope it gets better :)