Henna question, please help!

[SheeJee]

Hi - my hair is black and I intend on doing the two step indigo. I really don't want red hair, but I want to leave the henna on my hair long enough to get the benefits but not long enough for major dye release into my hair (I know I will follow this up with indigo, but still :P Don't want to take any color risks!)

Just wondering if someone could please tell me how long to leave the henna on my hair so that I can reap all the benefits for my hair but not so long that it causes major color changes? Thank you :)

[celebriangel]

Eh, I don't henndigo, but I understand that you *need* the henna to dye your hair fully, and for your hair to go red, in order for the indigo to have something to "stick" to.

Basically, the "benefit" comes with the red. However, I don't see a problem - once you indigo your hair it'll be black, not red. Reducing how red your hair gets before you indigo will mean your black won't take properly.

How is this a colour risk? What do you envision happening? I mean, sometimes brown henndigo shines red, but the two-step process, from what I've seen, is pretty black. If you want black...I don't really see a problem here.

Just in case you weren't aware, indigo can wash out slowly but henna is totally forever. Don't count on ever being able to remove it.

[SheeJee]

Eh, I don't henndigo, but I understand that you *need* the henna to dye your hair fully, and for your hair to go red, in order for the indigo to have something to "stick" to.

Basically, the "benefit" comes with the red. However, I don't see a problem - once you indigo your hair it'll be black, not red. Reducing how red your hair gets before you indigo will mean your black won't take properly.

How is this a colour risk? What do you envision happening? I mean, sometimes brown henndigo shines red, but the two-step process, from what I've seen, is pretty black. If you want black...I don't really see a problem here.

Just in case you weren't aware, indigo can wash out slowly but henna is totally forever. Don't count on ever being able to remove it.


Hi there
Oh I didn't know the in order for indigo to stick you need the hair to be fully saturated with henna first! thanks for letting me know. the only thing I was worried about is that people say that indigo fades and henna doesn't, and because i have dark skin with black hair i don't think the red will suit me and i'm scared to try that look in any case :( it would be a major step for me! how long do you recommend leaving the henna on my hair for, as I know that this varies and i haven't been able to get definite time but for indigo most people say 1 hour.
thank you!

[PolarCathy]

I have black hair that gets sunbleached easily. No significant amount of grays. I have done the two-step and I regretted it because now I sometimes have that red glow I hate on me.

What I would do now is to do just a henna gloss for 1 hour and I would go with cassia:indigo 50:50 from there. The worst that could happen then is that it would wash out quickly. In which case I would repeat the whole thing: one more gloss (prefereably with amla to cut down on the red) and just indigo+cassia. The cassia I would only add because some say that indigo alone may come out "flat". Sure the indigo wouldn't stick as well as it sticks to hennaed hair but I still think it would build up afer a few applications. In addition to that, I think this way I could get true blue-black, the color I am longing for, not the soft black I have now.

I have gotten true black and it stuck well but I don't want that red glow and I sometimes do see it in the sun and in certain artficial lights too.

[Anje]

I'd suggest you try cassia. It's got similar strengthening qualities to henna, but the dye to it is a pale yellow that usually only shows on light hair and fades over time. The full name is either Cassia obovata (which is old) or Senna italica.