Henna = shedding?

[Zapookie]

Hello, I'm sorta new to posting here but I have been lurking for a little while.

I have used yemeni henna mixed with coconut oil (to combat the dryness) on my hair twice in the last 3 or so weeks. The first wash after doing the henna both times, I lost SO MUCH hair. It's really depressing :( Today was the first wash after my second henna and in the shower I was pulling out clumps! My hair is air drying now and I just have to run my fingers down the lengths gently and a bunch of hairs come out.

Do you think it could be the coconut oil? I bought coconut oil a couple of months ago because I read how good it has been for some people. I still haven't figured out the method to use it on my hair without it going crunchy or looking oily, so I just did deep oilings overnight before a morning wash, but they caused me to shed like crazy too.

If I take out the coconut oil from my henna mix, is there anything else I can try? I only mix with warm water, not lemon juice. DO you think it's the coconut oil, or the henna itself?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I went through a huge shed early 2010 because of a terrible shampoo (organix coconut) and I didn't figure it was the shampoo until I had already lost a lot. I want to try and nip this in the bud early!

[Amber_Maiden]

Coconut oil made my hair crunchy as well, so I stopped using it.

It's probably the henna that is causing the shedding. I don't see how the oil would/could. Myself, and other people who use henna, have experienced the shedding that comes with using henna.

[Toiréasa]

I too have heavy shedding when I henna,I usually henna about every 6 weeks I don't feel like my hair is any thinner from this extra shedding tho.

[Zapookie]

I thought it might be the coconut oil because coconut oil on my hair always causes shedding - so I had to find other uses for it (smells yummy on my skin :))

If it's the henna.. is there anyway to combat the shedding? Or do you just deal with it knowing its a downside to using henna? It makes me so sad to see my thick hair becoming less and less each time. My mother has really thin hair and she's in her 50's, and I'm still in my 20's and have so much of my life left!

And is it all kinds of henna that cause shedding, or only particular ones?

[Toiréasa]

so I had to find other uses for it (smells yummy on my skin :))

And is it all kinds of henna that cause shedding, or only particular ones?

I use it everyday after I get out of the shower on my skin I have very dry skin in the winter and in the summer I spend a ton of time at the beach and the salt water is very drying coconut oil is the boom for dry itchy skin :)

I have used Yemen and Red Raj both with the same amount of shedding,but like I said before I don't feel that my hair is any thinner as a end result.

[princesitamaria]

wow well let me tell you I bleached my hair for a few years just the roots after the overall app. and it started falling out like that really bad. I went to a salon and my hair stylist who was also my mom's stylist told me it is because I needed moisture and to do treatments every week and it got better let me tell you it went from all of it just breaking off to nothing, and if you run your fingers through it and it breaks thats bad girly. I am sorry but there are only two things that can make your hair break like that - too much protein or too much moisture, and your hair def doesnt like the coconut- I dont wanna sound mean but if the cocnut shampoo made ur hair fall out y would you put it in with the henna? I use henna and yes I will shed a few hairs but thats only expectent because its so thick and you gotta like scrub your hair for it to come out- but henna is good for your hair! I would advise doing a protein mask for at least an hour twice a week and see if you notice a difference and do not touch the coconut again! lol and when you henna you can use tea or just water. ok? let me kno how it goes, good luck :D I know exactly what ur going thro!

[princesitamaria]

oh and you can just use eggs for a protein mask or mayo that has protein in it too

[Zapookie]

wow well let me tell you I bleached my hair for a few years just the roots after the overall app. and it started falling out like that really bad. I went to a salon and my hair stylist who was also my mom's stylist told me it is because I needed moisture and to do treatments every week and it got better let me tell you it went from all of it just breaking off to nothing, and if you run your fingers through it and it breaks thats bad girly. I am sorry but there are only two things that can make your hair break like that - too much protein or too much moisture, and your hair def doesnt like the coconut- I dont wanna sound mean but if the cocnut shampoo made ur hair fall out y would you put it in with the henna? I use henna and yes I will shed a few hairs but thats only expectent because its so thick and you gotta like scrub your hair for it to come out- but henna is good for your hair! I would advise doing a protein mask for at least an hour twice a week and see if you notice a difference and do not touch the coconut again! lol and when you henna you can use tea or just water. ok? let me kno how it goes, good luck :D I know exactly what ur going thro!


Oh no no, my hair isn't snapping or breaking, it's long strands of hair, so I assume it's falling out at the roots.

I put the coconut oil in with the henna because I had read that the henna can be really drying, so putting an oil in can add a little bit of moisture so it's not as bad? I use a henna wax mask as a treatment at least once a week which restores moisture - my hair isn't dry or brittle.

[Dorothy]

Are you rinsing the henna out in the shower or the bath? A "mermaid rinse" is most helpful to me in removing henna - I fill the tub with some water, lie back in it, let it soak a bit, then gently fluff/rub it off my scalp. it almost all comes off in that bath water and I am sitting in a red/green swamp. I drain that, then wash, then rinse and condition, but by the time I shampoo, most of the Henna has gone down the drain. I think it would be hard to get the henna out in a shower... Now I don't have a shower, so I'm not sure, but I've tried dumping buckets of water over my head in my outdoor bathing area (hillbilly hottub, ofuru - stock tank + chofu wood fired heater) and that's harder on my hair, it's a little better if I soak my head in a bucket, but it's just a lot easier in the bathtub. I have not experienced shedding, but an increase in thickness of strands and more abundance.... But Henna doesn't agree with everyone.

[Zapookie]

Are you rinsing the henna out in the shower or the bath? A "mermaid rinse" is most helpful to me in removing henna - I fill the tub with some water, lie back in it, let it soak a bit, then gently fluff/rub it off my scalp. it almost all comes off in that bath water and I am sitting in a red/green swamp. I drain that, then wash, then rinse and condition, but by the time I shampoo, most of the Henna has gone down the drain. I think it would be hard to get the henna out in a shower... Now I don't have a shower, so I'm not sure, but I've tried dumping buckets of water over my head in my outdoor bathing area (hillbilly hottub, ofuru - stock tank + chofu wood fired heater) and that's harder on my hair, it's a little better if I soak my head in a bucket, but it's just a lot easier in the bathtub. I have not experienced shedding, but an increase in thickness of strands and more abundance.... But Henna doesn't agree with everyone.

I have a detachable shower head that I use. I lean over the bathtub and let the water run over my hair til it runs kinda clear but tinted yellowish. Its like a rubber hose and the water pressure is very low, so its not too hard on my hair. I've never tried a mermaid rinse.. I might next time. It's just the idea of getting the dirt all over me is a bit of a turn off haha!

[princesitamaria]

well I still think you should stay away from the cocunut oil and you can put yogurt in with the henna or just conditioner to make it more conditioning

[princesitamaria]

Are you rinsing the henna out in the shower or the bath? A "mermaid rinse" is most helpful to me in removing henna - I fill the tub with some water, lie back in it, let it soak a bit, then gently fluff/rub it off my scalp. it almost all comes off in that bath water and I am sitting in a red/green swamp. I drain that, then wash, then rinse and condition, but by the time I shampoo, most of the Henna has gone down the drain. I think it would be hard to get the henna out in a shower... Now I don't have a shower, so I'm not sure, but I've tried dumping buckets of water over my head in my outdoor bathing area (hillbilly hottub, ofuru - stock tank + chofu wood fired heater) and that's harder on my hair, it's a little better if I soak my head in a bucket, but it's just a lot easier in the bathtub. I have not experienced shedding, but an increase in thickness of strands and more abundance.... But Henna doesn't agree with everyone.

wow the mermaid rinse sounds like a great idea I am henna'ing tonight so I will def try it I get so mad when it seems like it takes an hour to rinse the henna out, but I got jamila this time so the quality is a ton bettter then the light mountain

[Alibran]

I posted a little while back about the same thing. I've noticed increased shedding since I started using henna, but it doesn't bother me because my hair is so thick. I put it down to the increased handling my hair gets during both the applying and rinsing stages.

I started out mixing my henna with chamomile tea and lemon juice, and it was very drying. Last time I left out the lemon juice and just used chamomile tea, and it was much better. I do a deep conditioning treatment the day after the henna and, to be honest, my hair's in better condition than it's been in a long time, so I don't think it's necessary to add anything moisturising to the henna mix.

[Zapookie]

Hi, just wanted to update this thread. I henna'd two days ago using Red Raj from hennasooq on my just washed hair. I did NOT add coconut oil.

And whaddya know... NO SHEDDING! woo hoo. I can come to the conclusion that coconut oil was the culprit for my mass sheds after my previous hennas, so I won't be using it in my mix anymore.

So for anyone who notices shedding when they use oils on their scalp normally, don't put it in your henna because it will do the same thing!

[diverbel]

Zapookie, if you want/need to use oil in your henna mix, please try avocado oil! It has done amazing things for my hair! Soft, helps with tangles and has made it grow like crazy!! Coconut oil and my hair don't get along either!

[Zapookie]

Zapookie, if you want/need to use oil in your henna mix, please try avocado oil! It has done amazing things for my hair! Soft, helps with tangles and has made it grow like crazy!! Coconut oil and my hair don't get along either!

diverbel, I haven't had too much luck with oils on my scalp - I've tried both castor oil and coconut. but maybe these two are notorious for causing shedding for some people? I haven't tried avocado oil. do you know what kinds of places stock it? I know my supermarket stocks big bottles of extra virgin avocado oil, I'm just not sure if that would be OK to use on hair :)

[auburntressed]

I used to shed a ton when rinsing henna out, and it really concerned me. But ever since it have been using braids to do roots-only applications, the shedding has stopped. I think something about the braids helps anchor my hair better. It sheds less than normal washing now.

And my formula is simple - just henna and lemon juice. I don't have trouble with dryness since it is roots and scalp only, and I tend to have a greasy scalp.

[bluebird77]

Zapookie I've had the same experience as you. Any oil on my scalp causes increased shedding. I've learned to only apply oil to the length for overnight deep oilings and this seems to work well.

I've found the same with henna. When I added coconut oil to the mix I definitely shed more than henna with no added oil.

My scalp just doesn't like oil, so I will leave it alone and let it be happy.

[joyfulchiara]

Coconut oil makes me shed as well! (Not to mention the horrible things it did to my skin around my hairline.) I tried it awhile back and had such horrible, nightmare inducing results. It was disappointing since I had read so many great testimonials from using the coconut oil.

[Autumnberry]

You can also put a bucket in the shower, fill it with warm water, and lean over it, immersing your scalp and gently working out the henna. First, apply a large amount of cheap no cone conditioner like suave, and this will help. Then, apply more conditioner in a large quantity and finish rinsing in the shower. It takes a lot of stamina to lean over like that; it's kind of an exercise routine worked into a henna routine, but it works nicely and is less stress on the hair :).

[Maelyssa]

I have found that any time I use a conditioner more effective than I normally use (like the coconut oil you use with you henna) I shed much more. I actually think that lots of the shedding hair is already shed hair that were in with the rest that just didn't come out but the extra conditioning helped them glide out super easy. Maybe, maybe not but it seems true for me.