Henna colour being washed out (and staining my towels!!!)

[Soltimus]

I tried looking for a thread about this, but I wasn't able to find anything so I'll attempt it myself then. Hope I've not missed some very obvious posts about this and, ha ha ha :D

Right. I've recently started using henna again after a long break of about 10 years, and I completely forgot how much excess colour gets rinsed out during the first week after I dye my hair, and now I'm wondering if it has to be like this. Does it depend on the brand of henna you use? I've tried different ones - all of very good quality - and the result is more or less the same when it comes to washing out the colour the first week or so.

When I used this as a teenager I didn't know that much about henna, and I took advice on how to use it from friends of mine or my mother's hippie friends. I remember using coffee to mix up the henna, and also I believe I used lemon juice as well. I've been looking through some of the articles and threads on the subject of preparing the henna on this forum to see if there was a trick to maybe avoid rinsing out so much excess dye, but there didn't seem to be anything on the subject. Is there nothing one can do to avoid it?

Will using a henna shampoo help reduce the colour from being rinsed out too much?

[Ticky]

I have a couple of henna streaks on my underlayer, and the first wash or two it stained the towels, it bled when I washed it, all that. But that could be because I didn't use BAQ henna, I used some pre-mixed stuff.

[natt i nord]

Mine doesn't bleed at all while washing it the first time after the fresh dye. Doesn't stain my towels, either.
I use khadi Henna red and wash it out very properly, mostly with shampoo - I simply wash out all the color that'd bleed the following washes at once.

[Shatam1]

I used lots of brands of henna, red henna, and none of them ever stained my towels. If it is pure henna I don't think it should bleed.

[joyfulchiara]

I've used many different kinds of henna with the same results. I always get color bleed the first week or two despite washing very well after dyeing. (I'm now using Rajsthani Twilight from mehendi.com with the same results.) I use only white towels in my house, so it's very obvious that it continues to bleed despite being washed several times very well with shampoo after dyeing. Sorry, I don't know any tricks to stop this. I mix my henna with black tea and 1 tsp of lemon juice. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone else has any ideas.

[Tisiloves]

Get some black towels. 10 years of dye and that's my best advice.

[lapushka]

Get some black towels. 10 years of dye and that's my best advice.

This. ^^ I'd get some towels for hair use only. Those are just very convenient to have.

[akilina]

I am sort of in the same boat...I quit using henna because it was washing out so badly. It is confusing because I used a good BAQ henna. I don't really know whats going on.
But to try to keep it from doing that I don't wash with shampoo as often and I use cooler water. Deep conditioning treatments seem to wash out my color the most so I try to avoid them when using henna :(

[moxamoll]

The very first time I henna'd I had a bit of bleed out that next washing but that was it. I've never had the happen since - sorry, no advice for you!

Does the colour seem to fade in your hair? If not, maybe it's the excess henna being washed out and you need to rinse more the first time? That's my only thought. :p

[Soltimus]

Thank you all! I see I'm not the only one with this problem. I wonder if it has something to do with how different people's hair is?! Maybe some retain colour better than others? I don't know, but I guess I'll have to experiment a bit :magic:

I've already doomed an old My Little Pony towel to the task of hair drying after my last hennaing, ha ha ha. I usually rinse thoroughly and then shampoo twice after I've dyed my hair, but I think I'll give it a go with more shampooing. Maybe it'll help? It would be nice to get as much excess colour out as soon as possible seeing as it doesn't seem to want to live in my hair.

The colour does fade, but not too fast, I think. I dye my hair about once a month when the roots really start to show and the colour is less deep. I might try out this henna conditioner I stumbled upon not so long ago since it's suppose to help rinse out after you dye if you put a bit of it in the henna paste. It's worth a shot, I guess.

Ahh, the wonders of henna!

[cmg]

Hi all,

Ive been using henna during different periods of my life, perhaps 30+ years all together. It has happened to me at most three or four times during these years. My best guess is it doesnt have anything to do with the brand or type of henna, but rather some other factor in the own hair. Perhaps it has to do with the condition of the hair.

If damaged or porous and freshly hennaed, this might happen? Maybe it needs a certain skeleton to stick on to begin with and then it stays on better and better? Or perhaps the other way around - the hair needs to be porous enough, to take on the henna? I remember one of these occasions. My hair was very well oiled and in very good condition otherwise, when this happened. The other times I dont remember so well, but my hair was mistreated in different ways (dye, heat styling, straight perm etc.).

Or perhaps something in the water inhibits the henna from working as desired.

Buying some black towels is a really good idea anyways :)

/CMG

[ladylowtide]

To keep my henna from washing out I rinse the actual paste out of my hair with lukewarm water TONS of cone free conditioner. Scalp to root I drown my hair in it. The henna mix (I do rooibos, red wine vinegar) is acidic enough that I can put it on 4rth day hair and rinse out with the conditioner, and co wash every three days for the first week and half and look clean. I try to go at least a week without using shampoo after I henna.

[Unicorn]

I'd also say black towels. I bought some that I use only for my hair.

Unicorn

[MonaMayfair]

I've stopped using henna now, but the only time I've ever got it on my towel (white microfibre hair towels) is when the henna paste has got on my neck or ear and I haven't washed it off properly while rinsing the henna out.
I found that if I shampooed it out and rinsed thoroughly, none ever came off on the towel from my actual hair.

[Kittykins]

Bumping this back up again because I have a similar problem. I henna my hair roughly once per month. I have never bleached it or used box dyes, I've only ever used vegetable dye and henna (not at the same time). I used premixed henna from my local Indian grocery, a mixture of dark brown and maroon that has other herbs added to it as well. The dark brown one is BAQ and the maroon one isn't but also contains amla and shikaki. When washing my henna mix out I rinse it with warm water, cover it with cone free conditoner, shampoo, condition again and do a ACV rinse. I wash my hair twice a week with a low sulfate shampoo and cone-free container and do a ACV rinse. I do a pre-wash deep treatment once a week. I vary between SMT, coconut oil, coconut cream and conditioner soaks. Every time I wash my hair it 'bleeds' a dark yellow colour. After it oxidises, it is roughly the colour of my avatar picture. But by the next time I henna to cover my roots, the colour has faded. It even bleeds if I get it wet in the shower but don't shampoo or condition it. It makes no difference how long I let the henna dye release or have it in my hair for. Help!

[Nae]

Yeah, my henna always bleeds, usually for at least 4 washes after I henna. I just thought it was natural. I have dark towels. I also air-dry my hair so I have to be careful about what colored shirt I wear while it is drying or I walk around in my terry cloth robe while I am still dripping so that it ends up orangey instead of my clothes.

[Scarlet_Heart]

I dry my hair with old tshirts because they're less abrasive on the hair and I don't care if they get stained with henna.

The first few times I'd henna (maybe the first 2-3 times) I bled a lot out and the color faded a lot. But over time, the color seeps in and stays better. Sometimes it takes a few tries for the henna to "take."

To help with this, try using a protein filler prior to applying the henna. It helps fill in the pores of your hair. If your hair is very porous, the henna has a harder time sticking. So the filler fills in the gaps so that the henna can stick better? I don't know someone explained it better to me once, but all I can tell you is it works. I wash my hair, dry it with a tshirt, apply the filler to damp hair, squeeze out the excess, and then go apply my henna. Works great.

Here (http://www.sallybeauty.com/protein-filler/CLRFUL1,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH) is the filler I use.

Hope this helps! :flower:

[cmg]

Yes that is what I think also. It must be something with the porosity of the hair. Perhaps a cassia-treatment or a particularly protein rich deep treatment can make a difference.

/ CMG

[Kittykins]

I just ordered a vegan protein reconstructor and will report back with results.

[Isilme]

My henna bleeds like crazy, on my 100% virgin roots!
Since the only shop in Sweden that sells BAQ henna closed down I have used a henna of lesser quality (not BAQ but pure henna) and I found that brand to fade so much more than Jamila or Yemeni.
I don't think it has much with hair quality to do since my henna has bled on severely damaged hair as well as top quality virgin hair.

[cmg]

Isilme, do you use Herbiques henna today? It has never bled for me.

BTW a new swedish hennashop has opened on the internet that sells Jamila.

/ CMG

[Dolly]

Henna Hut henna bled like CRAZY. But then, it clearly states that it has other ingredients besides henna. Their bright red faded out to orange after 3-4 weeks.

When I switched to pure, BAQ henna, I have a little bleeding (not really bleeding, more like a little bit of "runoff") for the first 2-3 shampoos. I think it is just due to residue left in my hair because I get tired of rinsing the henna out.....so, due to just being lazy.....LOL!

FYI though, I have 4 old dark green towels that use just for henna.....and have forbidden anybody else to use them, so they will always be there when I need them.....

[Marcellaa]

Get some black towels. 10 years of dye and that's my best advice.
I agree! Henna always stains with me, doesn't mather what I use.

[earthymamawitch]

Bumping this back up again because I have a similar problem. I henna my hair roughly once per month. I have never bleached it or used box dyes, I've only ever used vegetable dye and henna (not at the same time). I used premixed henna from my local Indian grocery, a mixture of dark brown and maroon that has other herbs added to it as well. The dark brown one is BAQ and the maroon one isn't but also contains amla and shikaki. When washing my henna mix out I rinse it with warm water, cover it with cone free conditoner, shampoo, condition again and do a ACV rinse. I wash my hair twice a week with a low sulfate shampoo and cone-free container and do a ACV rinse. I do a pre-wash deep treatment once a week. I vary between SMT, coconut oil, coconut cream and conditioner soaks. Every time I wash my hair it 'bleeds' a dark yellow colour. After it oxidises, it is roughly the colour of my avatar picture. But by the next time I henna to cover my roots, the colour has faded. It even bleeds if I get it wet in the shower but don't shampoo or condition it. It makes no difference how long I let the henna dye release or have it in my hair for. Help!

What brands are the dark brown & maroon?

[kdaniels8811]

The only thing I can add is I never wash my hair after hennaing. I use cheap conditioner to rinse it out and wait at least 5 days before washing with shampoo. i have never had any problem and my hair was very damaged when I started. I remember in the instructions it said not to shampoo for at least 3 days to give the color a chance to stick.