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MeMyselfandI
March 16th, 2008, 06:59 AM
How do you section your hair to apply henna or other mud type products?

How do you rinse them off?

I am fairly new to henna. I had a hard time putting it on and taking it off. I had some problems with dyes as well.

Rinsing was also difficult.

I bought some amla I want to try as a treatment. I dread the application of it.

I know I want to henna again, so I was looking for ideas on how you seperated your hair to apply the henna to your roots and hair. Also how do you rinse it off.

khyricat
March 16th, 2008, 07:06 AM
application for me is non standard- my hair is so thin that I apply around the hairline, and as I move in, I massage it through to the scalp all over, once that is done, I apply to the length, bun it and repeat with the excess over top of it all, massaging my head in its entirety...

onthe other hand, removal is standard- I mermaid soak in the tub first- water just deep enough to cover my head when tipped back.. and massage and swish until I get out as much as possible that way, lifting up to let the water move around the tub a few times.. then I use the handheld shower head on massage directly on my hair and scalp until it seems clean to me, then pour over my tea rinse leave in and get out.. let it air dry and comb very carefully.

mellie
March 16th, 2008, 07:14 AM
Re: sectioning: there is a tool that you can find at beauty supply shops, I think it is called a "tinting brush". It has a paint-brush type brush at one end and a "pick" at the other. I use the "pick" end of it to section my hair when I henna.

Re: rinsing: I do this in the bathroom sink. I tilt my head under and run water directly over my hair, and let the water collect so I can dunk my hair into it. Submerging it helps to loosen all the debris. Rinse it out a lot, more than you think you need to.

I would be curious about how you like amla to use by itself. I tried it and didn't like it at all. It knocked out my natural wave and also some of the indigo from the henndigo I had applied a few days before. It also left my hair feeling very heavy and greasy.

Anyway, hope this helps!

Nat242
March 16th, 2008, 07:32 AM
Sectioning - I get a few cubic centimetres of hair and braid them, creating lots of little braids all over my head. I apply henna to the roots - which is much easier when the length is contained in this way, and then, if I'm doing a full head application, I unbraid one braid at a time and paint it with henna, then coil it up on top of my head. Repeat.

Rinsing - I save my shower water, so there's usually a bucket of water in the shower. I dunk my hair in that and moosh it around, try and loosen up the compacted mud and hair. Then slather with conditioner. Then rinse under the shower, or under the basin tap. No real method to this.

Elfling
March 16th, 2008, 08:24 AM
I do both very, very messily :D

Last time I did henna I sectioned my past-BSL hair into four sections: two front, two back. Then I did bits of each section from roots to end at a time. Since henna doesn't leak through like normal hair dye, I try to flatten the sections out and get both sides.

This time I tried to cover my roots first with a tinting brush and then do the ends..it didn't work as well for me in practice as it did in theory.

It *is* a messy, tiring process, but I'm sure I'll get better at it :p just takes some practice to find what really works for you. I'm debating trying to bribe my boyfriend to help me next time to make sure I don't miss spots.

Getting it out is just lots of conditioner and lots of water for me; I don't have a bathtub, just a shower, so it takes a bit. I'm still trying to improve on this; I tried the bucket bit but I couldn't really find a good comfortable way to let the henna soak off in it. I'd try the kitchen sink but it's so far from the bathroom, and I don't want to go dripping henndigo across the carpet, heh.

Rae~
March 16th, 2008, 08:41 AM
I posted this (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=15360#post15360) in the cassia thread earlier, if it helps. :)

Gutterfayrie
March 16th, 2008, 09:10 AM
I section my hair into four bits and work from bottom up, finishing with the crown of my hair. I use a tint brush to "paint" it into my roots, and then my hands to smooch it in the length., takes be about an hour on my waist length hair.

to rinse, I jump in the shower, get it wet, then slather on cheep vo5, work that in, rinse, more vo5, rinse, and repeat until my hair is clean, or I run out of vo5 :D

akurah
March 16th, 2008, 12:40 PM
I section my hair horizontally about two or three times. I'll take a clip, and separate the most bottom of my hair and saturate it with henna while the rest is clipped on top. Clip comes out, I section out the next bottommost part, clip the rest back up, until all the hair is done.

The idea of sectioning any other way intimidates me a bit, and this way works like a beauty anyway, so I just do that.

terriej
March 16th, 2008, 01:02 PM
Just to add to what the others have said, if your henna is too thick it will be difficult to apply (whenever my henna was too thick, my hair tangled badly), just add more water.

Nightshade
March 16th, 2008, 01:10 PM
Here's how I rinse (sniped from the henna article)

Rinsing
Get some cheap cone-free conditioner (such as V05 White Tea Therapy). Get in the shower, blast off your hair a little, then keep your hair out of the water and work in handfuls of conditioner. I go through a full bottle if it's a little bottle, and half of one of the 33% MORE FREE! bottles. Just work the conditioner in. You'll need lots. As you work the conditioner in start gently detangling from the ends up, adding more conditioner. Only when you can get your fingers mostly through it should you rinse. This does a few things: 1) you get a CO cleansing treatment as this is going to take you at least 20 mins to work into your hair before rinsing. 2) detangling helps the cassia mud rinse free easier, diminishing rinsing time overall. I cut my rinsing time in half with this method. Just be patient.

Other people have good luck soaking their head in a bathtub or bucket of water and then rinsing.

Celebrian
March 16th, 2008, 02:55 PM
I section my hair horizontally about two or three times. I'll take a clip, and separate the most bottom of my hair and saturate it with henna while the rest is clipped on top. Clip comes out, I section out the next bottommost part, clip the rest back up, until all the hair is done.

The idea of sectioning any other way intimidates me a bit, and this way works like a beauty anyway, so I just do that.

This sounds a good technique to me. Thanks akurah.

Re rinsing, since I started taking a bucket in and standing it in the tub (bending over it from outside said tub!) I haven't looked back! The rest is easy to get out with some further shower rinsing, conditioner etc.

Tuonela
March 16th, 2008, 05:17 PM
.. Wait, you're supposed to section your hair to apply henna? I just coat my hairline or whole face in oil, grab someone to help, and smoosh in the henna with them for awhile. It's messy, but the oil keeps my face from getting orange.

As far as rinsing goes, I confess- I'm wasteful. I soak my hair under a running faucet til the bulk of it is out, and then take a regular shower. Honestly, it takes a few days and 3-4 shampoos to get it all out, for me. I've tried soaking in a bucket and it just didn't work on my hair. :(

EDIT: You know, I'd never even thought of using conditioner to get henna out. I know what I'm trying next. :)

zift
March 16th, 2008, 07:37 PM
I do it different than others. My hair is like mid-thigh length and I don't think I could do it any easier. But have to say that I don't have greys and my hair's already a closer color to the one I aim and my nape hairs are short like neck level so that helps because the head is already thick.
Here's how I do it:
I section my hair in two parts from the crown up and down. Than I ponytail the bottom part and put it in my shirt. While I hold the upper crown part with my left hand like making a ponytail I apply the mud with my right hand. I just slash it over the surface and try to cover all the hair. I put the mud around the base and slide my hand through to the tips. Than when it's all fed up with mud I just wrap it on top of my head and it stays by itself. Than undo the bottom part and apply the same way.
Rinsing?
I just jump into shower and let the coils down. Now the top section always pulls on the scalp so I hold with left hand again to ease the weight and help rinsing with the right hand. I stand under water shaking my hair for like 7-10 minutes and when all the mud was gone I apply loads of conditioner.I usualy have zero difficulty detangling,I have very less tangles.
The applying takes 30 minutes or less and the rinsing and shower like 30 minutes too.
If someone has any other experience applying by themselves to very long hair,I'll be glad to hear how they do it:D

Chromis
March 16th, 2008, 07:43 PM
My hair resists efforts to section is so I start smearing goop around the lower edge of my hair line, then into that hard to reach area around the ears, then I just plop and massage more working up to the crown with a few extra gloops on the part. I just keep massaging it in and do the same for the length. It takes a surprising amount of work to get the length fully coated!

For rinsing I've tried using the big mixing bowl that I use for the henna, but I'm not entirely sure it helped. Most I just keep rinsing until it isn't chunky and just feels gritty, then I start working in conditioner. I don't use vast amounts of it either, maybe 1/4 cup if I'm being generous.

prosperina
March 16th, 2008, 08:06 PM
I talk some poor sap into helping apply henna to my roots. I hand them a comb and let them section away as they please. :D I promise to be horribly angry if the sap messes it up. I bark out angry commands if they stab my tender scalp with the comb or their fingers. :LOL:

No seriously, that's what I do--well not quite--I tend to be nice to the person yielding the mud. Although I only do a full roots application once every (two) months. The rest of the time (twice a month) I touch up the roots that will show: around my hair line front and back, my temples and a bit on top, but that's easy to do myself.

Ms Kitty
March 16th, 2008, 09:02 PM
I use chamomile tea to mix my henna and haven't have a real problem rinsing it out. I stand under the shower like I'm standing under a waterfall for a 10 minutes, then I used the tea to rinse also and I get it all out. I use Jamila henna and it's very finely sifted and easy ti get out of my hair.

Elfling
March 16th, 2008, 09:13 PM
.. Wait, you're supposed to section your hair to apply henna? I just coat my hairline or whole face in oil, grab someone to help, and smoosh in the henna with them for awhile. It's messy, but the oil keeps my face from getting orange.

As far as rinsing goes, I confess- I'm wasteful. I soak my hair under a running faucet til the bulk of it is out, and then take a regular shower. Honestly, it takes a few days and 3-4 shampoos to get it all out, for me. I've tried soaking in a bucket and it just didn't work on my hair. :(

EDIT: You know, I'd never even thought of using conditioner to get henna out. I know what I'm trying next. :)
I think this really depends on how thick/long your hair is. I pretty much smushed it all down into my roots today and it worked, but I had to section the length of my hair or I would have had outside henna, inside nothing.

Conditioner is the only way to go getting it out, ime! Cheapo no-cone Suave is excellent.

MadHatter
March 16th, 2008, 11:24 PM
Sectioning - I get a few cubic centimetres of hair and braid them, creating lots of little braids all over my head. I apply henna to the roots - which is much easier when the length is contained in this way, and then, if I'm doing a full head application, I unbraid one braid at a time and paint it with henna, then coil it up on top of my head. Repeat.



Roots are such a nightmare for me. Since my hair is long and thick-ish, I have a hard time getting to them all. Next time I'll try braiding! Thanks for sharing that.

jel
March 17th, 2008, 06:33 AM
Just for roots (which is all I do now anyway) I find braids quite useful too. For me 6 are quite enough - I just make sure they are not tight at the scalp so I can smoosh the mud through the roots. If I also want a henna gloss on the length, I add plenty of conditioner to the leftover mud, and apply to each braid. The gloss is much lighter and with more slip so it soaks right into the braids.

I rinse under the shower with loads of conditioner.

tiny_teesha
March 17th, 2008, 07:09 AM
I only henna my ends, to i tie my hair up in a pony tail, or 2, then henna and wrap in cling wrap. When i'm done i pull off the wrap and run it under the sink. It pretty much falls straight off, but i condition it again to be sure.
To henna my mums roots i just section her hair from front to back and glob it on with a spoon. To rinse she refuses not to shampoo and condition as she hates the smell. And she can't not shampoo for some bizarre reason no matter how much i convince her not to. She does find after henna she doesn't need to shampoo for a week afterward and the effect lasts a month or longer (we try to henna monthly together)

MeMyselfandI
March 17th, 2008, 06:42 PM
Thank you everyone for all your suggestions. You all make it sounds so easy as I was reading your posts.

Elfling
March 17th, 2008, 07:16 PM
It's very intimidating sometimes that first moment you start glopping it in your hair :p