Help: can henna glosses help me to maintain strength and shine?

[priinnz]

Hi everyone,
ETA: my thread title should have been: Can henna glosses help me to GIVE strength and shine.
As i don't have any of it right now that I can go about MAINTAINING


So LHC has final convinced me to take the Henna plunge to add thickness and shine and reduce frizz/flyaways.

However I am wondering if I can get away with a henna gloss instead of full head application as I am rather worried about dryness, tangles and smell. My hair are quite dark so not bothered about colour.
I have few questions and although I have been reading past threads for several days they don’t really answer my specific question for sure. so I hope you wonderful people can help me.

1. Can henna glosses help in strengthening and conditioning my hair like full henna and how long would the effect last?
2. Are henna glosses smelly too? Do you see dye bleeding for a few days after gloss too?
3. How often do I need to apply the glosses to maintain strength and shine and thickness.
4. Would you rather recommend that I bear the tangles and dryness and all and do full henna the first time (in a salon as I am afraid of my ripping my fine hair out) and then follow up with glosses at home.

If you could include your gloss recipe too it would be great.

Thank you so much

[JennGalt]

1. Don’t know, I did multiple glosses. And I have black hair, so can’t tell how much has washed out. I think it’s another YMMV thing though. But I seem to need one at least every few months.

2. Yes, they still smell like henna, which is just sort of a grassy smell. I didn’t notice the grassy smell lingering in my hair afterwards. I use some protein free conditioner to help moisturize and wash out any bits of gloss mixture I might have missed in a thorough rinse, so I don’t see much henna bleeding in subsequent washes. Some shampoos will cause more bleeding than others, so I’d recommend using a dark towel or shirt for drying anyway just in case.

3. Hard to say. Too many variables at play. YMMV. Try one and see.

4. I’m not sure how a salon would help, as the post-henna tangliness lasts about two days for me. I just treat my hair very gently for those two days; keep it lightly oiled and bunned and only finger detangled the worst knots—the rest I always left until my hair had gone back to a more normal state. Using a protein free conditioner after thoroughly rinsing the henna mix does seem to help a bit.

I don’t have a set gloss recipe. I just mix henna and canned coconut milk until it’s a little runnier than I want because it will thicken up while it sits. I let it sit for eight or so hours in the fridge, then transfer it to the freezer. I let it freeze solidly all the way through and then it goes back to the fridge to thaw. And if I’m not using leftover henna, I start preparing a few days in advance. If it has thickened up too much I just add tap water.

[priinnz]

1. Don’t know, I did multiple glosses. And I have black hair, so can’t tell how much has washed out. I think it’s another YMMV thing though. But I seem to need one at least every few months.

2. Yes, they still smell like henna, which is just sort of a grassy smell. I didn’t notice the grassy smell lingering in my hair afterwards. I use some protein free conditioner to help moisturize and wash out any bits of gloss mixture I might have missed in a thorough rinse, so I don’t see much henna bleeding in subsequent washes. Some shampoos will cause more bleeding than others, so I’d recommend using a dark towel or shirt for drying anyway just in case.

3. Hard to say. Too many variables at play. YMMV. Try one and see.

4. I’m not sure how a salon would help, as the post-henna tangliness lasts about two days for me. I just treat my hair very gently for those two days; keep it lightly oiled and bunned and only finger detangled the worst knots—the rest I always left until my hair had gone back to a more normal state. Using a protein free conditioner after thoroughly rinsing the henna mix does seem to help a bit.

I don’t have a set gloss recipe. I just mix henna and canned coconut milk until it’s a little runnier than I want because it will thicken up while it sits. I let it sit for eight or so hours in the fridge, then transfer it to the freezer. I let it freeze solidly all the way through and then it goes back to the fridge to thaw. And if I’m not using leftover henna, I start preparing a few days in advance. If it has thickened up too much I just add tap water.

Thank you for answering my question Jenn Glatt

I was thinking of a salon for normal henna thinking they might be gentler with my hair and help rinsing out. but I am not really sure .

About your recipe: do you first put henna in warm water/ tea for dye release, or do you directly add it to canned milk? Does this give you shine/ strength/ thinkening of hair strands and does that last for a month or so at least?

[JennGalt]

I put some henna in a plastic jar and stir/mash in the coconut milk. Nothing else. Nothing is heated in this process.

I’ve used it successfully straight afterward without leaving it to sit and release dye, as the coconut milk will cause it to do so. But freezing it will burst the cells of the plant matter and allow more dye to release. I’ve heard some say that a runnier mixture result in more dye release, but I like the effects of the coconut too much to water it down much If you’re looking for shine, the coconut seems to add quite a bit, but its effects don’t last as long as those of the henna.

The shine does not appear for me for at least two days while my hair is rough and tangly, but after that, I would say that yes, the effects last a month. I don’t know how long the shine lasts because I use oils on a near daily basis and those could account for the shine, but the strengthening and decrease in tangling last at least a month for me, minus any new growth that doesn’t have henna on it. I don’t personally notice thickening of strands until a few applications have been done, but that could just be because my hair is porous and had plenty of spaces for the henna to fill up without adding thickness.

[Obsidian]

Henna really isn't that hard to rinse out. After you gently rinse the excess away, apply a lot of conditioner, like a whole bottle if necessary. Gently work it through and rinse, follow that with a shampoo. The dry tangled feeling you can get with henna is due to a resinous residue left behind, the sooner you wash, the sooner it starts to go away. Shampooing immediately will not effect color or the strengthening properties.

I really don't think a gloss will do that much for strengthening, at least not unless you do many. Might as well do a full application and get it done with. If you have very damaged or delicate hair, you might even want multiple full applications. I didn't really see a difference in my hair strength until I had done at least 4 full applications, the best results were after 6.

The smell isn't terrible and you can counter it some by adding in a little essential oil. I always used orange, about 1/2 tsp per 100 grams of dry henna. The color doesn't really bleed, at least not like a temporary dye does. The lather might be a little orange the first few times you wash but if you got caught in the rain, you will not have orange run off.

There are some salons that deal with henna but I wouldn't go to a regular one. Watch a few videos of the best application method and get a friend to help. Its not hard, just make sure the hair is fully saturated.

[JennGalt]

And if you use my recipe, I’d recommend rinsing by doing a mermaid soak in a tub or large container until the bulk of the gloss is rinsed out, and then conditioning in the shower. The rinsed henna can then be dumped outside or down the toilet. Either that or be prepared for your drain to slow waaaay down. When I lived in my own house, sometimes following it by dumping a bunch of dishwashing detergent and boiling water down the drain was enough, but if you have an apartment with horrible drains and neighbors who regularly block up the main line don’t risk it

[JennGalt]

Henna really isn't that hard to rinse out. After you gently rinse the excess away, apply a lot of conditioner, like a whole bottle if necessary. Gently work it through and rinse, follow that with a shampoo. The dry tangled feeling you can get with henna is due to a resinous residue left behind, the sooner you wash, the sooner it starts to go away. Shampooing immediately will not effect color or the strengthening properties.

I really don't think a gloss will do that much for strengthening, at least not unless you do many. Might as well do a full application and get it done with. If you have very damaged or delicate hair, you might even want multiple full applications. I didn't really see a difference in my hair strength until I had done at least 4 full applications, the best results were after 6.

The smell isn't terrible and you can counter it some by adding in a little essential oil. I always used orange, about 1/2 tsp per 100 grams of dry henna. The color doesn't really bleed, at least not like a temporary dye does. The lather might be a little orange the first few times you wash but if you got caught in the rain, you will not have orange run off.

There are some salons that deal with henna but I wouldn't go to a regular one. Watch a few videos of the best application method and get a friend to help. Its not hard, just make sure the hair is fully saturated.

The rough feeling in many cases is caused by the cuticle remaining raised. I’d forgotten I usually follow my conditioner with a vinegar rinse to help counteract this, since cold water doesn’t seem to work on my hair. It makes a big difference, but I still have the rough feeling for about 48 hours after henna application, even if I rinse well enough not to have any runoff the next wash day.

[priinnz]

Henna really isn't that hard to rinse out. After you gently rinse the excess away, apply a lot of conditioner, like a whole bottle if necessary. Gently work it through and rinse, follow that with a shampoo. The dry tangled feeling you can get with henna is due to a resinous residue left behind, the sooner you wash, the sooner it starts to go away. Shampooing immediately will not effect color or the strengthening properties.

I really don't think a gloss will do that much for strengthening, at least not unless you do many. Might as well do a full application and get it done with. If you have very damaged or delicate hair, you might even want multiple full applications. I didn't really see a difference in my hair strength until I had done at least 4 full applications, the best results were after 6.

The smell isn't terrible and you can counter it some by adding in a little essential oil. I always used orange, about 1/2 tsp per 100 grams of dry henna. The color doesn't really bleed, at least not like a temporary dye does. The lather might be a little orange the first few times you wash but if you got caught in the rain, you will not have orange run off.

There are some salons that deal with henna but I wouldn't go to a regular one. Watch a few videos of the best application method and get a friend to help. Its not hard, just make sure the hair is fully saturated.

Thanks obsidian, As it turned out I just called the salon and they said they only apply the henna and don't wash it out! Since I have no intention of walking around the city with henna in my hair, the salon option is OUT! I'd rather do it at home with the recipes on this forum than trusting their application anyway. I like your suggestion of using essential oil to mask the smell and will try that.
Does henna bleeding stain pillows over the next few days?

[priinnz]

And if you use my recipe, I’d recommend rinsing by doing a mermaid soak in a tub or large container until the bulk of the gloss is rinsed out, and then conditioning in the shower. The rinsed henna can then be dumped outside or down the toilet. Either that or be prepared for your drain to slow waaaay down. When I lived in my own house, sometimes following it by dumping a bunch of dishwashing detergent and boiling water down the drain was enough, but if you have an apartment with horrible drains and neighbors who regularly block up the main line don’t risk it

Good suggestion. I'll probably just chuck it in my plants. Might as well condition the soil while I am at it

The rough feeling in many cases is caused by the cuticle remaining raised. I’d forgotten I usually follow my conditioner with a vinegar rinse to help counteract this, since cold water doesn’t seem to work on my hair. It makes a big difference, but I still have the rough feeling for about 48 hours after henna application, even if I rinse well enough not to have any runoff the next wash day.

Vinegar rinse make a lot of sense. You are so amazingly helpful.. Thanks

[Obsidian]

No, it won't stain your pillow. When you mix up your henna, just use water. All the extra junk like tea and lemon juice do nothing besides dry out your hair.