Silver roots won't accept henna, but all other silver hair will.

[yeshuasdaughter]

Henna doesn't touch my silver roots. It's strange, because the rest of my silver hairs, it turns this really pretty orangey/copper. But right by the scalp, it will not dye it. I even reserve some henna to use later, and I paint on the henna onto the roots and leave it on for several hours and wash it off. I do it a couple times. But the silver roots won't accept the henna.

Any help?

[yeshuasdaughter]

I should also add to this post that I am a natural blonde. Most of my hair is blonde under the henna, but I do have skinny streaks of silver towards the front of my hair. That's what I'm talking about.

[yeshuasdaughter]

Does anyone have advice for coloring silver roots with henna?

[C_Bookworm]

What is your current routine?

[C_Bookworm]

Speaking for myself (I have a smattering of grays but not a full head), these are the things that help:
Making sure the henna is at peak dye release when I apply it
Using a hot pad during the winter
Keeping the edges tightly sealed with Saran Wrap
Vaseline on the adjacent skin and then really glomming on the henna

[GoatLady]

Does anyone have advice for coloring silver roots with henna?

Sorry I can't help. I am fortunate that henna dyes my gray roots really well. I hope you can find an answer. I have been hennaing my hair for over 12 years. This is the henna I have always used. I love it. It also rinses out very easily.

[yeshuasdaughter]

I will look into that. I remember back in the days of the long hair group on Livejournal, people really liked that brand.

[yeshuasdaughter]

For henna?

Hmm... I dye my hair once every 3-6 months. I mix the henna with yogurt, lemon juice, and vinegar and leave it there for up to 24 hours in the bowl, then I schplop it onto my hair. I leave it for up to five or six hours, or until I can't stand it anymore, lol. Rinse it out with a whole lotta conditioner (I don't use shampoo).

When I wash my hair, it's with vinegar.

I can paint extra henna onto those grays as much as I like, but it just won't take the henna. The length of the grays will, but not the cm closest to the roots, even if I massage it into the scalp and really overload it. I think my silvers are so white (hair is already blonde) that they don't have any pigment at all.

[Alilmi]

Make sure you remove any and all sebum with either a good clarifying shampoo or a few drops of dawn before applying henna.
For resistant grays, you might also have to increase the time you leave the mud on. Best of luck!

[yeshuasdaughter]

I wonder, now that you bring up sebum, if it could have been my conditioners? Up until recently, I used extremely moisturizing conditioners that are meant for very curly/textured hair.

I've switched to vinegar rinses instead. I wonder if the henna will adhere better, now that I'm not using oily/waxy products. But for a long time, they were necessary. My hair was so kinky and damaged. Now the curl pattern is looser, and I've switched to a more hippie hair care regimen.