Henna Thread, take two

[GRU]

My natural hair colour is a medium brown but with quite a bit of orange/red strands throughout. I do have a little white, I tend to S&D those.

Henna won't lighten your hair at all. If your hair is a medium brown color, henna will just add some orange tones to it, making it more like auburn -- NOT orange. The brown of your hair will remain, and the orange will be translucent on top of the brown.

Henna is like a highlighter marker instead of a Sharpie marker. If you go over text with a highlighter, the original text still shows through. If you go over text with a Sharpie, it covers up the original text.

Putting henna on top of brown hair is going to give red/orange tones to the hair, but the brown will still be there and will show through the henna tones.

[GRU]

I've seen people here using bleach to remove henna ou using henna to cover up old bleach but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to do it regularly or if a hair dye would be less damaging.

Bleach and hair dye will both be damaging -- the hair dye will bleach your hair and then add the red color onto the lightened hair.

If you're wanting controlled color, it's probably going to be easier to do the red hair dye, so you get the same result every time when you do your roots.

But henna has conditioning/strengthening properties, so there's a benefit to using that after bleaching.

It really comes down to how much time and effort you're willing to invest in the process, to keep up on the root maintenance.

[Nono]

I'll keep thinking about it. Thank you GRU!

[shelomit]

My mother has a lighter natural hair color than I do, and when she applies henna it really "pops." That also means there's a hard line between hennaed hair/non-hennaed hair when her roots grow out. She used to henna all of her hair at once, but for years now (probably more than a decade) she has been applying henna only to her roots. I believe she does it about every six weeks or two months. She mixes the henna exactly as we regularly do, but only applies it to the section that has grown out. It was tricky for her at first, but now she can apply it without a helper over probably a quarter-hour or so. At least in her case, she thinks the even color is worth the upkeep.

[JotPurpleIris]

Henna won't lighten your hair at all. If your hair is a medium brown color, henna will just add some orange tones to it, making it more like auburn -- NOT orange. The brown of your hair will remain, and the orange will be translucent on top of the brown.

Henna is like a highlighter marker instead of a Sharpie marker. If you go over text with a highlighter, the original text still shows through. If you go over text with a Sharpie, it covers up the original text.

Putting henna on top of brown hair is going to give red/orange tones to the hair, but the brown will still be there and will show through the henna tones.

Yes, I am aware of how it colours hair. Just, I've seen a lot of people after mainly a red colour from Henna, and I just wanted to make it clear that I'd prefer the colour leaning towards orange rather than red.

Looking at my hair right now - I have 3" roots of medium brown/orange, with the lengths being a lot more orange all over, and a good 20cm ends of bright orange. The only part of my hair, which I always forget about, that's not orange, is the underside of my hair, which is black orange; and I'm fine with the henna not taking to that.

I don't really see my natural colour much, so I do tend to forget how much of it is actually orange in outdoors lighting. I'm indoors right now though with no lights on.

[GRU]

Yes, I am aware of how it colours hair. Just, I've seen a lot of people after mainly a red colour from Henna, and I just wanted to make it clear that I'd prefer the colour leaning towards orange rather than red.

IME, henna is much more orange than it is red. If you just color your roots each time instead of doing your whole head every time, you'll likely keep that orange tone you're seeking. It's when people put henna over henna repeatedly that they're more likely to develop that deeper "cherry cola" color, as the henna just gets deeper and deeper with each application.

[Hexana]

IME, henna is much more orange than it is red. If you just color your roots each time instead of doing your whole head every time, you'll likely keep that orange tone you're seeking. It's when people put henna over henna repeatedly that they're more likely to develop that deeper "cherry cola" color, as the henna just gets deeper and deeper with each application.

GRU may I ask how long do you leave henna on your hair?

[Fimu]

Can anyone here measure the pH value of Godrej Nupur (9 herbs) henna powder mix in (distilled) water? I used this henna in the past but I don't have it anymore and I wonder how the pH is of the herbal mix since shikakai and amla powder are both very acidic (measured the pH of those herbs myself).

[C_Bookworm]

Can anyone here measure the pH value of Godrej Nupur (9 herbs) henna powder mix in (distilled) water? I used this henna in the past but I don't have it anymore and I wonder how the pH is of the herbal mix since shikakai and amla powder are both very acidic (measured the pH of those herbs myself).

Henna actually likes an acidic environment. Dye uptake is better. I mix my nupur with water and lemon juice normally.

[Fimu]

Henna actually likes an acidic environment. Dye uptake is better. I mix my nupur with water and lemon juice normally.

True, I've read in an ebook that the ideal pH is 5.5, but a lower pH provides different shades of colors. When I used Nupur, I've never added any acids, so I wonder what the pH would be with just plain water. Do you have pH strips to measure the pH of Nupur in plain water (before adding lemon)?