How to put henna in your hair
Although we use henna as a hair color, it has wonderful secondary benefits. It thickens the hair, and leaves it silky and strong. But you have to buy pure henna (or henna mixed with plant extracts that are clearly labeled). And first you need to do a strand test.
A strand test will tell you two critical things:
1) if you like the final color, and
2) how long to leave the henna to get that color.
Since henna is often left in the hair for an hour or more, it would be wise to set aside a large amount of time. Between the henna preparation, strand testing, application, and downtime, you may want to set aside an afternoon for the project.
Who can use henna?
The best heads for henna are brunettes and dark blondes. Naturally very dark hair will look spectacular with red henna highlights.
do you have grey? Contrary to popular opinion, you they can get good results with henna. To go brunette, choose a henna that has been mixed with brown extracted from safe plant powders like walnut, clove and even a bit of indigo. (But use common sense: If you’re allergic to nuts or sensitive to cloves, don’t use these products.) If you prefer to turn your gray hair blonde, look for henna that has been mixed with rhubarb root or other natural ingredients.
henna color options
Reds are the most widely used, have the fewest additives, and if they’re pure (read the label, do research online, join a henna forum) they’re completely safe. Browns and blondes are fun too.
Henna does not lighten hair. It will not lighten the color like commercial dyes can. So you need to get a shade that matches yours or is darker. Brunettes can easily turn red, blondes can turn brunette or red. But there is no way a brunette can turn blonde.
Some words of caution
Do not use henna on commercially colored hair. It is safest to wait at least 2 months after a commercial dye job before using henna. Some women have had no problem waiting just 1 month, but again, that’s what the strand test is for.
About a week before you plan to use henna, use a clarifying shampoo. That will help remove the old color.
Make sure you buy a brand of henna that does not contain metallic salts. These are extremely unsanitary. They may be labeled on the box as henna compound dyeor they may not appear on the list.
How can you tell if your henna contains metallic salts if they are not on the ingredients list? If your strand test leaves your hair sample brittle or dry, or if the color “takes” very quickly, that probably means it contains metallic salts. Do not use it.
It’s okay to use black henna as long as it’s made with indigo. Avoid PPD Black Henna, as it contains Para-Phenylenediamine – a dye – which is extremely harmful.
What to buy
The safest henna is quality body art henna. But there are also plenty of well-known, well-used, safe and ethically labeled hair henna out there. Just use common sense: if there are ingredients on the list you’re not familiar with, write them down, go home and look them up.
Henna does not have a long shelf life. Don’t buy it and then keep it forever, it will lose its potency. However, you can seal it and freeze it, and it will last at least a year.
Now for the fun
Many women consider the preparation of henna to be a ritual. The plant-based dye looks like a green powder and has a distinctive fragrance, like hay. The smell goes away in a day or so.
Assuming you have a box of pure red henna, empty it into a glass or plastic container. If you bought it in bulk, use about 1 cup. Never use metal utensils, bowls, or even hairpins when mixing and applying.
Now boil some water. Pour the boiling water into the henna, a little at a time. Remove. Keep doing this until you get a paste consistency. Add a couple of pre-beaten eggs if you like, to keep the consistency gooey. Many women add half a cup of strong coffee to tone down the red color a bit. If you add coffee, use less boiling water. You don’t want the mixture to end up dripping.
Apply a cream or oil around your hairline to prevent the henna from staining your ears and forehead. And don’t forget the gloves (or you’ll get red hands too!).
Apply the paste on clean and dry hair. If this is your first henna treatment, saturate the hair completely. Then wrap it all up with a plastic bag or plastic wrap. On top of all that, you might want to wrap a towel around it, just so you don’t scare the kids. Some women use a hot towel. This is why you definitely should have had the strand test done – it is the only way to know how long to leave the henna on your head. It can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours or more.
When the timer goes off, go to the shower. The whole process is complicated, so don’t make a problem out of neatness or you’ll go crazy. Rinse off the henna, no need to shampoo. Finish with an organic, cruelty-free conditioner. Its color should last 2-3 months, except for root growth.
And you are ready. There will be a lot of cleanup involved, but you will have amazing, silky, strong, healthy red hair. (Or the color you choose). Once you start using henna, you may love it so much that you’ll never use anything else again.