new thread
uhm i know i posted about it before but....
are there any henna users here? id love tp see some pics and hear your opinions on it
one of the things that confuses me is the colours? how can you change shades and tinges?
i realise i could probably find this elsewhere but who better to ask than someone whos main objective is keeping there hair healthy in the long term!
Never used it; looked into it once--you buy these powder packets and mix them with water to make a paste. then you saturate your hair with the paste and leave it in for 2 hours. I was okay with everything until I got to the 2 hour part. That just seemed like too much hassle so I didn't pursue it further.
I used henna for years. You can buy packets of powder in different shades depending on the brand - it will say on the box what shade it is. It's most commonly used to dye or enhance red hair but I have seen henna powder for black, brown and even blond shades, though I suspect it would be a dark blond (and if your hair is not fair in the first place I doubt it would lighten it any). I always used red and so can't comment on the other colours. I used "ordinary" henna which was much cheaper to buy (in Indian/Pakistani grocer shops) than the branded stuff (sorry can't remember what it was called) that tends to be sold in "head shops" (places that sell all sorts of 'ethnic' stuff like clothes, jewellery, incense, bongs, etc.) It's a natural product so the resulting shade wasn't always the same and the amount of time you leave it on for will also have an effect of course.
You can mix it up with just water or, as I did, use a mixture of conditioner and water. I used boiling water that I left to cool a little so that you are using hot water to mix with and it will still be warm when you put it on your hair. Use a big mixing bowl and try to keep it smooth squashing out any lumps as you go. I found mixing in a big dollop of conditioner first and then gradually adding water was the best way to go. When it gets to look like melted chocolate you can start slapping it on. It's a time-consuming and messy job but I do believe if you can be bothered, it's much better for your hair than chemical dyes. The longer you can leave it on the better. Wrap your hair in plastic bags and blast it with a hairdryer to keep it moist and warm if you can. DO KEEP IT OFF YOUR SKIN though, as it will really stain you red.
For rinsing out I would recommend having a henna bath and using a touch (you will only need a tiny amount) of shampoo before rinsing under the shower, as there is tons of it to get rid of and a few minutes in a bath of red/brown water is better than three hours under the shower or with your head upside down in the sink, lol. If your hair isn't too long it will be much less of a hassle.
You will find that it will wash out a bit (if you use shampoo on your hair) and settle to a more subtle shade over time. They say that you shouldn't use normal dyes on henna'd hair but the only trouble I ever had was bleaching out some hair that had henna in it and it having a distinct tinge of green to it!
If you fancy your hair auburn then go for it. The end result will depend on your current hair colour, and the amount of time you leave it on for.