A Beginners Guide to Henna Hair Colour

Hi All,

I've been dying my hair with henna for almost 2 years now with amazing results and thought I'd share some of the process I use for anyone that is interested.

I bet you're thinking "what the heck is henna?" Well, it's a natural dye prepared from the leaves of the plant Egyptian Privat, Lawsonia inermis. It is non-toxic which was a plus since I've been cutting out toxic cleaning chemicals and body lotions from my life. You can't lighten your hair with Henna but it instead coats the hair and makes it stronger.

I am Hell-bent on having long red mermaid hair (don't ask) and through Henna I've been able to grow my hair to my middle back. It's thick, soft and looks like my head is on fire in sunlight. Prior to henna I was bleaching my hair blonde for a year and it was cactus. I find that Henna really turns heads and I get lots of compliments on how healthy and shiny my hair is.

First you must obtain powdered Henna. I find the cheapest place is an Indian (or Asian if you're Pommie) Supermarket. I got a big bag for $7AUD and a small box for $3. Both have last me for the 2 years. Otherwise you can go on eBay but it's exy. The most expensive is buying at a Health Food Store and it's likely that you'll only get 1 application for your buck.

Henna isn't a spare of the moment thing. You need to let it oxidize for 6-12 hours before you can use it.

Step 1: Get a ceramic, heat-proof bowl

Prep:

Step 2: Pour enough Henna powder in the bowl for your hair length. It'll at least be a few cups

Step 3: Pour boiling water into the bowl and stir with an old wooden spoon until the mix is like pancake batter.

Step 4: Add a small dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Leave to process

Optional: You can add beetroot powder, honey, yoghurt, hibiscus tea, or red wine to enhance the colour for a more true red. I have tried all of these and it turns out the same. I do however recommend adding nutmeg as it helps to extract more dye from the powder and quickens processing times. Some people like to add cinnamon and ginger to five it a nice smell.

You'll be able to tell that the dye is ready when it goes from a green colour to a reddy brown.

Application:

* Rubber gloves (I've stained my nails and fingertips yellow with henna and it looks so bad!)
* Glad wrap/saran wrap/plastic bag
* Vaseline/paw paw ointment

Put some vaseline around your hairline and ears to protect from staining. Don't get that # anywhere, I haven't stained my bathroom/clothes/towels yet but there's always a chance.

Part and apply as you would any hair dye. It smells quiet earthy and herbal. It is a little harder to apply then box dye as it can be gritty and take a while to apply.

Make sure you're methodical with your application; you can end up with a tangled mess is you haphazardly slop it on your head.

Once applied you can wrap your head up in a plastic bag or you can leave the bag off for a while and go sit out in the sun. The dye will still develop on your head and leaving it to oxidise in the open air will encourage it to become more red.

Leave for a minimum of 4 hours.

Once it's time to wash out just rinse in the shower. DO NOT USE SHAMPOO OR PRODUCT FOR THIS FIRST WASH it needs to be exposed to the air to develop a richer shade and covering it in products will prevent this. Your newly henna'd hair will continue to develop for the next 2 days, air and heat will make it redder during this time.

Once it's dry your hair will feel much softer and full of body.

Have you used Henna before?
Any tips or secret recipes for the perfect red shade?

originally posted by: Kalixi
Hi All,

I've been dying my hair with henna for almost 2 years now with amazing results and thought I'd share some of the process I use for anyone that is interested.

I bet you're thinking "what the heck is henna?" Well, it's a natural dye prepared from the leaves of the plant Egyptian Privat, Lawsonia inermis. It is non-toxic which was a plus since I've been cutting out toxic cleaning chemicals and body lotions from my life. You can't lighten your hair with Henna but it instead coats the hair and makes it stronger.

I am Hell-bent on having long red mermaid hair (don't ask) and through Henna I've been able to grow my hair to my middle back. It's thick, soft and looks like my head is on fire in sunlight. Prior to henna I was bleaching my hair blonde for a year and it was cactus. I find that Henna really turns heads and I get lots of compliments on how healthy and shiny my hair is.

First you must obtain powdered Henna. I find the cheapest place is an Indian (or Asian if you're Pommie) Supermarket. I got a big bag for $7AUD and a small box for $3. Both have last me for the 2 years. Otherwise you can go on eBay but it's exy. The most expensive is buying at a Health Food Store and it's likely that you'll only get 1 application for your buck.

Henna isn't a spare of the moment thing. You need to let it oxidize for 6-12 hours before you can use it.

Step 1: Get a ceramic, heat-proof bowl

Prep:

Step 2: Pour enough Henna powder in the bowl for your hair length. It'll at least be a few cups

Step 3: Pour boiling water into the bowl and stir with an old wooden spoon until the mix is like pancake batter.

Step 4: Add a small dash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Leave to process

Optional: You can add beetroot powder, honey, yoghurt, hibiscus tea, or red wine to enhance the colour for a more true red. I have tried all of these and it turns out the same. I do however recommend adding nutmeg as it helps to extract more dye from the powder and quickens processing times. Some people like to add cinnamon and ginger to five it a nice smell.

You'll be able to tell that the dye is ready when it goes from a green colour to a reddy brown.

Application:

* Rubber gloves (I've stained my nails and fingertips yellow with henna and it looks so bad!)
* Glad wrap/saran wrap/plastic bag
* Vaseline/paw paw ointment

Put some vaseline around your hairline and ears to protect from staining. Don't get that # anywhere, I haven't stained my bathroom/clothes/towels yet but there's always a chance.

Part and apply as you would any hair dye. It smells quiet earthy and herbal. It is a little harder to apply then box dye as it can be gritty and take a while to apply.

Make sure you're methodical with your application; you can end up with a tangled mess is you haphazardly slop it on your head.

Once applied you can wrap your head up in a plastic bag or you can leave the bag off for a while and go sit out in the sun. The dye will still develop on your head and leaving it to oxidise in the open air will encourage it to become more red.

Leave for a minimum of 4 hours.

Once it's time to wash out just rinse in the shower. DO NOT USE SHAMPOO OR PRODUCT FOR THIS FIRST WASH it needs to be exposed to the air to develop a richer shade and covering it in products will prevent this. Your newly henna'd hair will continue to develop for the next 2 days, air and heat will make it redder during this time.

Once it's dry your hair will feel much softer and full of body.

Have you used Henna before?
Any tips or secret recipes for the perfect red shade?

Ummm...pics...or it didn't happen...

Cool...I always wanted to use that phrase...

Now I can check that off the bucket list...




YouSir

Haha nice try.
I think the b&w photo of my back is all the identity I'm willing to give away. Don't want any MIB knocking on my door

a reply to: YouSir

I was expecting pictures too.

Just saying.

a reply to: Kalixi

Hmm, so that is in fact a photo of you.

Gorgeous.

Thanks, nice thread.

I do miss henna though have opted for the natural red for now. I'm looking for tips too, a more true red brand or admixture, instead of orange leaning red, if I decide to go with it again. Love how it thickens hair and of course doesn't damage as the chemicals do, nice scent can be added as mentioned.

My application tips and as mentioned on the box, don't with with a metal spoon/bowl and remove your earrings and rings! Last application did well at around 4 hours, instead of leaving on over night as I've seen some suggest.

a reply to: Kalixi

Nice thread,
But I have no hair as seen here..

So I have no tips.🙄

Pics of your hair without revealing identity. 😊

a reply to: Kalixi

I had bad luck adding Hibiscus tea to my henna mix. After I henna'd, I didn't wash my hair for five days. When I started washing my hair again, leaving 2 - 3 days between wash as is my normal, all that hibiscus tea was running out of my hair.

I did have success with coffee. I use coffee instead of water for my mix, as I am not going for mermaid red but rather a deeper red-brown. This has always worked for me and the coffee doesn't run out of my hair during washes.

For stains. I remove everything cloth from my bathroom before henna-ing. This includes the rug, hand towel, and my big towel is replaced with a special, stained and holey towel that I don't care iabout. Paper towels are set out to hold anything I have to set down that might have henna on it, like my gloves once I am done. I henna naked. When finished, I pop into the bathtub to remove anything that might have dripped on my shoulder or something. If you get it off quick enough, no staining.

Oh how I would enjoy watching this process. I'll take the pics.

a reply to: The GUT

Well, that's a new fetish I never thought of.

Good for you.

a reply to: Ameilia

Thought of something else. There are no Indian or Asian stores near my town where I can buy henna in person. I have to buy online. The worst henna I've ever gotten was from The Henna Guys on Amazon. The one I currently buy is called Rainbow Henna. I also use my own gloves, the kind you get in the pharmacy section in a grocery store, not the crappy gloves that come with the henna.

a reply to: MisterSpock

Yes it is actually but my hairs longer now and not as dark. I did some small time modelling and that was one of my shots.

a reply to: MisterSpock

It's like watching a pretty lady apply some makeup or brush their teeth. Plus all that soft hair must be fun to play with. It's not a fetish it's maleness. Taking pics of it all, Mr. Spock...now that's a fetish.

a reply to: Ameilia

Great tips

I heard adding too much tea to the mix can dilute the henna and it doesn't turn out as well.

Coffees also really good for hair growth. The caffeine is stimulating. Also rosemary oil is great for that too

Great post. I am always advocating the use of natural products as much as possible. It is so counter productive to lather petroleum based and other detrimental chemicals on the skin in order to look more beautiful whilst rapidly degrading the biological balance of oils.

I have been growing my hair for years but it seems to get to a point and really slow or stop growing. I would be tempted to try the hena for it's hair health benefits. Somev Indian ladies that use it have the most amazing hair. My hair has always been naturaul blond to mousey brown, I would feel strange with a black red the hue too it. Have used ayuvedic skin care and natarual is best. S & F

Thanks for this thread, Kalixi! One of the things I love about being a woman is the fun we get to have changing our hair styles and colors all the time, if we want to. I love changing up my color.

Until I was about 15, I had red-blonde hair; then it turned to a light reddish brown/blonde, or as my big brother used to call it, "dishwater blonde." (So sweet, big brothers 😒). So I can look not freakish if I go blonde or red. Right now, I have deep red alternating with thick sections of pale blonde. It sounds funky and it is and I'm loving it.

When I want a change from my current color (I always do), I may try this henna business, because I WOULD like to cut out the chemicals in my hair! My hair is full in amount but very fine in texture, so it's easy for it to be damaged.

So: have you ever used it in your hair when you have more than one color in it? Would it have any affect on the sections of my hair that are already deep (fake) red? Or would it just redden the sections of my hair that are blonde? Do you think I would need to go to one color all over before I try the henna?

Could you point me to any photos of a head of hair that shows the results of a typical henna treatment?

Also- does the color fade with washing? Do you need to do root treatments as your hair grows, or do you just henna the whole head of hair again? How often do you treat your hair with it (you in particular)? Are there any shampoos to avoid after you've done it?

Again, thanks so much for this info!

And p.s. I would love to see pictures of your hair, it sounds so fabulous!

a reply to: Bigburgh

Are you in a chicken coop, in that photo?

a reply to: Kalixi

Longer.....it just keeps getting better.

Careful, your going to drive all the boys here crazy.

I'll refrain from derailing your thread anymore than I have.

a reply to: KansasGirl

May as well be a coop. It's the other half of my kitchen. 😆

originally posted by: KansasGirl

So: have you ever used it in your hair when you have more than one color in it? Would it have any affect on the sections of my hair that are already deep (fake) red? Or would it just redden the sections of my hair that are blonde? Do you think I would need to go to one color all over before I try the henna?

Could you point me to any photos of a head of hair that shows the results of a typical henna treatment?

Also- does the color fade with washing? Do you need to do root treatments as your hair grows, or Sobtou just henna the whole head of hair again? How often do you treat your hair with it (you in particular)? Are there any shampoos to avoid after you've done it?

Again, thanks so much for this info!

And p.s. I would love to see pictures of your hair, it sounds so fabulous!

No worries thanks for reading

In answer to your question: many people don't recommend dying henna over previously dyed hair. I've done it and never had a problem. Henna on light coloured hair will be EXTREMELY BRIGHT - like fruit orange if not toned down with cassia/indigo. If you're after that look go with it, it could look quite funky
Otherwise I would darken the blonde streaks and ease into it.

Henna is like a rinse so it will add the red tinge over the hair. If your hairs dark it might not seem like it makes much of a change to the colour until you go into the sun.

It's hard to show photos that will give you an accurate idea of what henna will look like on your hair since it really depends on the brand you use and your base hair colour. It's anything from wine red, auburn to ginger. If you google Henna hair you can get an idea. There are a few herbal box brands that have added minerals and herbs and they claim to have a wider range of colours like fire engine reds but I've never tried them.

The colour develops for a few days and then will stay that bright for two weeks. Then it will slowly fade, but it lasts a heck of a lot longer than red box dye. The good thing about henna is that it blends in well, so if you miss a bit of hair you wont really notice it and you can always get it next time.

I dye my hair every 3 weeks and I do it all over as a deep treatment. You could go well over 6 weeks without redying it and just touch up the roots when necessary. The all over application is great to give your hair so much body. My hairs naturally straight but its like the best touseled sex hair/beach hair of your life for a few days until you wash it.

I use a natural shampoo and conditioner that works well. I've never had any problems with shampoo affecting the colour so I guess just stick to what you like.

I will actually post a pic after I've done my next application since people are genuinely interested.

Hope that answers some questions