Henna for Hair: Advice Needed

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I have medium red hair. I went through cancer treatment and lost all my hair. When it started to grow back in, I thought it looked funny, so I dyed it blonde, and I've let that grow out.

So now I have below shoulder length red hair, with a few inches of blonde at the tips. It looks cute, but unnatural. I don't want to cut my hair. I'm trying to grow it long.

I bought 2 jars of red henna, and I want to do my hair with it, so it'll all be just about my natural color so I can grow it out. The ingredients are just organic henna leaves (Lawsonia Intermis), finely ground and sifted into a powder. It's supposed to work as a good conditioner too.

Is there someone on the forums who has experience with henna in their hair? I've read online how to do it, and I've seen it mixed before, but I really don't want to screw it up. I also don't want to end up with an orange forehead or ears. Because I know from experience with henna tattoos that henna lasts on the skin for over a week!


ALSO! SUPER IMPORTANT! Are eight ounces of finely sifted herbs slowly rinsed out of my hair going to clog my shower drain? I'm in an older apartment and we have galvanized pipes. I am very worried about this. If so, is there a way to tie up the herbs in a cheesecloth and leach the color into something like conditioner and then apply it that way?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Magna]

Is henna potentially harmful or am I thinking of something else?

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

@Magna Natural henna isn't dangerous. I know that some henna tattoo mixes that are made overseas have lead and other metals in it, and can make you sick. But this is just the ground herb.

 

[Suzette]

I've used powdered henna on my hair before. It has been awhile but, if I recall correctly, you just mix it with water and work it through your hair like mud.
I used to use a plastic grocery sack as a cap to keep the mud off other stuff while it works. You can keep your skin from staining by coating your skin with vaseline before you start. Wear gloves!

 

[unperson]

Could you just dunk the blond end bits in a solution of it?

 

[ForestGumpett]

Former hairdresser and hair color artist in the late 90’s here. It could turn out good, or not. Here is what I do know, if you do mess it up a hairdresser cannot fix it because it’s not what they use with the chemicals. It’s like the “just for men” color, that is metallic dye, (also cancerous many believe) the metallic dye, like the henna, will not work with the color lifters (ie: bleach) or work with color put over them if you mess up. A hairdresser cannot fix it because of the different chemicals, that is what I’m telling you - they do not mix.

Another thing to consider that hairdressers know, the hair that is a half inch from your scalp will process quicker, so you may end up with what is called “hot roots” where the roots are a different color, usually lighter due to the heat from your head.

Not trying to scare you seriously, just wanted you to know the ends and outs of how that works. Unless something with the chemicals has changed in the last decade your doing something more/less off label

Here is another idea! Coffee! Try to put the coffee (cold, but just regular coffee) on just the ends, this should color the ends enough to go with the rest of your hair AND it will make your hair feel great. I’d put some on the ends and leave it 10 min, then run the rest of your hair through it for another 5 min so it will match and see if you like it. *This works temporarily, will wash out after about a week so you can try it without committing to it. Just a thought. I’ve used it, I have dark blonde hair but it’s dry. The coffee will make it brown and shiny, then will be washed out in about a week. You can always get organic coffee too so you know there are no other chemicals in it. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Aspychata]

Of course l have a henna horror story. Omg. So l went to Ohau walgreens in Hawaii. And they carry a lot of henna from Japan. So l bought black thinking no big deal. Wrong wrong wrong. This was superman black, darkest darkest black. I think it was labeled jet black but the wording was Japanese. I had a job interview at a very conservative law firm. I went on a emergency appt to my long-term hair person. It took about 3 trys to get it lighter. She was a color expert, l doubt anyone else could have lightened it. Because henna is intense. It was very expensive to fix. Yes, l got the job, and my hair was okay. Like the other poster says, it's very very hard to lift. The longer you leave henna on, the more intense the results l think so. Red can turn brassy or fade from sun and chlorinated water. So just realize it will tone down depending factors.

Now for the drain, maybe put cheesecloth on drain so it catches stuff. You could run hot water first, after you dye, run more water to keep pipes flowing. You also could put organic eater powder stuff in drain.

Great your hair is back. Victory is yours. So happy. Don't henna black. Lol. Lotion on forehead and ears, that will keep dye off.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

So, I did it. I have red henna on my hair right now. I made the world's biggest mess in the bathroom in the process. It looked for a while like a baby threw a jar of green baby food across the room. It was splattered everywhere. Took a bit to clean.

I have plastic around my hair and I'll rinse it at 10pm. I had to bathe after wrapping my hair because it looked like said baby had doused me in baby food as well.

But I don't think I got any stains on my skin. Thanks everyone for the petroleum jelly suggestion.

I don't think I'll clog my pipes. What I did was I took 4 oz of powdered henna and stirred it into 2 cups of conditioner. I added 2 more cups of hot water and 1/4 cup of vinegar. I stirred that all together. Then I went in the kitchen and strained it all through a cheesecloth into a bowl, so the pulp stayed in the cheesecloth, but the conditioner that absorbed the plant dye went into the bowl.

Then I jellied the skin around my hairline up like no one ever greased themselves before. I do not want to be an oompa loompa! I massaged the henna in all over my hair, and now it's just the waiting game. I'll rinse it out a little after 10.

I'm so excited!

 

[Aspychata]

Let us know how it worked out! Excited for you too.☺☺☺

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

It looks sooooooo good. Thank you everyone for the advice!

 

[Suzette]

That's great!
I loved using henna. If you let it fade it looks natural, not like box dyes that turn your hair weird colors.

 

[Streetwise]

I've used powdered henna on my hair before. It has been awhile but, if I recall correctly, you just mix it with water and work it through your hair like mud.
I used to use a plastic grocery sack as a cap to keep the mud off other stuff while it works. You can keep your skin from staining by coating your skin with vaseline before you start. Wear gloves!

Ah memories of body shop henna hair dye and the smell of strange cigarette ash