When And Why You Should Use Henna?
The beneficial effects of henna were already known in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Even then, they could appreciate the importance and benefits of plants for the human body. Not only henna, but also other plant dyes were very popular for their reregenerative and coloring effects. Women painted her whole body, dyed her hair, eyebrows and drew expressive lines around her eyes.
An integral part were oils and dressings from flower and plant extracts (from various nuts, chamomile, elderberry, mint, etc.). For example, with chamomile dressing, many women washed their hair and dried it in the sun, where the hair then acquired a golden hue.
Even today, people like to reach for nature's gifts, while henna and its extracts have become part of hair cosmetics products.
What is henna?
Henna is a natural dye obtained from the bush Lawsonia inermis.
By collecting its leaves, drying and grinding them, a fine powder is obtained, which has dyeing and at the same time regenerating effects. When the leaves are collected is highly related to its color.
At the beginning of the growing season, the leaves have a faint red tint, but the older they get and the later they are harvested, the darker and more intense their shade. The so-called colorless henna is obtained from the very last harvest at the end of the growing season, when the leaves of this plant no longer produce any dye, but instead have strong regenerative effects.
Henna contains an orange-red pigment - dye. It appears on the hair as red, copper or deep red. Of course, it also depends on the original color, quality and porosity of the hair on which you apply it. (What is hair porosity and how to find it? I wrote a separate article about this .) Henna is also widely combined with other plants, especially with hibiscus, which colors the hair gently burgundy.
Also very famous is indigo, which contains a blue dye and can create light and darker brown with henna shades.
Henna behaves differently on each hair and it is also possible that you will achieve a different shade with each dyeing.
If you are not sure what the final color will be, do a test on one strand of hair somewhere near your neck to see how the henna will react to you.
What about colorless henna?
Those who don't want to change their hair color and just want to add the necessary protein and shine to their hair, reach for colorless henna.
How does henna work?
It is very important to realize that henna is not a chemical dye, but a natural dye. Does not interfere with the structure of the hair, does not destroy its bonds, does not burden the hair, does not harm the skin, does not disturb keratin or change the natural hair pigment. That's why it can't lighten hair - for example, you can't go from black hair to platinum blonde with it.
Henna is a temporary/short-term dye that does not leave hair growth, but is gently washed out with each subsequent wash, leaving a natural transition in the hair.
The longer the henna works, the higher the intensity of the resulting shade and the better the regenerative effect.
It is very individual for everyone, but lasts about 4-7 washes (individually 1-2 months or more), gradually washing out and changing color shade. Covers gray hairs by 20-30%, gives them a subtle pop of color and looks very natural.
The dye remains only on the surface of the hair. Does not contain aggressive ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. Henna covers the hair with a breathable and permeable film, while perfectly nourishing the hair and skin. Unlike silicones, all useful and beneficial substances from shampoos and masks can be absorbed through this film.
This film is mainly used to protect against adverse external influences, such as UV radiation, frost and strong wind.
Definitely do not use henna immediately after bleaching or dyeing your hair, or do not combine it with it! Take at least a month off before switching to henna. After dyeing with henna, bleaching is also not recommended. Hair can get a green tinge due to the action of peroxide, which from the hair in is difficult to remove. For this reason, many hairdressers completely exclude henna. It is unstable and unpredictable for them.
I do not recommend applying colored henna to natural blondes or blondes who have just bleached their hair. Their hair has a white base, so the henna can take on a very unnatural deep neon red.
How to choose henna?
If you want to buy henna, you need to know that real henna is powder, without additives. If you find gel somewhere, it may happen that it contains the substances that make the gel from it. I myself once found gel henna in the store with the synthetic substance dimethicone, which is an unwashable silicone that has nothing to do with nature and it should also be avoided in cosmetics.
Henna and its effects:
- has extraordinary antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal effects not only on the hair, but mainly on the scalp
- very thoroughly protects the natural lipid protective film of the skin, which is disturbed by e.g. bad cosmetics and causes hair problems and diseases
- prevents the formation of dandruff and itching - the skin will not be dry or cracked
- strengthens hair follicles and the hair itself, thereby preventing excessive hair loss
- has a positive effect on hair growth and regenerates dry, damaged hair after coloring or bleaching
- maintains the optimal scalp pH of 5.5, which can be unhealthily low or high due to the use of bad hair cosmetics or chemical treatments, causing hair problems
- retains moisture in the hair and leaves the hair shiny, voluminous and resistant to external influences
- can stabilize excessive hair oil and does not affect the function of sebaceous glands
- protects the scalp from parasites, fungi, microorganisms and dust
- effectively helps with skin allergies, helps prevent graying or inflammation of hair follicles
- can calm inflammation and is used in traditional medicine to treat wounds or abrasions
- oil made from henna is also a well-known Ayurvedic remedy for arthritis and rheumatic problems
- juice from the plant should also suppress migraine symptoms
Henna procedure:
Whether you have colored or colorless henna, the procedure is the same:
- Pour the required amount of henna into the bowl according to the length and density of the hair. If you have shoulder-length hair, about 50-100 grams will be enough; long-haired ones will then need 100-150 grams and more
- Let the water boil. Henna can be mixed either with boiling water alone or with some tea - chamomile and green are suitable.
- Let the tea/water cool down to about 60 degrees Celsius and then mix it with the henna liquid. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, simply let the water stand for 5 minutes until it starts to smoke a lot.
- After mixing, we must get a paste - neither thick nor thin.
- Furthermore, we can add oils to the henna - olive, coconut, argan, castor, etc., or herbal/plant extracts.
- Henna is applied to clean, shampooed hair. First, we apply it to the scalp, then to the entire length.
- After application, gently massage the scalp and wrap it in cling film and a towel (you can warm it up with a hair dryer beforehand for greater effect).
- The duration of action is from one hour. In the case of colorless henna, it is best if it is left as long as possible (3-4 hours or more). In the case of colored henna, it is true that the longer we leave it on, the darker the color in the given shade will be.
- After the treatment, wash the hair with warm (not hot) water. Some people do this by rinsing their hair thoroughly with water and washing it the next day to stabilize the color, but you can just shampoo your hair right away - gently, don't scrub. At the end, you can rinse your hair with a herbal rinse or apple cider vinegar diluted with water. And it is done. We repeat as needed.
The shampoo used with henna must be natural. If we wash our hair with silicone shampoo after henna application, it will have zero effect. Natural shampoo multiplies and supports the effect of henna, on the other hand, chemical cosmetics can completely weaken the effect of henna and damage the skin.
Tip for colored henna:
After application, the color will look artificial and very noticeable for about 2–3 days. You don't have to worry, this phenomenon will correct itself and soften. It is not necessary or advisable to panic and wash your hair several times in a row. With each subsequent application of henna, the color may become darker and darker, so it is advisable to shorten the exposure time.
If we want to highlight the red shade, we can add cinnamon, cloves, paprika, red wine, apple juice, vinegar or citrus to the henna juice.juice promotes golden highlights in the hair and also helps with oily hair. If the hair is dry, it is not recommended.
If, on the other hand, we want to mute the red shade, we add coffee to the mixture. Coffee will help to get brown tones and darken red tones. Use strong brewed coffee, not instant. Add coffee to the henna instead of water. Let the mixture sit overnight to release the color from the henna and apply to the hair only afterwards.