How do YOU combat the drying effects of henna?

[EbonyYoungin517]

Hey all..


I recently applied henna for the first time to my hair and while I enjoy the feeling of thicker hair and obviously stronger hair and jet blak blingin hair....the dryness is KILLING me. I haven't really changed my regimen and my hair was so soft before and now I don't know what to do with it. Please help because of the dryness I've been experiencing some breakage...

 

[msa]

What was the condition of your hair before you tried henna? Did you mix anything with your henna? What did you do after you rinsed it out?

 

[Galadriel]

^^^ co-sign.

Also, do a deep condition ASAP! Or even do an overnight full-head baggy w/ a good conditioner.

 

[EbonyYoungin517]

What was the condition of your hair before you tried henna? Did you mix anything with your henna? What did you do after you rinsed it out?

My hair was in good condition. I only mixed water with the henna...it ran rather watery since I put too much water. I shampooed it out with CON Blue label then I left Mizani Moisturfuse overnight. I've even deep conditioned with ORS for a couple hours two days after. After my hair airdries its just rough. It's not bad but I know where my hair was and I don't like where it is now.

 

[msa]

My hair was in good condition. I only mixed water with the henna...it ran rather watery since I put too much water. I shampooed it out with CON Blue label then I left Mizani Moisturfuse overnight. I've even deep conditioned with ORS for a couple hours two days after. After my hair airdries its just rough. It's not bad but I know where my hair was and I don't like where it is now.

From what I've read in all the henna threads on different boards, it's best to rinse the henna out with conditioner because shampooing will just exacerbate dryness.

Also, because henna acts like a protein (though it isn't one) dcing with ORS may have just added to the problem.

Anyway, I know that many people have found success with an acv rinse after henna because it helps smooth the cuticle. You may want to try a quick condition and then acv rinse since your hair feels rough after air drying. Make sure you dilute it a lot though if you do it. If you have already found acv to be drying for you, then don't do it. Just do a couple more moisture conditions and it should get back to normal.

 

[EbonyYoungin517]

From what I've read in all the henna threads on different boards, it's best to rinse the henna out with conditioner because shampooing will just exacerbate dryness.

Also, because henna acts like a protein (though it isn't one) dcing with ORS may have just added to the problem.

Anyway, I know that many people have found success with an acv rinse after henna because it helps smooth the cuticle. You may want to try a quick condition and then acv rinse since your hair feels rough after air drying. Make sure you dilute it a lot though if you do it. If you have already found acv to be drying for you, then don't do it. Just do a couple more moisture conditions and it should get back to normal.

Do you think Roux Porosity Control will be as good? I did an ACV once...though my hair was smooth and soft...the smell......erplexed

 

[msa]

Roux would work, it does the same thing.

 

[baby42]

IT happend to me my first time.. someone i forgot told me to bag over night, i did even in my roller it came out soft lol,[had to go out the next day] but now i cond wash with cond then mix my henna and wash the henna out with water then cond wash again about 3x then do a deep cond and it comes out fine. some time i mix the henna with cond and a little oil it may not work for you but ors is the only deep con i can use after a henna treatment that gets my hair feeling good but ors has a little protein in it i think you need a really good moistuize dc and a good leave in i think it gets better with each treatment good luck

 

[baby42]

Roux would work, it does the same thing.

i forgot about good old ROUX going to try that next makes my hair feel like butter

 

[Muse]

It can also depend on what kind of henna you use. I assume you used BAQ? I use to use hair quality Jamila and it left my hair pretty dry compared to the BAQ Jamila henna-which did not.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

I would encourage a ton more research on Henna Application.

I won't be using it anymore.... Because for me...... I don't like dry hair..... Takes tooooo long for my softness to come back. So I am done with Henna.

 

[baddison]

I mix my henna with Amla oil, and AO White Camelia Conditioner. I apply at night then go to sleep. In the morning, I rinse with water only, then I use C.O.N. ultra moisturizing shampoo (the discontinued one...), and then I do a good DC with heat. That nite, I do a whole head baggy with my oils/butters and the next night I do another whole head baggy with oils/butters. After that, I find that my hair has bounced back to its regular ol' self again....bouncin' & behavin'....LOL!!

 

[bedazzled]

Well this is what I do to make a moisturizing henna mix since I use the henna for the conditioning effects NOT the color. I mix 1 tbsp -2 tbsps of henna w/ yogurt, vatika oil, hney & a cheapie conditioner in a bowl and then slap it on my head. My girl adds an extra tbsp of henna to it and lets it sit for like a day to get some color but it has to sit longer when you decide to mix it with other things oppose to water. But doing it this way makes a bag of henna stretch, and itll last longer. After I wash my henna out (I use Nupur henna btw..the best henna EVERRRRR) I deep condition with KeraCare. But my hair is never dry and I love it.

 

[baddison]

Yup....I also use NUPUR....its awesome, and it give the darkest color for me. Love it! Love it!!

 

[IDareT'sHair]

I have Never Had the Drying Effects of Henna This is what I do:

1) Start off with BAQ (Body Art Quality) Henna
*I add ACV Because I have alot of Grey Hair
2) I Co-Wash with an extra Moisturizing Conditioner i.e. Nexxus Humectress, Mizani Moisturefuse, SE Mega Silk, Giovanni Deeper Moisture etc....
3) After I Henna/Indigo I Rinse Henna/Indigo with a V05 Moisture Milks
4) Deep Condition with Heat for a Minimum of 1 Hour with either AO or some other Moisturizing Deep Conditioning Treatment or Masque/Mask. A Moisturizing One
5) Rinse
6) Apply Moisturizing Leave In
7) for the next several days to a week, use only Moisture Based Products on My Hair, never anything with additional protein.

I Have never had Overly Dry Hair. And I have to be Super Cautious of that, because my Hair has a Tendency to be Dry.

My Experience with Henna/Indigo has been Amazing!

 

[CurlyMoo]

My 100g of henna has been sitting with only water as the mixture for a week. Today I added Amla powder and a teaspoon of lemon juice. I want to add my cayenne pepper/castor oil/vatika oil mix to the henna to give it more conditioning and red color effects. Should I do this? I need to buy more conditioner to aid in the co-washing process so I will try this by Friday or Saturday. Thanks hope someone can help.

 

[CurlyMoo]

I have Never Had the Drying Effects of Henna This is what I do:

1) Start off with BAQ (Body Art Quality) Henna
*I add ACV Because I have alot of Grey Hair
2) I Co-Wash with an extra Moisturizing Conditioner i.e. Nexxus Humectress, Mizani Moisturefuse, SE Mega Silk, Giovanni Deeper Moisture etc....
3) After I Henna/Indigo I Rinse Henna/Indigo with a V05 Moisture Milks
4) Deep Condition with Heat for a Minimum of 1 Hour with either AO or some other Moisturizing Deep Conditioning Treatment or Masque/Mask. A Moisturizing One
5) Rinse
6) Apply Moisturizing Leave In
7) for the next several days to a week, use only Moisture Based Products on My Hair, never anything with additional protein.

I Have never had Overly Dry Hair. And I have to be Super Cautious of that, because my Hair has a Tendency to be Dry.

My Experience with Henna/Indigo has been Amazing!

What deep moisturizing con do you recommend?
What Moisturizing leave-in do you recommend?
Is VO5 Moisture Milk a good con-wash?

 

[Rei]

I agree with Lucky's mom, you really have to experiment. I mixed my henna with two different kinds of conditioner and coconut and castor oil, and developed it with water instead of anything acidic, washed it out with conditioner, and DC-ed overnight right aftewards and it still took me an entire WEEK of baggying with AO HSR to get my hair back. And my hair usually HATES baggying, its too much moisture for me. I would not recommend it if you know you have dry hair. For me, the benefits were minimal for a lot of work afterward. I understand different brands bring different results to people's hair, but I'm done fixing whats not broken

 

[mstar]

I didn't have any dryness when I used henna. I used Lush henna, which is pre-mixed with cocoa butter, rosemary, and lemon juice-- it comes in a large solid bar, and the cocoa butter acts as a conditioner thoughout the henna process. I DC'd afterwards with Aubrey HSR, honey, and coconut oil, and my hair felt great.

 

[Jetblackhair]

I have not experienced dryness with henna, if anything the indigo makes my hair more dry.

This is what I did just last week:
I mixed my henna (Karishma) with water & Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, that's it.

After letting the henna sit on my hair under a plastic wrap for 3.5 hrs., I just rinsed it out of my hair and then did a co-wash. I then applied indigo, let that sit and rinsed out with a co-wash and then deep conditioned.

The next couple of days I co-washed with Hello Hydration. My hair was very moisturized.

 

[Aspire]

OP - Unless I missed it, I don't remember reading what TYPE of henna you used. You said your hair came out jet black, but you did not mention adding indigo to your henna (you said you only added water). If you purchased a "Black" henna, that might be one of the contributors to your dryness. Could you have purchased a compound henna without realizing it?

 

[Pandora1975]

I didn't get any dryness from my henna, but I mixed with green tea and honey, and dc'd immediately after (per CurlyNikki). Its imple, but I'm fining anything I add honey to improves it 10-fold.

 

[EbonyYoungin517]

OP - Unless I missed it, I don't remember reading what TYPE of henna you used. You said your hair came out jet black, but you did not mention adding indigo to your henna (you said you only added water). If you purchased a "Black" henna, that might be one of the contributors to your dryness. Could you have purchased a compound henna without realizing it?

I purchased I think 'Karachi' henna and I only mixed water with it and then followed up with Indigo.

 

[lucea]

I tend to have very dry hair. My mix is 75% cassia, 25% henna with lemon juice (for dye release), yogurt and most importantly wheatgerm oil. I always do an overnight prepoo beforehand, though. Wheatgerm oil is really high in omega fatty acids - and is even "fattier" than olive oil - it's amazing for moisture. I use Jamila BAQ henna and cassia from mehandi.com. I noticed a lot of people commented that henna leaves their hair very dry, but because I use wheatgerm oil and prepoo before, I couldn't really understand what they were talking about.

Cut to last weekend, I mixed the wheatgerm oil, lemon juice, yogurt and distilled water with cassia and henna, let the dye release for a few hours, and applied. I cowashed and styled my hair. My hair and scalp were super dry. Previously, I added the wheatgerm oil/yogurt/lemon juice into the mix right before applying it to my hair -- not before letting the mixture sit for the dye to release... and that seems to make the difference.

So, I think adding wheatgerm oil (try 4 Tablespoons per 150g) will make a big difference in how your hair feels. I don't DC afterwards - I just use my Jane Carter Nourishing Conditioner in the shower, and leave a lot of it in the hair. I seal with shea butter. I think a DT beforehand helps a lot as well. I do that once a week anyway, so it's no biggy to make sure I do it before I use cassia/henna.

HTH!

 

[vkb247]

OP the other ladies gave you good advice so the only thing I can add is

1. Skip the poo and cowash or at least dilute the poo, add coonditioner to it or something.
2. Try a different brand if henna.
3. Try henna alone. Maybe it was the indigo that was drying.

My 100g of henna has been sitting with only water as the mixture for a week. Today I added Amla powder and a teaspoon of lemon juice. I want to add my cayenne pepper/castor oil/vatika oil mix to the henna to give it more conditioning and red color effects. Should I do this? I need to buy more conditioner to aid in the co-washing process so I will try this by Friday or Saturday. Thanks hope someone can help.

I think that adding the oils for more conditioning is a good idea. The lemon juice isn't necessary, especially after it is developed, and I don't know how permanent of a color change the cayene will make. Lots of people add different things successfully to get certain colors but I would be careful with cayenne, don't know if that could burn your scalp or not. I remember ladies were using it for growth awhile ago so maybe it can do double duty.