Henna'd For The First Time & I Don't Know

[anahnamuslyyours]

Okay so I had to work this morning and my hair is still wet, so it's in a bun right now, so I don't know if it is still feeling all rough and tough but I can say this....

I didn't do anything special to my henna mix - juss used some ACV to help with the dye release - but I did use the Gelled Henna recipe from Fia over at Henna For Hair and that made the application and rinsing out SUPER easy. Tip: if you decide to filter out all the henna particles, use a funnel to pour the henna from whatever you have it in and that will help with the splatter and mess.

So after I rinsed the henna/pectin from my hair, I shampooed then slathered on tons of moisturizing conditioner. My hair still felt hard. And I was shedding a LOT. So I towel dried my hair a bit and then slathered on a mixture of honey, nettle tea, conditioner and (protein free) cholesterol. Then I slathered on more conditioner, put my hair in a low bun and slapped on my showercap and went to bed. Got up this morning, rinsed it out, towel dried (still shedding), then put some SAA and almond oil on my hair, another low bun and got myself off to work. Once I get home, I'll be able to see juss how rough my hair still feels and whether or not I need to do another deep conditioning.

Oh, and I guess my hair is too dark for henna to have changed the color at all. I haven't had a chance to check out my grays (or whites as they are) yet since there's only a few of them and the bulk of my hair usually covers them. I'll be back with updates later this evening.

 

[meia]

Hi!
Speaking as someone who has used henna for a long long time, i've realized that henna can make your hair especially hard sometimes. this has to do with the mix, whether you hair was chemically treated before- most particularly.

If you used a mix that had products that were too acidic in nature, that can cause hard hair. Like I used to put huge quantities of lemon- and experienced similar results because its too harsh for direct use on hair. ACV, from personal experience, is also too hard for use on hair undiluted so that mightve resulted in so much shedding. Try my mix below for an easier result- it doesn't wash out as easy as pectin but i do know pectin is similar in nature to like a Vitamin C type product so that might've been too much acid.

My mix:

half a lemon (half is not as harsh believe me)

100+ grams of henna (depending on length of hair but usually more than what you need is never a problem- its better than having to mix more midway through--- always apply more than you think you'll need because you want to thickly coat strands

red wine (also an acidic component)

Paprika (mostly to help get a redder tint)

Cranberry Juice (also acidic but all of these ingredients are milder than straight ACV)

DO NOT APPLY WATER OF ANY KIND- it actually hinders the dye's brightness and uptake into your hair. Mix to a yogurt consistency and apply it (i leave it on for as many hours as possible, usually 12+ so i sleep with it in) or wait for the dye to release for 12 hours before applying to hair. And then rinse. I usually follow (after rinsing with plain water to as clear as I can get it) with a shampoo once thoroughly- towel blot to dry with a dark towel- then I oil my hair with a thick rich oil and put my hair up to dry. I do that instead of conidtioner because sometimes it irritates too much. I haven't had a problem with this at all!

Also, I see you were looking for a redder result. Usually it takes months (or at least between 4-5 henna applications to really start noticing some red thats more brighter than just sun highlights) so keep that in mind. It does take some time and usually once it starts taking the dye exceptionally well you get BEAUTIFUL results so have no fear. But try my mix and let me know what you think, I've been using it since I was about 16 and i'm 21 now so I haven't had much trouble at all! But do be careful of heavily acidic products!

Meia

ETA: USUALLY IT TAKES 3 DAYS FOR HENNA'S TRUE COLOR TO SHOW BECAUSE THE DYE IS STILL TAKING TO THE HAIR- so you really won't know the true color for a few days after rinsing! Also, in my experience- if you've processed recently with another dye or relaxer usually its common to experience some dryness/brittleness/shedding because your hair is getting used to the henna-- also did you use pure henna or a bigen type product?

 

[anahnamuslyyours]

Thanks for the suggestions, meia! I had way too much left over, so it'll be a while before I get a chance to try this, though. But soon as I do, I will be sure to post.

 

[sareca]

After my first henna treatment I didn't notice much color change either. My hair was darker, but it wasn't all that red. It took a couple treatments before I really saw red.

Nowadays I use only henna, water, and tree tea oil in my mixes. After the treatment I rinse, poo, apply moisturizing DC, rinse, apply my favorite oil, and co-wash (don't poo). It works every time.
HTH

 

[anahnamuslyyours]

Sareca, girl you been helping me out too much lately.

I hate the smell of tea tree oil, though so none of that for me.

So how soon is too soon to do another henna treatment? I was thinking about doing another one this coming Wednesday since I got the day off. I wanna hurry up and use up the mix that I made so I can try part of meia's suggestions. Well, sorta. I think I wanna try leaving in the pectin part because it was juss too easy to rinse out, but skipping the ACV and substituting it for cranberry juice or something. meia, does the red wine effect the color at all?

Oh, and now that my hair isn't wet anymore, I discovered it is still a bit dry, but not shedding as much, and the strands are definitely stronger. I think I'm gonna soak it in oil and conditioner wash again later tonight.

 

[anahnamuslyyours]

Okay so I am liking my hair more and more. It's so soft. But strong at the same time! I stopped shedding, and barely losing any hair when I comb it. Henna head for life.

 

[meia]

Thanks for the suggestions, meia! I had way too much left over, so it'll be a while before I get a chance to try this, though. But soon as I do, I will be sure to post.

Awwww no problem, Bella! I do know if you freeze henna, it does store for 3 to 6+ months with no problems- but I sure do hope my suggestions help!

Sareca, girl you been helping me out too much lately.

I hate the smell of tea tree oil, though so none of that for me.

So how soon is too soon to do another henna treatment? I was thinking about doing another one this coming Wednesday since I got the day off. I wanna hurry up and use up the mix that I made so I can try part of meia's suggestions. Well, sorta. I think I wanna try leaving in the pectin part because it was juss too easy to rinse out, but skipping the ACV and substituting it for cranberry juice or something. meia, does the red wine effect the color at all?

Oh, and now that my hair isn't wet anymore, I discovered it is still a bit dry, but not shedding as much, and the strands are definitely stronger. I think I'm gonna soak it in oil and conditioner wash again later tonight.

Since henna is a natural plant-based treatment, you can do it as soon as a week from the last application (even sooner but I would just say a week that way your hair has about a few days (only 3 is actually needed) for the dye to show its "true colors"

I'll be honest- the pectin (gelled henna) does sound easier but for some reason if i'm not lazy (yikes which i'm sorry to admit that i usually am...lol) and i rinse my hair clear then shampoo twice i usually get rid of most of the dye color with ease- although for about a day after, its common to experience some slight dye release (fairly little in the shower) but its very minimal if you did a decent job of rinsing. Cranberry juice and a bit of lemon are usually good components and the wine? It did aid in giving my hair a deeper burgundy hue... but as time progresses the color change, although subtle, is breathtaking but i've noticed a big difference between using those add-ins versus anything else.

Post henna, I find that oil is my best friend. I would soak my hair in a thick oil and it helps to moisturize my hair immensely post henna for the day I do it and usually the following day or two. I noticed a big difference with shedding once I started this and my hair has never been softer!

 

[anahnamuslyyours]

The color is starting to appear. My white hairs are a red/golden color and if I look at the rest of my hair directly in the sun, it's got a reddish tint to it. I'm hoping for a drastic change over the next couple of days.

 

[anahnamuslyyours]

Okay, so I didn't get that drastic change I was looking for, but more and more I am seeing the red come out. Since my second henna (done two days after the first one because I'm impatient like that), I've stuck to hennaing once a week. Last week, I left it on for 8 hours (while I was sleeping), but this week only an hour. And I'm so anxious to try meia's suggestions about using cranberry juice and such, that I poured what was left over from my first batch. I had enough left over for at least 2 or 3 more applications but I juss couldn't take it no more. Next week, I'll be using cranberry juice, instead of ACV, as my acidic component. But since the jelled henna really stretches the 100 grams, I'll prolly be using this for the next 6 weeks or so. Wish me luck!