Paging the Hennaphilic Gals...

[Mahalialee4]

Re: I loved the henna! (kinda long)

Now that we are using henna and achieving success, are you still sticking to the regular wash days or regimes that you had before, or are you extending them? I am extending my routine to one day a week for the remainder of this cold weather. It gives me more time to assess what henna is doing for my hair and how it is being affected, how it handles moisture, how much oil, or leave in conditioner is needed, whether there is any dryness, stiffness shedding etc. and how much henna my hair can tolerate.Also I want to see the extent of loosening of the curl after each application that it is receiving now and how much bounce and body it retains from wash to wash. Washing it every three days kind of defeats that for me since my hair is natural and I wrap it twice (different directions to get it absolutely straight. I am also checking to see how it holds up without applying heating cap and just drying overnight with a silk scarf. The next time I do my hair I will try the Lotus powder.

Bonjour.

 

[iris]

Re: I loved the henna! (kinda long)

I use to wash or rinse every three days, but I cut back to one day a week also. I started wearing my hair in curly styles and using rollers was starting to drive me crazy! Try rolling and washing your hair every 3 days or so and you'll know what I mean. Now that I'm basically wearing my hair in a ponytail, maybe I could wash/rinse daily. But right now I need to give my poor hands and fingers a break.

 

[hada]

Re: I loved the henna! (kinda long)

Mahalialee,

I will say this: I have dropped alot of the products I used to use in my hair. So now I am only using henna, coconut cream (FNWL), and a conditioner (Jason's) and then a leave-in such as Elucence or Giovanni. Once I run out of Elucence I will stick with Giovanni it is #2 to Elucence, almost on same level though but cheaper. I have been washing my hair once a week because of the cold. When it warms up for good for the spring and summer I will rinse my hair twice a week.
I will start dusting my ends every other month instead of every month. Henna is doing such a great job on it.
I haven't been using any shampoo lately, just rinsing the hair and scalp and doing an ACV rinse then condition. No scalp problems. When I do straighten I add rosewater to my hair along with a leave-in and it helps it straighten out well, along with sheen and softness..I notice that it was the rose water. It leaves a nice scent in the hair too if you are just leaving it natural

.

Henna will cut out alot of products that are used and in time save you alot of money.

Ex. of what is cut out
those hair straightening creams/balms
excessive oils to press hair
deep conditioners (atleast the frequency of them, if I want to deep condition I slather on Jason's Henna Hi-light and a dime size amount of olive oil, put on a processing cap and sit under heat.)
WGO(cut!)-- I use a lighter oil now such as Virgin Coconut cream

Hada

 

[CynamonKis]

Re: I HAVE A QUESTION???????(Papain)

This discussion of papain & pineapple reminded me of the Beverly Hill's Diet, which was big in the 80's. There papaya & pineapple were used to breakdown fat & thus facilitate weight loss.

Katrine said:
Papain is used in hair-inhibitors and peeling treatments. It breaks down enzymes (similar to pineapple). I would really not use it on my hair and certainly not on a regular basis.

 

[CynamonKis]

Re: I loved the henna! (now what)

Funny that you mentioned this -- I was just pondering this same thing after yesterday's 1st henna application.

What I may need LESS OF NOW post-henna are the damage repair products that I used in abundance to strengthen my hair.

But I'll keep my vitamin regiment and my nightly hair oiling w/the hair butter stuff & nightly scalp treatments (this combo has caused my hair to GROW).

On the weekend, I'll alternate w/a couple of washing/conditioning routines I have in mind, followed by my weekend wet set/wrap--the henna has made this much more beneficial by reducing the frizz.

During the week I'll keep on keepin' it simple by slapping
on Carol's Daughter, a little of Sweetcoca's hair butter & a dab of pre-con gel, pull my hair back and GO!

Whether or not to continue with my one, mid-week washing, I'll play it by ear...

 

[azul11]

Re: I loved the henna! (now what)

I posted the info at another thread. i should have posted it here duh!

what is this hennalucent in neutral supposed to look like. i saw it in a store but the hair they had picture was blond. i was like i am not going to put this on my hair and mess my hair up. most of the boxes had different colors if it was meant to color and the neutral had blond thats why i didnt pick it up. anyone have a photo of the neutral one?? God bless you all.

 

[Jaquai]

Re: I loved the henna! (now what)

hello everyone,
i just bought the hennalucent in neutral and was wondering if i use this will it cause any problems later on if i decide to permanently or semipermantly dye my hair?
thanks

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: I loved the henna! (now what)

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Jaquai said:
hello everyone,
i just bought the hennalucent in neutral and was wondering if i use this will it cause any problems later on if i decide to permanently or semipermantly dye my hair?
thanks

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't think so...since it shampoos out naturally in 4 to 6 weeks and has no metallic salts.

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: I loved the henna! (now what)

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
azul11 said:
I posted the info at another thread. i should have posted it here duh!

what is this hennalucent in neutral supposed to look like. i saw it in a store but the hair they had picture was blond. i was like i am not going to put this on my hair and mess my hair up. most of the boxes had different colors if it was meant to color and the neutral had blond thats why i didnt pick it up. anyone have a photo of the neutral one?? God bless you all.


[/ QUOTE ]

I have nuetral and yes the picture on the box is blond....but it is neutral and will not make your hair blond.

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..

I just did my 2nd treatment last night...my curls are definietly looser, right where I want them so I'm gonna switch to once a month. The only problem I had this time is my scalp was dry and itchy...I think that was due to the fact that I fell asleep 2 hours after applying it to my hair and I slept in it overnight(didn't mean to... lol..) The next time I will be sure to leave it on my hair no more than 4 hours. I ended up doing a conditioner rinse and a deep moisturizing treatment and then I decided to rollerset. ). I'm under the dryer right now as I type...

I also didn't use as much oils as I did the first time(a no, no)
Since the shrinkage is reduced I get see more of my length(looks good)...aside from the itchy dry scalp, I'm am pleased once again. I'm also looking forward to trying the lotus powder. I'll let you 'rollersetters' know how my set turns out.

 

[Mahalialee4]

Re: 2nd application..

I agree about reducing the amount of products. Also, since I have such a large supply of powders (Indian)I have mixed and refrigerated "ready to use" treatments that serve as wash and condition that I will be using along with henna and the lotus powder. For example, I have mixed Shikaki, amla,tulsi, basil,neem, brahmi,soapnut with coconut cream powder, emu oil, olive oil, mustard oil wheat germ, hemp etc.honey and whipped them in a blender then added essential oils, including tea tree oil,( using up dibs and dabs of product so that it does not get too old or rancid); and will add this to my regime as preconditioners, to rinse out before applying the henna, and then I have made up a batch of moisturizer, containing avocado oil, castor oil etc. coconut cream with essential oils etc. to use as part of the henna conditioning. Also I am using up extra products in hair packs using my deep protein conditioners as a base. I realize that it is quite intensive. I am pushing for growth and health strands and length. Once I have jumpstarted everything with maximum conditioning and moisturizing, supplements and diet, I can really simplify things. But I am not going to waste what I already have. Hope this helps.
Hada, how straight has your hair gotten overtime using the henna. Could you post a From: To&gt; regarding textural difference, length and strength? Thanks.

Bonjour.

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..(rollerset)

I am pleased with the results today. My rollerset came out real shiny and straight(almost too straight)...as if I put a relaxer in my hair. The only drawback I had this time was my scalp was itching. I don't know if it was due to the length of time I left it in or reapplying Hennalucent only a week after the first one.

 

[iris]

Re: 2nd application..(rollerset)

Sweetcocoa I have experienced this also and have stopped using it all together until this itch stops. I don't want any further irritation. I'm glad your rollerset was successful

How long does it take you to rollerset? I can get away with mine but I still have to practice to master it

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..(rollerset)

I takes me 10 minutes to rollerset and 1 hour to dry under a 400 watt soft bonnet. The lower wattage dryers take me 15 minutes more.

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..(rollerset)

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
iris said:
Sweetcocoa I have experienced this also and have stopped using it all together until this itch stops. I don't want any further irritation. I'm glad your rollerset was successful

[/ QUOTE ]
I did a conditioning shampoo(really scrubbing the scalp) followed by a deep moisturizing conditioner under the dryer to stop the itch. I'm gonna wait and try the Lotus Powder before I do another Hennalucent.

 

[hada]

Re: 2nd application..

Hi Mahalialee,

Hair texture is a 3c/4a texture, curls w/o henna are defined somewhat but frizz when dry. I cut my hair last Nov. 2002 the first week to earlobe length and hardly had enough hair in the back to fit in a ponytail- slightly angled forward bob. It is now the end of March and my hair is now about an inch away(maybe less) frommy shoulders. I can't really give it in inches but I have somewhat of a long neck. The texture with henna is more of a complete 3c with the back of my hair a little looser (3a??). I can now braid a bun w/o using a hair band to tie a ponytail. Sort of like a low french braid. My hair is certainly much stronger than it has been, detangles alot easier and I lose less hair in comb outs. It is very soft when I rinse it and when it dries completely. I no longer need alot of oil, just a tad bit of coconut oil is all I need. I will be back to my original 24 inches by next fall sometimes and then I will press on to waist length. Oh I forgot to say....even if I don't comb my hair for a couple of days (I usually have it in some sort of bun), I can still get my comb through my hair when I take it down. I won't put a comb in it until I finished conditioning it and it just amazes me that I still don't get tangles or lose much hair even though I have not combed my hair in two or three days sometimes. The hair does shrink a bit in it's unpressed state but it still looks "defrizzed" and "debulked".

hada

 

[UmSumayyah]

Re: 2nd application..

OK girlies, I picked up some Rainbow brand Henna in Persian black. I plan to try it tonight or tomorrow and let you know how it goes. If this henna stuff works very well for me then I will plan on stretching touch-ups to 16 weeks or...eliminating the chemicals altogether. (holding my breath)...

 

[CynamonKis]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Sweetcoca, I'm glad you posted this. I figured the oils were helpful to the henna treatments &amp; your post confirmed this.

I can see how u fell asleep--the henna treatments take so long! For the itchy scalp, have you tried "KeraCare, Dry &amp; Itchy Scalp Glossifier"? It's quite soothing...

I made the BIG mistake of blow-drying after the henna (1st time I did this in 3-4 months), won't do that again...
It really dried my hair out. So I re-washed my hair &amp; over-oiled &amp; over-compensasted so now my hair is straight as a board &amp; I can't tell whether that's due to henna or over-oiling the jury's still out...I'll wash again tomorrow &amp; that'll let me know whether I'm going to be henna-ing this weekend or waiting for another week.

Also, since I used "color" this time, I MAY do the hennalucent neutral this weekend. We shall see...

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

I think the combination of the henna and the oils made your hair straight. Like I said my hair is almost too staight...it's a good thing I was doing a wrap after my rollerset...cause my curls were very loose(that'll be good for the shrinkage problem when I wear my natural style

)...

 

[Lucia]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Hi ladies just wanted to share a link, another board with hair-obsessed women (and men?) on it. Women of colour aren't the only ones obsessed with hair, or henna.
Check it out
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/viewtopic.php?t=1502

 

[Lucia]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Hey ladies I forgot to post my henna mixture:
1 box hennalucent neautral
1/4 cup Avocado oil
1/4 cup warm water
2 tblspn cholesterol conditioner
1 tspn lemon juice
It makes a nice thick paste, very gooey but it doesn't leak and leaves my haiar soft, after following with cholesterol condioning treatment under a heat cap for 10-15 minutes.
hth

 

[sweetcocoa]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Thanks for posting your recipe...
I decided to use hennalucent again this Friday...but use more oil this time. I don't think I used enough the 2nd time...not as much as I did the first time. I will try your recipe but I will be substituting olive oil for avocado oil.
Plus since my scalp got itchy I will 'base' scalp with some oil(I normally don't oil)...

 

[CynamonKis]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Lucia thanks for the link to Longhaircommunity.com. Did you read Fia/Britta's recipe for henna gel posted there? If I had to go thru all that to do a henna treatment, its HIGHLY UNLIKELY that'd I do it!! LOL!

 

[CynamonKis]

Re: 2nd application (oils)

Lucia I printed your recipe -- it made me decide to add lemon to the mixture I used. Which oil do you think is more moisturizing -- avocado oil or castor oil? I asked because I used a higher percentage of hemp oil in the mixture vs. the castor oil &amp; the jojoba &amp; olive; I'd like to include a higher % of the most moisturizing oil I can find....Thanks again for the info.

P.S. - filing away as a "won't do": blow-drying made me look as if I stuck my finger in a light socket

 

[BabyCurls]

Hi, Hennajoy, and welcome to the board. Yesterday, I purchased Born Again Hair Natural 100% Henna from a Korean Beauty supply store. After reading the posts here from a lot of people using the product, as well as your informative knowledge, I've decided to jump in on the bandwagon and give a go at it. I'm going to use the henna on my hair this morning. I'll let you know the results later when I post.

Again, welcome aboard.

 

[Guest]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Thanks for posting your recipe Lucia. I'm going to try this recipe also, as I'm anxiously awaiting my lotus powder

I was really in a battle to relax or stay natural and I think I will stay natural for the time being. I'm going to give these natural products a try and see what happens over time, in terms of my hair's response to them

Sweetcocoa basing the scalp is a great idea. I added no oils to my mix, and I believe this is where the itch came from also.

 

[iris]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Hello Everyone

I wanted to let my "hennaphilic" team know that I won't be here at the boards anytime soon. I need to get alot done in so little time. It's been wonderful seeing how everyone is progressing with their henna journey. I am very inspired by it all. Keep up the great work and God bless you all.

-Iris

 

[nita4]

Re: 2nd application..(takin\' notes..)

Hi Ladies

You can add my daughter to the list of Henna users. I did her hair last Saturday with a neutral - left it on for 31/2 hours - she was running around playing so time escaped us - 2 hrs would be enough time though. She has 4a hair with thin/tight springy coils. Her coils definately loosened, her hair was easier to comb and there was less shrinkage in her twist!!

I did notice that her scalp looked a little dry, but I attributed that to the amount of time I left it on.

but I do spray her scalp every morning with a glycerine/water mixture and I haven't seen her scratching so far...

I followed Hennajoy's advice and mixed the Hennalucent with hot water and let it sit until cool. But, hearing that some of you are suffering from dry scalp, I may add a little oil next time.

I am really fighting the impulse to order a pound of neutral henna from Mountain Rose Herbs - has anyone every used this kinda?? For those of you who shop it's 18 bucks a lb, plus shipping and handling at 5.75 is this good??
I don't know where to find locally??

I looked in an Indian store and he had some old boxes of black and tried to tell me all henna comes in black

anyways we do have Korean stores, maybe I will try there this weekend.

 

[hada]

growing hair

I just pressed my hair last night. And I will say now the hair, on the very ends is touching my shoulders. Right now I have it bumped under so it looks shorter. That is my happy report. I hadn't measured the inches. I kind of don't want to do that because it has made me crazy in the past. But I go on what it looks like. I will measure it in the future when it becomes more below shoulder length.

hada

 

[nita4]

Re: growing hair

Thanks you just answered a question of mine. I was wondering if you could use any type of heat while using Henna. Congrats on the growth!!!