What is the deal about this henna thing?

gymfreak336

New Member
To be honest the big post on henna is just too much for me to navigate. I see alot of people talking about it so what exactly does it do for you?
 
Im sooo glad you asked this because I dont know what it is either!:confused: And I always see that thread "do ya'll henna" every single day and it has like 700 replies. Im glad its not just me that wants to know what its all about!!:lol:
 
I was thinking the same thing, up until last week. So I just printed the whole thing - it's a good read. I'm, thinking of doing a clear henna gloss - not ready for color yet.

Overall - henna is great for the hair, it conditions and strengthens. Not to mention the shine. Just take a look at Sareca's pics.
 
Henna is a powder that comes from a plant. It is used to strengthen and condition the hair. It dyes the hair a reddish color. It is also the stuff that is used to dye the skin with the intricate skin tatoos you see on Indian women.

Henna makes the hair so strong it is unbelievable. It deposits itself in the hair structure and makes each strand feel smoother and thicker. The hair will just keep getting stronger and shinier as you continue to use it. It is one of the mainstays of the Indian women with the super strong long thick hair.

HTH
Softresses
 
I'm glad someone else asked this question (I'm such a chicken). It sounds good, but I'm still keeping a close eye on that thread before I do anything.
 
If you use henna on a regular basis, does this eliminate the use for proteins since henna strengthens the hair?
 
I will never do another protein treatment when I can henna. It has a better effect for me than protein treatments. Protein made my hair hard and break if I was not really careful. I cannot imagine needing anything else. My strands hardly ever break anymore with henna!

This stuff is amazing!

Softresses
 
JLove74 said:
I was thinking the same thing, up until last week. So I just printed the whole thing - it's a good read. I'm, thinking of doing a clear henna gloss - not ready for color yet.

Overall - henna is great for the hair, it conditions and strengthens. Not to mention the shine. Just take a look at Sareca's pics.
My new-henna-thread-on-LHCF alarm just went off. :D As Softresses said henna is a powder plant. It is 100% natural and when combined with a mildly acidicity liquid (like ACV) it releases a reddish brown color that can be used to dye skin or hair. The big "do to" is because henna is generally considered dangerous to use with relaxers or over (or under) synthetic dyes. Well a few of us have discovered it's not dangerous to use pure henna or body art quality (BAQ) henna. There are several types of henna; compound henna (not good), pure henna (good), body art quality (widely considered the best).

Here's a description of henna I posted on another thread. http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=1595499&postcount=17
Anyway, the 'do ya'll henna' thread has exploded because we share "our personal" henna mixes (which can include henna, indigo, cassia, amla and other Indian herbs) with essential oils to make 'henna mixes' with extra conditioning properties.

Here's my first henna experience and my first and second indigo experience.
 
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HaHa! I knew you would sense the fresh henna talk Sareca. :lachen: :lachen:

I was beginning to sweat. Bring them on over to the dark side girl!!!! We need more henna revolutionaries!



VIVA LA Revolution!

Softresses
 
msshic said:
If you use henna on a regular basis, does this eliminate the use for proteins since henna strengthens the hair?

Normally I don't need protein treatments, but if I've overmoisturized a protein treatment is the only cure. Last time my hair was braided I got carried away with the Aveda DR and my hair was mushy madness. Henna didn't fix it., Aphogee did. Then I went back to my henna treatments. :) They don't replace my moisturizing conditioner either. It's like henna is a 3rd type of conditioning I didn't even know I needed. :confused:
 
CandiceC said:
I'm glad this thread was started. I didn't know what the deal was. I think I'll try it! :)

Just make sure and do a hair test first! Especially if you've colored your hair in the past few months, metallic salts used in some hairdyes and henna don't mix.

I was scared as anything to try it...now I can't imagine not using henna on a regular basis. This stuff makes my hair so strong and thick it's amazing! :D
 
Sareca, if you don't mind me asking, do you have fine, medium, or coarse strands? I find that Aphogee makes my hair so hard that it literally breaks off for a week after I try to use it. Can it be used for fine hair?

If you and Vixen had not posted your henna results I was going to try some other type protein treatment. Now with henna I don't need it.

Softresses
 
Softresses said:
HaHa! I knew you would sense the fresh henna talk Sareca. :lachen: :lachen:

I was beginning to sweat. Bring them on over to the dark side girl!!!! We need more henna revolutionaries!



VIVA LA Revolution!

Softresses

tee-hee... ahem :sekret:
 
Softresses said:
Sareca, if you don't mind me asking, do you have fine, medium, or coarse strands? I find that Aphogee makes my hair so hard that it literally breaks off for a week after I try to use it. Can it be used for fine hair?

If you and Vixen had not posted your henna results I was going to try some other type protein treatment. Now with henna I don't need it.

Softresses
I have medium strands, but I have to follow Aphogee with a 20-minute moisturizing deep conditioning otherwise mine's pretty crunchy too.

Vixxen uses (and got me using) Mega-Tek. It's good stuff and doesn't make my hair hard like Aphogee. But I'm determined to use up the rest of my Aphogee. I only need to use protein when I've overmoisturized otherwise it's just the moisturizing conditioner and henna/amla/indigo.
 
Thanks! That is probably what i was doing wrong. I used a conditioner but it was not really a moisturizing treatment. I will remember Mega Tek in case I over condition.

Thanks again for all your henna knowledge!
 
Thanks for the replies Ladies, I'm still confused on the henna and relaxer thing. So basically if I use high quality henna, I can still relax....right?
 
I hear a lot about clear henna glosses. I was wondering if it would be a better alternative than using semi-permanent glazes for shine? Any info on that? What are some good brands?
 
Yes Gymfreak, It must say BODY-ART Quality. It won't react with the metals in other chemical processes and harm your hair. Sareca and Vixen can explain it better. It has been explained in the other mega posts but may be a llittle hard to find searching through them.

Softresses
 
B Phlyy I am not sure because I have never done one of those (glaze) treatments. But the henna does make the hair SUPER shiney. My hair is BLINGY BLINGY, and Sareca's shine is amazing. The other ladies in the mega posts have great shine too.

Some of our caucasian sisters on other websites use henna and the shine they get from it is off the hook as well.

ETA; Henna gloss is when you add conditioner to your left over henna mix. It is very conditioning, and will give great shine as well. You can freeze it too.

HTH
Softresses
 
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Yay to Gymfreak for being bold enough to ask the question!!!

I wanted to know too but couldn't wade all the way through the posts, but I do have another question: Since it gives off a reddish tint, I guess it wouldn't be wise to use it over my golden highlights would it??
 
Okay you all have me sold. I think I am going to order some around the middle of October. I'll see if I can do it before the LHCF meeting in nc on the 14th so the ladies here can tell me how it looks. Even though I havn't met anyone from here yet, I feel that I can only trust lhcf certified specialist:)
 
Blackbarbie, It would change the color, not sure what shade it would be.

The Henna for Hair web stie has info on color changes. There are people on there that have many different colors of hair and they explain the mixes they use and show what color it turned afterwards. I would definately do strand tests first.

By the way your hair is BEAUTIFUL. The color is awesome.

If you don't want to change the color but want the conditioning effects the mega post has info on a plant called cassia that has the same condtioning effects as henna without the coloring effect. Some people have even started calling it clear henna. However, please do not be confused. Real pure henna with no additives will color the hair red.

Softresses
 
JLove74 said:
I was thinking the same thing, up until last week. So I just printed the whole thing - it's a good read. I'm, thinking of doing a clear henna gloss - not ready for color yet.

Overall - henna is great for the hair, it conditions and strengthens. Not to mention the shine. Just take a look at Sareca's pics.
I peeked in the thread a few times before and did my best to ignore it; but the thread kept haunting me. And seeing Sareca's siggy in other threads didn't help either. I read a few pages a day and took some notes. I also read info on other sites.

I have a draft mix that lists ingredients, materials, and instructions I want to do. My hair is dark brown, and I want a richer brown color with a red cast in the sun. I want to try black tea bags to get the brown instead of a little indigo. I'll probably order henna Wednesday if I can't find it locally. I want to read more threads on the henna for hair forum too.

But I'll be sure to pm one of our henna gurus on the forum and get the mix reviewed before I do my henna. ;)
 
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Softresses,
Thanks so much for compliment:)
That's good to know about the henna; not interested in changing the color but I would love the conditioning benefits! I guess I will wade through the mega post to read about the cassia you mentioned and I will visit the henna for hair website as well.

Thanks again!

BB


Softresses said:
Blackbarbie, It would change the color, not sure what shade it would be.

The Henna for Hair web stie has info on color changes. There are people on there that have many different colors of hair and they explain the mixes they use and show what color it turned afterwards. I would definately do strand tests first.

By the way your hair is BEAUTIFUL. The color is awesome.

If you don't want to change the color but want the conditioning effects the mega post has info on a plant called cassia that has the same condtioning effects as henna without the coloring effect. Some people have even started calling it clear henna. However, please do not be confused. Real pure henna with no additives will color the hair red.

Softresses
 
I have been wanting to try henna for so long, but I have yet to finish that darn thread! That's the only thing holding me back! :lol: I can't read it in one shot AND it just keeps getting longer! :lol:

BUT I will try it soon enough.
 
Yes, OP thanks for asking this! I've seen that 50 page "do ya'll henna" thread going for a while now and it was so big I couldnt wade thru it. I've beed so curious about this henna thing.

Henna goddesses, where do ya'll get your henna?
 
I use body art quality henna, I mix henna (red) with indigo (black colour) and that darkens, and strengthens my hair. It makes your ends resist splits, you'll still get them but there less and don't ride up the hair shaft as fast. It's still very important to do deep moisterizing conditioning treatments too. I just started using henna again this summer and it's a keeper for me, the shine, less tangles, less splits, like the ladies said aphogee wasn't always the answer for strenthening all the time, I do use it here and there but it isn'ta regular on my usage list.
 
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