Henna, the natural alternative to hair dye: how to use it?
Henna is a great alternative for those who want to dye their hair without resorting to overly harsh chemical treatments. Here's how to do it at home
- Henna dyeing: what to do before you start
- Henna dye: how to prepare it
- Henna dyeing: how to apply it
- Rinsing and post coloring treatment
- How to cover gray hair
Henna is a natural coloring powder popular with those who want to change the look of their hair without using harsh products. Its scientific name, Lawsonia Inermis, comes from the leaves and branches of a shrub native to northern Africa and western Asia from which it is derived. Used, it seems, since Egyptian times, as well as coloring, it nourishes and shines hair.
The original one gives a reddish color with different shades depending on the starting hair color and the time of application. However, there is also blond henna, made from Cassia Obovata or Senna Italica and mixed with rhubarb and chamomile powders, brown henna made from Katam or Buxus Dioica, and black henna, made from Indigofera Tinctoria leaves.
If you've gotten the urge to experiment, know that dyeing your hair at home with henna is super easy, just follow a few simple rules.
Dyeing with henna: what to do before you start
Before proceeding with coloring, you need to wash your hair to remove dirt and excess oil. You can use your usual shampoo, but do not apply conditioner, even if you are used to doing so. At the end of washing, pat your hair dry with a towel to remove as much water as possible, wear a gown or put a towel over your shoulders.
If this is your first time doing this, test the dye first on just one strand to check the result. This step is useful both to ward off any, albeit very rare, allergic reactions and to actually see the color and see if you like it, before applying it to the whole hair.
Henna dye: how to prepare it
Get a medium-sized bowl and a spoon. Before starting, cover all surfaces that might inadvertently get stained.
Pour the powder into the bowl. Usually one package is enough to color shoulder-length hair, but check the proportions on the one you purchased.
Add lukewarm water to the powder a little at a time and stir the mixture until it is a suitable consistency for even distribution. Divide the hair into four sections: front, left, right and back.
Henna dye: how to apply it
Apply the henna hair coloring compound directly with your hands to towel-dried hair, remembering to use gloves to avoid staining.
Start by treating the back section and work evenly through to the front section, from root to ends. Take your time and massage your hair and scalp well.
When finished, cover your head with a shower cap or some clear kitchen paper. Leave on for one to two hours, never for less time because the treatments peak in color after 60 minutes and intensify in the remaining time.
Rinsing and post coloring treatment
After the setting time has passed, rinse thoroughly with water but without using shampoo until all the product is removed. Then apply conditioner to soften the hair and rinse again. Removing all the dye may take some time; be patient.
Blow-dry your hair for 10 to 15 minutes to speed up the natural color change process. If you smell an earthy scent at this stage, don't worry, it's perfectly normal and will fade after drying completely.
At this point your hair should shine with a new color. To keep it that way avoid shampooing for 24 hours and oil-based conditioners for the first week. Henna-based dyes take up to 48 hours to fully express true colors and shades, so you may notice slight changes in the first couple of days.
You can reapply the dye as often as you like because they are all-natural, safe and gentle pigments.
How to cover gray hair
If the roots of your hair are gray, but you would still like to apply color to the entire hair and fear that the result may not be uniform, fear not: all it takes is a little extra patience, but success is assured.
Mix enough product in water to cover only the gray roots, usually a couple of tablespoons is enough. When the mixture is ready, apply it directly only to the gray area, massaging it from the root to the beginning of the nongray part. Wait an hour, then rinse completely with water only.
Now prepare a new mixture with the remaining powder and apply it all over the head, including the roots, following the normal instructions described above.
The results should be satisfactory from the first dyeing, but on gray hair they improve with each passing application and usually peak after three treatments.
If after the first treatment you do not want to re-dye the entire hair but limit yourself only to the regrowth, simply carry out the processes indicated in the previous paragraph related only to the gray part. Again, remember to wash and rinse the hair only with conditioner, without shampoo.
