# Who else hennas their hair? (pics?)



## Sushi_Flower (Dec 14, 2005)

Anyone else? I love henna-ing my hair. I do it every few months and i love the way it conditions my hair and leaves a really subtle natural looking barely there colour.
Being Indian, i have naturally very dark brown hair which looks black (or should i say looked) so using henna suits my hair very well. I use a browny-mahogony colour usually and add lots of lemon juice for shine. I'm too scared of dyes and don't want to mess my hair up and have to do up-keep and i'm sceptical about home-dyes anyway and can't afford salon dyeing.

So anyone else use henna?

Here's a pic of my freshly hennad hair some time ago.


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## Juneplum (Dec 14, 2005)

both my sisters in law henna their hair too. they're from india


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## catiebloo (Dec 14, 2005)

Yeah i henna my hair. I use Lush's henna blocks, but change what i use each time.

Here's a pic from the last time i did it...





Caca used - Half a square of Marron & a whole square of Rouge 
Time - 3-4 hours 
Un/Wrapped? - Wrapped in a plastic bag, covered with a shower cap & then covered with a warm towel 
Added Mix-ins - Coffee instead of Water to mix 
Any Techniques - I grate the henna before hand, rather than lumping water in & waiting for it to go smooshy. Less lumps that way
Washed out with - Hot water then shampoo & more rinsing
Trick? - Patience! 
Strand Test - nah


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## Pink_minx (Dec 15, 2005)

huh whats henna? Tell me more about it cause I never ever heard of it.  Both your hair looks soooo beautiful I want miine like that! So whats henna? and where do you buy it? and how do you use it? is it a conditioner? hmmm me like to know


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## Dreamergirl3 (Dec 15, 2005)

OMG sushi flower, please, what brand do you use??? My hair is naturaly dark espresso brown (looks practically black) and ive been DYING to get my hair to look more brown like yours! Any info would help tons! TIA!
*EDIT* henna is temporary, right? Or how long does it last? thanks again!


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## xSazx (Dec 15, 2005)

Umm, is that like the Henna intensive deep conditioning stuff?
I got that the other to use on my hair cuz my friend said it made her hair really soft & shiny, but on the back of mine it says 'will not colour or discolour' hair.
I was gonna use it today, but after reading this dya think it will actually colour it? should risk it? I have blonde hair :/


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## user4 (Dec 15, 2005)

im going to risk sounding like a moron, how do u henna your hair?


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## catiebloo (Dec 15, 2005)

Hey,

I used Lush's henna blocks which you can purchase here

UK - http://www.lushdns.co.uk/
US - http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/i...tml?lang=en_US

And this link takes you to instructions & a general chat about henna (you may need to register to read it, but it doesn't cost anything & takes 2 minutes)

http://forum.lush.com/forum/viewtopi...=asc&highlight

Hope this helps you a wee bit.


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## pumpkincat210 (Dec 15, 2005)

I have the deep conditioning Henna and Placenta stuff, it works really really good! You put the conditioner in your hair and wrap it in a hot wet towel for 10-15, and then you rinse it and my hair is super shiny!   You can also dye your hair with the non-conditioners..Its very natural and doesn't hurt your hair as bad as the other chemical  ones.


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## Melisanda (Dec 15, 2005)

If I ever decide to dye my hair, I'd use a henna-based natural hair dye. 

Btw, I make a huge distinction betwen pure henna (Lawsonia Inermis=dyes hair red) and other dyes based on henna. Some of this dyes contain ingredients that are harmful for hair so don't make an assumption that everything labeled henna 

1) is good and healthy for hair
2) actually contains henna or only henna

Lush colors are supposed to be good (but I wish they would list their ingredients properly-black henna is Indigo which has nothing to do with henna!)-no harmful ingredients there but they aren't as long lasting as real henna.   

A great website that contains a wealth of information on henna is http://www.hennaforhair.com

*ahem, off my soapbox now*


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## Sushi_Flower (Dec 16, 2005)

Henna is basically in it pure form a powder (or blocks like the Lush ones) which you mix with boiling water and maybe abit of lemon and leave it in for about 6 hours and it tints your hair with an amazing subtle deep colour. It's completely natural stuff and the shades are limited to browns, reds, mahogonys etc

Henna is actually used on hands to decorate in Indian culture so you can get hand henna, hair henna and nail henna. We always use it on our hands at weddings and special occasions.
Here's a pic of my cousins hands the day before her wedding and before we washed the mehndi (henna) off.






DreamerGirl the henna i use i buy off my cousin who gets it from her grandparents in France, i've no idea if it's sold in shops but i searched for it and found a website that sells it - http://www.bodydeco.co.uk/acatalog/H...ng_Powder.html

I use the Mahogony one. I think that is the same brand but they have changed their packaging. Any henna will give you the same results though as it is the same natural stuff. (Body Shop do hennas, i think theirs has coffee added to it though) Just look at the ingredients of any henna and if it says 'Lawsonia Inermis and Sodium Picramate' then you're good to go. I'm abit dubious about hennas that have aload of extra ingredients. Add lots of lemon juice to the mixture after mixing it with boliing water, the texture should be like thick cream. Leave for 6 hours and you will be amazed by the condition of your hair even if it does nothing colour wise.

Catiebloo - Any idea who i am?


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## user3 (Dec 16, 2005)

Goodness your hair looks great! 

I love the henna used on your cousin's hands!


I did Henna my hair years ago but I stopped using it because I at the time I wanted to add highlights.


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## maianne (Dec 16, 2005)

Wow... Sushi Flower, your hair is amazing!!  I've always thought about trying henna, and now I've got the inspiration.  I also have black hair, although it's got 3-month-old brown highlights in it that I'm too broke to retouch, so this seems right up my alley.

Also love that pic of the mehndi - very beautiful!


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## Dreamergirl3 (Dec 16, 2005)

Thank you SO much Sushi_Flower!


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## Sushi_Flower (Dec 16, 2005)

Thankyou so much  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I just had my hair cut the other day and it's alot layered than in that pic now which suits my face more but i think miss that 'classy sleek' look now!

Glad to have helped, i'm surprised people weren't aware of henna, i guess i've always been around it due to my culture so don't see it as an alternative less commercial hair colour.


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## catiebloo (Dec 20, 2005)

Yes! I do know who you are...hello! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










You've just put me in the mood to do some henna art too  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I haven't done any for ages!! I would love to upto the standard to be able to do arms like your Cousins  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Linky to my very limited crappy henna for anyone who wants to see  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


http://photobucket.com/albums/v463/catiebloo/Henna/


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## maianne (Jan 12, 2006)

All right, so I just bought Lush's marron & noir hennas... I'm going to try a mixture using equal amounts of both.  My hair is naturally black with dark & light brown highlights left over from several months ago (yikes), so hopefully the overall effect isn't too drastic.


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## Naffy (Feb 6, 2006)

Henna is basically a plant that's dried, and smashed into powder form. Women and men in South Asia (mosty India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) have been using it for generations on their hair. It's amazingly healthy, and colors your hair without damaging it at all. I love the feeling after I've put henna in my hair. I'm from Bangladesh, so I have family mail it to me. And i love using it on my hands and feet, honestly, I'd die without it.


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## Pei (Feb 24, 2006)

I just henna-ed my hair! It's still wet btw 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




My mixture:

- Pure Henna powder 200g
- A mug of chinese tea with a tbl spoon of honey
- Juice from 2 lemons
- Sweet orange EO from TBS

I was too anxious to get my hair henna-ed, and I only let my mixture set for abt 30mins. (I stained my fingers orange and i assume that it's ready for dyeing)






Results: Very natural reddish-orange tint with ultra shine & softness! It smells sooooo good too! It's the ULTIMATE hair masque on earth!


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## fireatwill (Mar 7, 2006)

Wow. Your hair looks great im gonna have to try that!


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## Rank_as (Mar 17, 2006)

deleted


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## sallytheragdol (Mar 18, 2006)

Does it wash out/fade(will I have to deal with roots, basically)? What are the best brands to try? is there a way to strand test it or do you have to do your whole head?


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## user79 (Apr 3, 2006)

I've had mixed results with henna. The thing that annoys me the most is how varied the results are from the pictures on the box, or the samples of hair they have at the drugstore. I once tried a mahogany shade and my hair was like a purply black when it came out. I didn't like it at all.

It's sort of like an experiment because unless you do a time-consuming strand test, you just don't know how it's going to look. I don't like that aspect about it at all.


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## lynette (Apr 4, 2006)

*henna on hair !*

Oh yes, i have been using henna too on my hair but i make it a hair pack in which i add , some coffee, curd, break an egg into it and some mustard oil and mix it well and keep it like that for an hour or so. After that i apply the pack on my hair properly covering all the greys and all the hair properly too. Leave it on to dry and then shampoo it off well. 
Henna can be drying if used frequently but if combined with egg and curd they are greatly nourishing and deeply condition the hair .
Henna on the hair is terrific and can be done at least once a week for consistent results.


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## Angelic Me! (Apr 4, 2006)

WoooW!!  I love Henna!
my last one was 8 months ago !
Henna is very good to your hair Especilty if you use the ORGINAL >> `cuse there R alot of henna full with colors!!!
any way .. Henna is perfect to your hair if you use it once every two months <<
you add to henna olie oil 4 dry hair 
limon for oily hair << NOT MUCH limon
and for alettel rednss use tea Bags 1-2 bag+olive oil 1 spoon leav it in your hair for 4-6 hours belive me it`s WORTHIT : )


THANKS for TOPICS Sweeti  : )


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## litlaur (May 26, 2006)

I used Lush's Caca Marron yesterday. It didn't quite turn out how I expected, but I like it. It's like a cinnamon/coppery color, great for summer.

Before:






After:


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## islandblossom (Jul 23, 2006)

i used hennalucent's bark brown today hoping that it would help cover my old and very outgrown highlights but the faded highlights are still noticeable. =( on the brigthside, my hair feels 10x healthier and softer than it was BEFORE i henna'd it...

how long until i should henna my hair again and what brand is better than hennalucent?


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## misslilith (Jul 24, 2006)

I use colourless henna (it`s a plant named cassia with similar features like henna but not able to dye your hair) as a hairmask.
It`s really not for blond hair because they can become green but for others who don`t want to change their haircolor it`s great as it leaves your hair healthy and shiny just as the real henna.


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## MAC_addiction<3 (Jan 27, 2008)

Sushi flower on the website you gave us
(Bodydeco Henna Hair Colouring Powder)
is the neutral henna just clear?
so it won't add any type of colour at all?
x


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## Kuuipo (Jan 27, 2008)

Neutral henna can be slightly green or orange. Occasionally, it leaves a stain. Neutral henna makes a really good hair filler for damadged hair. It's like putting a candy coating on top of hair-makes it shiny. It's also good-lets say you are bleached blonde and you want to go darker.If you fill with neutral henna first, the color will take more evenly and not grab too much green if you are going ash, or too much red if you go chocolate. You can also do the henna, color, henna sequence to lock in color. 
Some people mix their hennas with tea or coffee instead of water. Or Celestial seasons Red Zinger to kick the color up


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## Kuuipo (Jan 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *litlaur* 

 
_I used Lush's Caca Marron yesterday. It didn't quite turn out how I expected, but I like it. It's like a cinnamon/coppery color, great for summer.

Before:





After:








_

 
Love the cut, love the color!


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## M.A.C.tastic (Jan 29, 2008)

just wanted to give you girls a quick fyi....i am a hairstylist and i can tell you, henna is great for conditioning, color etc. but if you ever want to color or highlight your hair after doing henna, beware, because it is very hard to remove and if you use store bought color or go to a colorist and dont tell them you have henna on your hair it could break off into mush.  something in henna reacts to regular haircolor and when mixed on your hair it almost melts it off.  not to scare you just letting you know henna"ing" your hair is a commitment.


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## Kuuipo (Jan 29, 2008)

Henna lasts till the hair grows out-you can not remove it. That's why I say use neutral. I have used neutral to fill double process blonde with good results-but it was spectacular henna-and it was tested on a swatch of my client's hair I had cut during a major style change. If you have black hair, use tinted blue henna ontop of your hair and bleach your hair or use color remover you will still have a wacky metallic cop car blue head of hair when its stripped. Henna fills the cuticle. Thats why it makes it shiny, less frizzed and more conditioned looking. Don't try to perm over it either. Your perm won't take.


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## DigitalFaery (Feb 23, 2008)

I'm considering dying my hair with henna.
But i'm still anxious that the colour will turn out orange or tomato red. I'd actually like a brown reddish, sort of mahogany (my hairs natural colour is a blondish brown)
Lately i also red that some hennas can contain chemicals that can cause your hair to fall out on long-term, does anyone know which ones?
And can you use henna on top of a 'normal' hairdye?


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## imperfectbeauty (Feb 24, 2008)

i haven't done a henna treatment for my hair in so long because i haven't had the time. it definately does help my hair though.


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## sass000 (Mar 9, 2008)

I used to get my hair professionally dyed. After a few years I developed alopecia, my dermatologist said it was not related to the hair dye. Some time after that (while I still had alopecia) I decided to stop dying my hair. Coincidently my alopecia ceased. Was the alopecia related to the dye? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I decided better to have undyed hair than no hair, so for a while I just left my hair alone. After a year or two I was really missing the red color the dye used to give my hair and decided to try henna. I haven't looked back since. There is a big difference between hennas, after much research I decided to buy my henna at mehandi.com. While the color is not as vibrant as it was when I dyed it , I still like it and not having to worry about it having chemicals and such.


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## swetnmellow (Sep 20, 2008)

Does it wash out/fade(will I have to deal with roots, basically)? What are the best brands to try? is there a way to strand test it or do you have to do your whole head?

Ive been using henna for 10years now, and i m soo happyy with it i never chemically dye my hair! No henna doesnt wash out, u will have to wait till ur hair grows back... ive always used the one u can get at the nearest indian/middle eastern store, make sure though its pure henna not mixed with something else..

u will have to touch up the roots every 2 months but u dont need to the whole head.. i basically bend down in the shower, massage my scalp with my henna mix and leave it for 4h, wash it et voila!
u can do a strand test before u try on ur whole head. my mix is:

300g of henna ( from indian store)
2-3tablespoon paprika (to help for that red glow)
4 bags raspberry tea  
2tbsp of honey (good conditioner)
1tbsp of olive oil (conditioning)

let it sit for ~10-12h in warm place for dye release, put it on make sure all ur hair is well covered (i have long hair i always use 300g,  be careful its messy and the stains are hard to get rid of!) i keep it for 4h (the longer the richer and the deeper the color will be) i hop in the shower and wash with lots of conditioner.

I get a deep rich chestnut hair (my har is naturally dark brown), it really work great for me!!


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## Patricia (Sep 20, 2008)

sushi_flower, your hair looks fantastic!!

i really wanna try henna now!!! but my hair is naturally reddish and i would like to get brown, but a neutral brown... i'm scared cos i don't wanna end up with orange hair cos i hate it on me


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## Nox (Sep 21, 2008)

I love henna, and I've been doing it for almost two years now!  I actually use a henna/amla/indigo mix to create a black-chocolate color, I love it!

I mix mine with (real, not "Yoplait") yogurt and hot water.  I let it sit for 3-4 hours, I put it on my head and leave it for 3-4 hours.  Rinse out and I'm done!


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## Sushi_Flower (Sep 29, 2008)

Wow i started this thread 3 years ago and it's still going! Funny to read what i wrote back then, because since then i've been using hair dye with great results! 
But now i've decided to go back to natural hair colour and will probably go back to using henna for shine and and a hint of colour.
Glad my thread has introduced people to henna and inspired them all these years!


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## nursee81 (Sep 29, 2008)

Wow I am going to think about using this method. Is it true you have to let it grow out? I thought it faded out.


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## HeavenLeiBlu (Sep 30, 2008)

Ugh, I just did a strand test on some hair I discreetly cut, and I see NO difference... after letting the henna set all night! I'm gonna try sample one with more red, because I'll be hella pissed if I order half a kilo and it doesn't color my hair, man.


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## pretebrowneyes (Oct 6, 2008)

I'm going between this thread and a thread on LHCF about henna and I am SOLD!  I've decided since my color disaster (read: my highlights broke...HELP! thread) I won't use chemical color and was pretty bummed about it. But this is making me feel tons better....

FYI, on the Henna for Hair site there is a free e-book for us newbies to learn by.  HTH


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## mysteryflavored (Oct 8, 2008)

I LOVE HENNA.

I learned all about it from hennaforhair.com. A really informative website! READ IT!

Here are some pictures:

BEFORE:






AFTER HENNA #1:





AFTER HENNA #2:





AFTER HENNA #2, FULLY OXIDIZED:





As you can see, the color IMMEDIATELY after a henna is dramatic, but after a few days it oxidizes into a much richer, darker color. Sunlight also has a huge impact on how it looks -- obviously much redder in direct sunlight, and darker in a dorm room at nighttime.  I love it. It's also vastly improved the strength and resilience in my hair.

If anyone is wondering, I use 100g Jamila BAQ henna mixed with tap water, nothing else. None of those fancy mixtures for me.

WARNING: If you use anything that does NOT say "BAQ (Body Art Quality)" henna, you run the risk of putting an unknown quantity of unknown chemicals in your hair. BE WARNED that if you have a preexisting dye job, these chemicals can turn your hair GREEN or PURPLE.

And, a gratuitous work-in-process picture:


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## Nox (Oct 16, 2008)

Mystery your hair is gorgeous!!!

I have tried using just tap water, and the color deposition is just fine with it.  However, personally, I find that I can have a little difficulty washing all the little bits out if I don't use plain yogurt, and a little dash of lemon juice to keep it all mixed together.  There was one time I couldn't get it all out in one wash, and I went to a friend's house.  When I shook my head, a cascade of little "bug-looking" bits came showering down.  It totally freaked her out, LOLOL!  So there will be no more of that!


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## mysteryflavored (Oct 16, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Nox* 

 
_Mystery your hair is gorgeous!!!

I have tried using just tap water, and the color deposition is just fine with it.  However, personally, I find that I can have a little difficulty washing all the little bits out if I don't use plain yogurt, and a little dash of lemon juice to keep it all mixed together.  There was one time I couldn't get it all out in one wash, and I went to a friend's house.  When I shook my head, a cascade of little "bug-looking" bits came showering down.  It totally freaked her out, LOLOL!  So there will be no more of that!_

 
Thanks. 

Actually, I did add something other than water -- honey. It helped with the rinsing process tremendously. You don't want more than 1tbsp per 100g henna, though, otherwise it'll be dripping down your neck while you're waiting for the color to absorb.


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## Korms (Oct 21, 2008)

I'm currently sat with a heap of LUSH Caca Brun on my head.  I haven't used Henna for years but I want to grow my hair long and I need it to be healthy as my hair grows painfully slow and I can't afford my hair to suffer any damage from chemical dyes.

Hopefully it looks ok, I won't be rinsing for another 6 hours!  I am rather anxious!


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## LadyFaenyx (Oct 21, 2008)

I've been hearing a lot about henna-ing hair lately, and I want to try it, because I dislike using box dyes.

I have naturally darkish brown hair. If I wanted a lighter reddish/orange toned hair.. is that possible with henna? Or would I have to professionally lighten the hair FIRST?

Can I use henna over box dyed hair? I know you can't use box dye OVER henna, but is the other way safe? Because i've been using box dyes for quite awhile.


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## Korms (Oct 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *LadyFaenyx* 

 
_Can I use henna over box dyed hair? I know you can't use box dye OVER henna, but is the other way safe? Because i've been using box dyes for quite awhile._

 
From what I have researched about Henna, yes you can use it over a box dye but only if the henna you use is pure.  Body art quality henna is supposed to be the best. 

Here's my source of info

Henna for Hair~ Warnings~


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## mysteryflavored (Oct 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *LadyFaenyx* 

 
_I have naturally darkish brown hair. If I wanted a lighter reddish/orange toned hair.. is that possible with henna? Or would I have to professionally lighten the hair FIRST?_

 
Henna won't lighten your hair color -- it only deposits a red-orange, semi-transparent dye. So if you want a lighter, brighter red color, you would need to chemically lighten your hair first.


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## LadyFaenyx (Oct 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *mysteryflavored* 

 
_Henna won't lighten your hair color -- it only deposits a red-orange, semi-transparent dye. So if you want a lighter, brighter red color, you would need to chemically lighten your hair first._

 
Ahh, ok, makes sense!
I think i'm going to go with that mehandi site that people recommended, and i'm not going to lighten my hair at all.


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## Briar (Sep 24, 2009)

I'm resurrecting this thread because I've recently discovered henna and I'm in luuuuv!   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










   I thought I'd post some pics and share the henna journey for anyone else who might want to try it out.

First: the color I started with, originally Clairol's Herbal Essences "Disco Inferno" permanant haircolor.  This started as a brilliant ruby red but as you see in this pic, after less than a month it had faded considerably:





Next is my hair after my first henna treatment a) the next day and b) a week later after the color had time to oxidize









and finally, my hair after a second henna treatment and oxidation: 





I can't believe the amazing color payoff, and best of all.. no fading!!!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  It's been interesting trying to explain henna to people who've never heard of it and ask what color dye I use.  

For the curious, I purchased the "Punjabi Pride" from Mehandi: 
Dye hair glorious red: no chemicals, no fading and no allergic reactions


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## franimal (Sep 24, 2009)

thx for sharing! I've been wanting to try the Lush ones but I dont want to rub "caca" all over my head. Your results are beautiful though!


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## Briar (Sep 24, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *franimal* 

 
_thx for sharing! I've been wanting to try the Lush ones but I dont want to rub "caca" all over my head. Your results are beautiful though!_

 
I did some research before trying out henna and many henna'd heads told me that the Lush hennas just don't deposit the color on hair like pure body art quality henna does.  Plus the price can't be beat, I purchased 500 grams of Punjabi Prime (enough for 6-7 treatments for my short hair) for around $30.


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