After seeing how damaged my hair is in comparison to some of the better locks on this board, I've decided never to put regular dyes in my hair again. I know some people here use henna, and I'm very interested in that since I only do red. The problem is I have 2.5 inches of virgin roots and the rest of my hair is "tainted". I obviously don't want to cut off the dyed hair, and it will take me 3 years just to grow out my virgin hair to BSL. But I'm not really that keen on having two-toned hair as it grows out either. Can I put henna in processed hair? How should I go about this? I know nothing about henna, please educate me. I want a color like Kara's, which is what I usually have.

Thanks for your help!

1cFii-iii 27/28/35 level 6.5 auburn

http://www.hennaforhair.com  They have lots of good information about using henna on your hair. I've also been very pleased with the suppliers they link to. Hope that helps.

That site is very informative!
It's also very important to do a strand test (on only a few strands of hair) and that will give you an idea of what henna/dye/etc will do to your hair. I know this is emphasized on the site, but I just have to emphasize it again. Strand tests are verra important.

Good luck!
-Tammy

congrats on deciding to go natural with your hair color. I do agree with checking out the henna sites and then doing a strand test first to see what your hair will do. Also Cassia treatments( sometimes called clear henna) are good for conditioning and shine but won't add color.





Liz
age:25
1bMii
17/30/32
1st Goal: get to waist length
2nd Goal: stay at waist and grow out layers

Hair care routine:
CWC on Wednesdays and deep condish. with
jojoba and coconut oil followed by W&C on Sunday.

Products:
Avalon organics peppermint s&c
Aubrey organics Honeysuckle Rose S&C
jojoba oil
coconut oil
ACV

I too am growing out fresh hair. This time I'm not using henna because my natural color has 0 red in it. I have gold in it but not red.

Anyway, I have used henna over bleached in blonde highlights with old hair that was colored in the past. Recently I used clear henna (no red). The key here is to start with a lighter shade of red because you can always go darker.


I also recommend mixing your henna with conditioner because it's a !@#$ to get out. Coconut Suave conditioner for $1.99 mixes well with any henna. Follow the directions on the henna and then add the conditioner.

My first time using henna was really messy and took forever. I learned what worked for me as far as sectioning the hair and it went faster after the first try.

The easiest way for me to apply it was to wash my hair in the shower, towel blot/dry and then apply the stuff in the shower, divide the hair into two sections on each side wind up and over the head, secure with a large plastic hair claw, put a plastic bag over it and then rinse off my body in the shower. Get out dry off and put an old T-shirt on and pants and wait around an hour for the stuff to absorb into your hair.

Also buy draino ahead of time for after the shower to unclogged the muddy drain.

Henna really does make pretty reds.

n/m

1cFii-iii 27/28/35 level 6.5 auburn

henna on dyed hair and it worked just fine.

Though if you do decide to go completely dye free you can join me in 3 toned hair land  

21/27.5/classic (44 inches on me)
2aNii

Wash twice a week with Lush shampoo bars and whatever conditioner I have as I'm using up the dregs in my bathroom using the CWC method. ACV rinse after every wash.

Next step is oil and shampoo til the shampoo is gone and then I'm gonna try water only.

I only comb my hair with a wooden comb or bristle brush
Trying to grow out my hair back to it's natural colour.

I went from 30 years of chemical dyes (yes, always red) directly to henna, and my hair LOVES it!! And whenI say that I went directly from one to the other, that's exactly what I mean. For 30 years, I chemically dyed my hair like clockwork every 2 months. My last chemical dye job was August 2006, and my first henna was October 2006.

Mind you, I wanted red. In fact, I don't think you can be too red. So my only regret is that with henna I have a beautiful, deep red rather than the bright copper that I loved. And that's the only real downside that I've found in switching. Many will tell you about how you can tweak the color using different types of plants and add ins. But with all respect to their opinions, I think with henna you pretty much get what you get. The final color depends on what your natural color is. On ther other hand, once you accept that fact, it's sort of like finding a make up that matches your skin tone rather than trying to force you to be something you're not. Because the shade of red depends on your natural color, I think it looks more natural.

Here's the warning that I can't stress enough......... Because your hair is chemically dyed USE BODY ART QUALITY HENNA THAT YOU PURCHASE FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE! Don't be tempted by the pre-mixes that promise a range of colors just as if you were using chemical dyes. They may work for people with virgin hair, but they will turn our hait frog butt green. For this reason, I'm also one who strongly recommends Henna for Hair and the product that Catherine sells.

Yes, my hair is sort of two toned. But the henna'd virgin hair seems to blend well with the chemically dyed and now henna'd hair. There isn't a bold line around my hair that marks where the chemical dyes stopped and the henna began. I've also found that as time goes on and my hair has more applications of henna that the two tone effect is fading just a bit.

But you know what I love most about henna? My hair has a very natural highlight and lowlight effect without the need for lengthy chemical processes. That's because the final color with henna depends on the natural color of our hair. So my grays look like bright copper threads, lighter hairs (not gray) are a lighter red, the darker hairs have a darker red and the overall color is a more medium red.

That was super-informative, just what I needed to know! That's what I was wondering, if you could cover up or at least subdue the two-tone effect with henna. I think it won't be much of an issue with my hair; the dyed part is more orange than my roots but it's all the same lightness. The dyed part might grab more or less color because it's more porous, though. But anything's better than the faded auburn-orange I have now, right? Hehe.



1cFii-iii, 27/28/35, bangs 8-11 in., level 6.5 auburn (naturally level 6.5 goldish-reddish-brown)

"Uncle Grandfather, I want perfect hair forever."

It looks like you've gotten some good responses so far, but I thought I would just give you my 2 cents - LOL!

I would highly recommend doing a stand test before using any henna product. Just collect a handful of hair from your comb, or wherever, just be sure they are your hair, kwim? Depending on how much you shed, it could take a day or two to get enough. Then test the henna on your shedded hairs before putting the mixture on your own head!

I did this the first time I used henna because I had chemically dyed my hair several months before using henna. It was fine and I didn't have any reactions.

The henna I use is from Light Mountain. It is 100% natural. There are only three ingredients: henna, indigo and cassia. Basically the henna gives the red tone, the indigo gives a blue tone, which when it is mixed with the henna becomes varying shades of reddish brown. The cassia is clear or neutral and doesn't give any color at all. I like the fact that it is premixed for me. I have tried the light brown, the chestnut and the medium brown. Lately I have been using one box of the medium brown mixed with one box of the neutral.

If you want a run-down of how I apply it, I will be happy to post it for you - just let me know!

I LOVE henna -it give my hair great shine and strength!

HTH!

BTW - here is a pic of my hair before henna:


Gentle Care for Healthy Hair!
~Kara
(waves from a bee butt bunn)
24.5/40/classic 1aFii 3" pony

*~*My homemade hair oil, lip balm and foot butter are on sale now:*~* http://tinyurl.com/58z7y9

Shampoo – Wednesday and Sunday nights - my homemade formula or Suave Naturals
ACV rinse - infused with mint, basil, rosemary and sage w/ lemon EO after shampooing
Conditioner - Suave Naturals as a leave-in

Deep conditioning - every weekend - shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil &/or Africa’s Best Herbal oil – usually left on from Saturday evening to my Sunday wash

Fruit of the Earth 100% Aloe Vera gel – glossing and setting gel

Vidal Sasson BBB – Revlon wide toothed comb

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"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt

Life Verse:
Joyful in hope,
Patient in affliction,
Faithful in prayer.
Romans 12: 12

Life Chapter: Proverbs 31

I'm scared to apply it myself! (Not your fault, I promise, lol) As if regular red dye wasn't hard enough to clean out of the bathroom... unless you're into the whole murder-scene look...

Are there any holistic or long hair salons that work with henna?



1cFii-iii, 27/28/35, bangs 8-11 in., level 6.5 auburn (naturally level 6.5 goldish-reddish-brown)

"Uncle Grandfather, I want perfect hair forever."

I was scared too, but it turned out to be far less than I worried about.

First thing, definately do a strand test. I actually did four because I wanted to see if the ratio of lemon juice to water made a difference. LOL

If you use BAQ (body art quality) from Catherine, you have to plan a few hours ahead of time so that the henna has time for dye release. However, I've found that sitting on top of my microwave works wonderfully. That little bit of heat generated by the micro (not while it's running), seems to be enough to create almost immediate dye release.

Applying henna is a lot like playing in mud. So I do it literally in my bra and panties and in the privacy of my bathroom. Others will give you detailed methods about sectioning hair, but I just take globs and smush it around until I feel the cold henna on my scalp. Once I think I have enough on my hair, I add another large glob and then give myself a scalp massage. Well, not a great one because I have a head full of henna mud. But the motions help ensure that I have the henna distributed over my entire head. Then I cover my hair with a plastic shower cap, wrap myself in a towel or a bathrobe and watch tv for a while.

Now here is where my method differs from virtually everyone else that I've spoken to who uses henna. I only leave mine on for an hour, maybe an hour and a half. But when I was in your shoes and a nice soul online was walking me through the initial process, they suggested that I start with short times because I didn't want to go too dark. The theory as explained to me was that I could always do another application if I used too short of a process time for the henna to sit on my hair. The person helping me suggested 30 minutes to start with, but that seemed far too short considering that almost everyone else was talking about four hours or longer. But I got nervous and left it on for an hour. But either we don't need to leave henna on for hours or my hair drinks the dye like there's no tomorrow because I get GREAT results with only an hour application time.

The biggest mess comes during the wash out. But that's limited to my shower stall, so it's easy to clean up afterwards. I just get in and let the water flow over my hair. I don't rush things, and I personally think that's where many make a mistake. I don't think you can rush the wash out process. Just let the water work in and gently begin shaking out clumps of hair. After a time, the henna mud becomes thinner and begins to wash out. Once my hair feels more like hair instead of a glop of mud, I do a proper shampooing and conditioning. And yes, it takes a couple of shampoos to feel like I've gotten it all out. Even at that, I had times where I found dried mud in the base of my hairline days later. Ah well.......... it's just part of the fun I get from playing in mud.

worried about the rinsing process-(it sounds like a pain!) however we have a bathtub so I figure I would use globs of cheap light conditioner and swish around in the tub and rinse it out there.
I keep reading about people that shed tons when they henna'ed with the rinsing process- I'm a little nervous
about that- but maybe it can be kept to minimumn with good quality henna and a good rinsing process.

Does the Light Mountain have to sit for dye release? Do you just add water?
How long do you leave it on your head? Is Light Mountain hard to rinse out?
I'm interested in the idea of henna-ing- for several reasons- It just sounds like such a process.
As my hair is chemically treated- I would have to do a strand test, of course.
I would have to mix it up, apply it and rinse it out myself. I have a very busy schedule and the idea of the mixing, applying and sitting around for hours with the henna on my head and then the rinsing sounds like I would have to clear out a whole day to henna- and I never have a whole day.