Why I Colored My Hair with Henna
I'm African American. I just went natural for the second time after 28 yrs of curly perms. I had been natural before from the 60s-1981. When I began to get grey edges I used Bigen oriental black to cover them but it made my hair dry and brittle so I decided to ditch the commercial chemical dyes and try henna which is natural and has been around for thousands of years. I did the Big Chop myself and cut off my curly perm to get rid of both the perm and the Bigen dye.
My Henna Hair Color Experience
I dyed my hair for the first time in June 2010. I got a henna for African hair kit from mehandi.com. Since my hair is naturally black I had to use both henna and indigo. First you dye with henna, then rinse, shampoo and dye with indigo rinse, shampoo and condition. Voila! Jet black hair! I did my whole head the first time so the color would be even. I LOVE the results!! Nice natural color, like I never had any gray at all!
Would I do it again?? Of course! I've already touched up the edges the first week in August. The process can be a bit messy, especially if you have long hair. Right now mine is only about 4-6" long. You also have to wear gloves because both dyes will stain your hands.Many people use plastic caps to cover their hair and keep it moist while the dyes set, but mehandi recommends wrapping your head with plastic wrap because it does a better job and keeps dye from dripping down your neck. Just get a cheap wrap from the dollar store and you're good to go.
Bottom line: As long as there's henna and indigo in this world I'll have nice black hair!
Tips and Tricks
- Henna must be mixed with acidic liquid and let sit overnight till the dye is released. I used lemon juice the first time and it was drying, so folks on the forum said use apple juice; I did and it turned out perfect. Others use other juices and even some teas.
- If you want more info, go to hennaforhair.com or mehandi.com and read the forums. You can call to ask questions or leave a message and a number to call you back.
- Always use BODY ART QUALITY HENNA and ignore colored henna sold in stores. Probably has metallic salts and isn't pure. Pure henna is only one dye color, reddish.
