Henna Hair Dye And Color Removal

Find out what henna hair dye is, how to use it and how to remove it. What is the difference between it and regular hair color?

Henna hair color is a pure, natural product made from the leaves of different plants. It can be purchased in health food as well as some beauty supply stores.The Lawsonia leaf produces red color, the Indigoferae leaf produces dark shades and the Cassia auriculata is used to condition the hair and remains neutral.When combined together properly, these primary components generate a medley of different colors.The leaves are ground into a powder and mixed with hot water to form a paste, which is applied to the hair. Henna acts like a semi-permanent hair dye in that it coats the hair.This helps condition it by sealing in oils and tightening the cuticle.The result is a rich, healthy shine.Care should be taken though, as it will stain the skin and nails.

Why use henna as opposed to regular hair dyes on the market?In recent years the safety of commercial hair dye and whether or not it may be cancer causing has become a general concern.Because henna is natural and doesn't contain the harmful chemicals in those dyes, there is no worry about this when using it.It is one more step that can be taken in eliminating unnatural products from one's personal environment.For some people this is a serious issue just because they choose to make it so or because of health problems.In any event, henna provides a safe, non-toxic choice that may produce satisfying results when used properly. No peroxide or ammonia is needed to activate the coloring process.All that is needed is hot water.

Once henna is purchased a strand test should be taken.Some hair can be snipped from the head or taken out of a hairbrush.One end of the hair should be held together with a rubber band.A small amount of henna and hot water, which should be distilled and boiled in a non-metallic container, should be mixed together in a non-metallic bowl with a plastic brush until a creamy consistency is obtained.Brush the cream onto the hair strands and cover with a piece of plastic.Heat may be applied but is not necessary.It will enhance red tones.Color should be checked every 5 minutes until desired shade is reached.If you are happy with the results, the same process should be used on the whole head.If there is a lot of gray present there are formulations in a two step process available on the market specifically for this.

If for some reason you wish to remove the henna color from your hair there are a few processes that can be tried but this should be done within 24 hours and may be difficult to do if the hair is particularly porous or was originally light in color.For light hair, one henna product suggests mixing a tub of Crystal Light Lemonade with half-cup of conditioner or crème rinse.Apply to hair and cover with a plastic cap.Wait 45 minutes and rinse out.For dark hair, equal parts of baking soda and molasses should be applied and covered with a plastic cap.When the mixture hardens it should be shampooed out.For gradual removal, a high detergent shampoo followed by a heavy conditioner should be used consistently until the color fades on its own.

Henna is the natural choice for red hair and can enhance all other colors.In the vast world of chemical hair color it deserves a second look or even a try.

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