Henna Questions

So I have heard so many good things about Henna, I finally went to make that purchase. I went to a local Indian store and got a gold bag that says "Supreme Shahnaj, Dulhan Mehandi." It was only $2.50 and I really don't know if this is a good product or not. One question I have is in reference to the curl loosening process...if you have more than one texture on your head, is henna okay to use? The curls in the back of my head are corkscrew curls and they could benefit from being a little bit loose, however, the front of my hair is more wavy than curly. I just don't want it to look straight. I think I will mix mines with green tea (about 1 cup) and some honey, but I am open to other mixtures. Do I have to mix it and wait 2-3 hours before using? Do I have to mix it in a metal container? How long should I leave it on to get the full benefits of this product? When I rinse it out is there a specific method I need to use? Sorry for all the questions...just want to make sure I do this right

Thanks in advance for all the helpful advice.

Hey there hope I can help you out. Here goes:

-If you can, do a patch test with some shed hair. That's what CurlyNikki does [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

-I bought the same henna and have used it with positive results about 8 times.

-I have 3 or 4 different textures and after applying henna to my whole head on about 5 different occasions, I now limit it to the extra-kinky patch in the crown of my head (as well as my hairline). This has worked really well for me.

-If I'm not mistaken, I think you're supposed to use 2 cups of steeped green tea. Check CurlyNikki's website for the specifics. I use more honey than she recommends, but my hair loves it! I don't add anything else to it though.

-2-3 hours is long enough to wait before applying it. Sometimes, I'll mix it, freeze and then use it weeks later.

-Mix it in a plastic bowl with a plastic spoon. Leave it in for about 6 hours. You can sleep with it in if you wrap your head in saran wrap and an old scarf. Also throw a towel on the pillow.

-When you rinse in the morning, run a warm bath and dunk your head in the tub. Leave it there for a while to loosen up the henna. It will feel like a mud masque on your hair. The whole rinsing process takes me at least 1.5 hours. Grab a bottle of cheapie cheap conditioner and rinse that through your hair as you rinse it out under the shower. You'll need to repeat this process about 3 times, basically until the bottle of conditioner is empty. You want to be sure that the henna is completely rinsed out of your hair.

-Finally, deep condition your hair with your favorite deep conditioner. DO NOT skip this step!! I think that some ppl skip it and then complain that the henna made their hair so dry.

Have fun!

OMG!!! Bless your bones

You have truly helped me with the questions I had. I think I will mix it tonight and do the process on Saturday evening. The package I have is pretty big, how do I know how much Henna to use? My hair isn't to long. I guess I can mix it all and whatever I don't use, I can just freeze =)

You are so welcome!

My hair isn't too long either, so I mix all of the henna and end up using about half. Freezing the rest is great, because that makes it more potent.

Post your results, okay?! And have a great weekend. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You too, I just mixed up my henna and since I don't have time to do it tonight I will apply it tomorrow. I did freeze it tho =)

I will post pic as SOON as I am done

So...I really didn't see a difference. I won't give up, but I don't know if I did something wrong or what. I didn't notice a color change or looser curls (which I would have been happy with). I will give it some time and try it again. Thanks for all your advice. Have a wonderful day

can you henna with a twa? or am i rushing things? i just want the benefits and some color [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Im wondering the same thing, can you henna a twa??

@kinky_situation, wow your response is very informative. I've been thinking of doing this for a while. Your response has really helped me understand the process more. I was wondering what deep conditioner you used?

I know someone that did, but they didn't like it too much. They said it loosened their curls too much and it looked like they had a blow out. I guess it may depend on how tiny your afro actually is.

I've henna'd three times so far and it hasn't loosened up my curl pattern at all. I really thought it would, but my hair texture hasn't changed a bit. My hair is curly/wavy in the front and back and kinky in the middle...I thought for sure the front would come out flat or something, but nope!

Hi all! I was wondering if anyone has mixed their henna with amla and what the results were. I truly don't want to do indigo so I've read that amla darkens henna and takes out some of the red. My hair color now is mostly black with some dark brown. The red/burgundy color is not what I want. I want brownish black with maybe some auburn highlights. I have a few gray strands in the top and around the hairline. I def want those covered. I bought Dulhan Mehendi henna from the Indian store and it has current dates listed on the package. Also bought Hesh Amla powder. Both have a very smooth sift and look very nice. I have recently done LOTS of research and I'm really looking forward to great results this time. Let me know your thoughts! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

@shycurl and peggy: I definitely think you can use henna on a twa, i just did my first henna treatment last night (I BC's about 2 months ago). One plus is that I didn't have to use very much, so I can get more treatments out of this first mix, and troubleshoot my mix until my hair gets longer. Go for it! Good luck

Just did my first henna on Sunday and although I didn't really get any of the color I thought I would (left it on for 6 hrs and hair is barely brown), I did get a lot of extra curl definition/clumping. I washed multiple times, but after my hair dried, I still saw tiny pieces of slightly brown stuff (which I thought may have been some of the color that attached to my leave-in). My hair is thick so I started to think maybe it wasn't really all out. I also conditioned with a cheap conditioner, but my hair is still a little dry...anybody had a bad experience with left over henna?

Hi all,

I´m new to the forum and i´m starting my transition. I have a twa and lot´s of breakage. I have the exact same questions about henna as lovelycurls b/c i would like to try it soon. It´s hard for me to get all the right products cuz i live in Germany. But this forum is a great help.

I have started looking into different brands of henna. I actually went to a Indian store today to see what they had. I will keep you ladies updated (wish me luck)

A miracle has just happened!! My hair is soft, and manageable and little sheddage. I´ve just done my first henna using Esthertol henna (it´s the only one i could find here in a healthfood store). BUt it works!!
I was texturizing my hair before, but i just let my natural hair grow out b/c i couldnt find a hairdresser. Now after the henna application it looks as if i´ve texturized it! This is what i wanted, looser curls that are manageable! Now it´s in a twist out! I´m so excited! I used a lot of Jamila oil and olive oil in my mixture b/c i was scared of dryness, but i followed curlynikki´s tutorial to the dot and i´m so happy i could cry!! Now if only my skin would clear up i would really be happy! Oh well one day at a time sweet Jesus.

@ChrsLvsBks~
Can Indigo be used on its own for color?

@ChrsLvsBks~
Do i have to mix Indigo the night before like henna? Or can i mix it at the time i use it?

Thanks ChrsLvsBks! I´m going to try the OCM and pray :-)

I am going to try that brand as well, I pray that I am just as excited...lol. Congrats!

There is an e book you can download at hennaforhair.com. They go in depth about henna and indigo. They also tell you how much to mix and how to apply to get your desired color.

I will do that tonight. Thanks

Can you henna w/ a twa? also, does the acid prevent color or promote it?