Why does Indigo give headaches??

I was interested in dying my hair with the indigo and henna at some point, but as I was doing my research, I was finding that a lot of ladies said that it gave them headaches... Which lead me to the question of why. So, everything you see further on this page is a result of me being the curious nerd I am

*Diclaimer* I'm studying to be a chemistry major. So my explination will include molecules and hydrogen bonds and ALL of that lol. If you don't want to deal with all that just read the notes marked with an asterisk

Why does indigo give headaches?
- chemical formula: C16H10N2O2
- conjugation of double bonds gives indigo it's deep color
- hydrogen bonds are prevalent; molecules pretty much stick to each other and in its natural state indigo is white
* benzoate structure (non polar), similar to many other plants including henna
* unlike henna, indigo requires a much more extensive process to get the dye in a usable form
- indigo derived from indican- water soluable and highly hydrologicable
- man-made process produces indoxyl: also water soluable but not the usable form of indigo
- glycosides: dye molecule is linked to a sugar which increases the water solubility; indigo has plenty but it takes a specific process to get the dark dye we are familiar with
- to get usable die you need to break the benzoic structure and make it polar molecule; i think of it like breaking a glow stick
* pretreated with metal salt solution to form strong complexes between the fiber and the later applied die (In the 1500s they used urine! O.o)
* mixed wiuth a strong base to get the usable indigo

So baiscally it's the process used to get the indigo we use to die our jeans and hair that causes headaches. I hope this helps or is at least interesting to someone other than me. Who knows, maybe someone will be able to figure out a way to make usable indigo without mixing it with a strong base (or pee!)

you're very welcome

OMGosh! Thanks for this info. I'be been trying to figure out how to tone down the red from my hair, as I don't think Amla would do it alone. Do you happen to know it Katam (Buxus) has the same effect regarding migraines? I sometime suffer with severe mirgarins, I don't want to create any.

afrolicious wrote:OMGosh! Thanks for this info. I'be been trying to figure out how to tone down the red from my hair, as I don't think Amla would do it alone. Do you happen to know it Katam (Buxus) has the same effect regarding migraines? I sometime suffer with severe mirgarins, I don't want to create any.

I've never heard of Katam prior to you mentioning it and when I looked it up there was hardly any information on it... sounds interesting though, I might research it in my free time

krissyc39 wrote:

afrolicious wrote:OMGosh! Thanks for this info. I'be been trying to figure out how to tone down the red from my hair, as I don't think Amla would do it alone. Do you happen to know it Katam (Buxus) has the same effect regarding migraines? I sometime suffer with severe mirgarins, I don't want to create any.

I've never heard of Katam prior to you mentioning it and when I looked it up there was hardly any information on it... sounds interesting though, I might research it in my free time

Katam is also known as (Buxus Dioica) commonly referred to as Buxus.