Virgin Henna!

Ok so i'm starting the first process for henna my hair tonight. my hair is really light in terms of weight and i want it heavier...do you know if Henna will weight it down over time?
Also i want a really vibrant red tone, will I see a difference in tone immediately or after several applications.

very excited...regardless, I know this will be a great process for my hair as i've been really lazy on keeping a nice natural look.

also how often are you supposed to henna treat your hair.

I've completed a Henna treatment tiwce (once last week and once the week before). And I plan to do a Henna gloss this weekend using Curlynikki's recipe, (if time permits). The first time I bought a Henna mix from whole foods. It came out really nice, but it was not of fine quality so it took a few washes for it to come out. However the last time I used the fine Jamilla quality and will use the same this weekend for the Henna gloss. It washed out much quicker =, however it smelled worse.

Honestly I liked the look of the whole foods version better, but I understand the quality is not good so I won't use it again. I plan to do only Henna gloss treatments from now on; once a week. I don't think you can over due Henna, unless it starts to loosen your curls, (which I don't want).

I hope you enjoy the results !

Thanks for your timeline Curlya....i have a better idea of what regimen to keep now.
WELL, i'm about to wash out my first henna now...it's been in overnight so i'm excited. i'm taping the process and i'll post it when i'm done

Curious to know how much each box of henna should cost...i've seen 2.50--9.99 I have an indian market up the street i havn't tried yet tho also.

I wish I could find it locally. I spend 7.50 online at http://www.mehandi.com/shop/african/index.html
and then the additional skipping costs. The product I purchsed at WF was 6.99 plus tax.
Can't wait to see your results.

I'm leaning towards henna, I can't wait either to see your results!

I'm posting the vid results this evening...but it came out light and shiny and RED!!! not bright but really nice hue.

ArtistNikkij,

What color was your hair to begin with?

Samples are available to do a pretest. They are available at Mehandi.com. I don't know if they are available anywhere else. But, this is the route I am going. I don't want any surprises. They suggest taking hair from your comb and using the exact method you will use when you do the henna "for real." For example, what acid you will use to enhance dye release, how long you will keep it in, what you will mix with it, etc. There is alot of information on that site and even talk about using indigo or henna, indigo, and amla for a more brown tone, etc. Also, hibiscus can be added to the henna. After I finish my research, I will give it a try--sometime in November.

im all about instant gratification so i'm not one for buying products online. I've read and researched about the different quality of henna and from my own experience , i don't think there is a great difference between the $1.99- 9.99 version. Online products with a relatively small market are more expensive because of all the extra cost incurred: shipping, import tax, local tax, and the profit mark up. A local Indian store obviously has a market and base so the cost of the products is cheaper...including henna. Check out the local Indian grocer. A rule of thumb to follow $1.99-4.00 per 100 grams. 100 grams is enough to cover my collarbone length 4a hair



I tried the "neutral henna" from mrs.green's and wholefoods and for the price and quality wasn't impressed.

My henna mix

100 grams Jamila Henna
cup of green/camomile tea
about half a small bottle of honey
20-40 grams of amla powder ( half a bag)

Hey Ladies,

I used CN's gloss recipe fro my first two Henna attempts and used a brand I got from my local indian store - ayuuri mehandi BAQ henna. The first time I noticed a nice subtle colour change and no change to the condition of my hair (which I did a twist and curl in) andthe next time (this thurs) I did a WnG and my hair feels quite dry. I don;t see any improvement in the condition of my hair at all. I'm wondering if maybe Henna just doesn't work in my hair? :-( But i keep hearing about all the great things it does for everyone else!


Any tips?

I am still doing my research before I embark upon my 1st henna. If you would like some sites to refer to, look below. But based on everything I have read, if the henna was not contaminated with anything else, not too old, the dye was properly released, and you allowed it to remain on your hair long enough, it should condition, strengthen and lay color on your hair shaft. If any one of those things did not happen, you would not receive the full benefit of the henna. I will defer to the links below that I have been studying and there are plenty of people here who have been using henna for quite some time. I am sure they will be happy to try and provide some ideas/insight.

www.hennaforhair.com

http://www.mehandi.com/ there is even a free online pdf on how to henna hair) Very informative. Some history, some chemistry, and also helpful application nformation, which I think will really help you.

I have read on other forums people contacting the owners of the above stores for specifics. Also, they have FAQs on the sites.

Just be careful about the sources you rely on. Good luck!

ok so i lost the vid of my first hennaing...it went fairly well...but i did tape my colouring and paste making for the second treatment.