Posted by
If you’re reading this, you’re probably into the idea of having RED! (and seriously, with henna you need to type it like that) hair without putting your tresses through the wringer with conventional hair dye. WELL, COOL, ’cause I’ve been dying my hair with henna for over a year, and I have a few tricks of the trade up my sleeve.
Preliminary notes
- Henna takes some time: seriously. You’ll need to wait twelve hours after mixing for the dye to release and then it needs to be on your head for 1-4 hours, depending on the shade you want.
- All henna is not created equal: go to your local Indian store and pick up a box or bag of henna — you don’t want to use the dyes you can find in some natural food stores. If you don’t have a local Indian store, you can get henna online. (I love Earth Henna because they always have coupons running — if you use coupon code QUA20 to get 20% off your order!)
- Your hair probably won’t look like mine. Henna looks different on every single person that does it. You can follow this step-by-step, and you may not end up with a result that matches what you’ll see in my photos. It may not be drastically different, but the shade of red you achieve with henna depends on what your hair looks like before you put the henna on.
- You can’t get rid of henna. Seriously. Henna gets into the shaft of the hair — so you can’t even really dye over it with over-the-counter or salon dye. I imagine the only thing that would really work is bleaching your hair, so keep that in mind. If you don’t want to commit to a hennaed head or take the time to grow it out, stick with a box dye that’s easier to dye over. Henna is very, very permanent.
- People with all hair types can use henna! It’ll look different for everyone, but you can rock it regardless of your hair color or texture. Also, as long as you’re using body quality henna, it’s safe to dye over chemically treated hair.
- In my experience, henna doesn’t apply evenly. If you can’t stand the idea of every hair on your head not being the same color, you may not want to commit to henna.
What you need
- 100-500 grams of body quality henna (for reference, I use 200g, and my hair is halfway down my back, but I’ve been doing this for a while. The general rule of thumb is 100g for short hair, 200g for collar-length hair, 300g for shoulder length hair, and 500g for waist-length hair)
- a medium-sized bowl
- a spoon
- plastic/saran wrap
- lemon juice (not necessary, but it is for how I do it)
- 1-3 free hours (depending on how intense you want your hair to be)
How you do it
1. Mix your henna
I always mix my henna twelve hours before I want to apply it. You’ll want to put it in a darkish area (I usually put mine in a bowl on the top shelf of my closet and shut the door) at room temperature (around 70F or 21C). If you need to rush it, you can put it somewhere warm (95F or 35C) and it’ll be ready in two hours — however, you want to make sure it’s not TOO hot. Careful, careful!
Here’s my mixing process:
- I pour two bags of henna into the bowl
- Then I add between 1/4 and 1/2 of a 16 oz bottle of lemon juice — you basically want the mixture to have the look and texture of (green) mashed potatoes. If you have sensitive skin, you can water down your lemon juice (sometimes I do half lemon juice, half water), or substitute in orange or grapefruit juice. Some people warn against using tap water, but I always do and I’m honestly not sure why you shouldn’t. Vinegar and wine are also alternatives, but they’ll smell pretty rank (though some people think henna itself is funky smelling) — however, you want to stay away from using yogurt or coffee. If you’re familiar with henna body art: don’t add “terps.”
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let it rest! I always leave my spoon in the bowl. I don’t know why, really… I just do.
2. Apply your henna
It’s twelve hours later! Alright. Another note: some people think it’s easier if you’ve washed and dried your hair before you apply henna… but I don’t. It’s up to you!
Here’s how the application process usually goes for me:
- Retrieve your henna.
- Put on protective gloves (those latex ones like dentists use are perfect). Henna STAINS everything — if it gets on your skin, your skin will be orange for a day or two. If it gets on the floor, the floor will be also. Eventually it goes away, but if you can’t deal with stains err on the side of caution.
- Divide your hair into sections. One of the biggest differences between henna dye and conventional hair dye is that it’s MUCH harder to make sure you’re covering your hair with henna. If you’ve dyed your hair before, you know that conventional hair dye is very liquid and easy to get onto your hair. Henna is thick, and it is more of a challenge. I’ve found the most effective division process is to go in small sections — I’ll put all of my hair except for one small part up, and then work from there.
- Unwrap your henna and add more lemon juice (or whatever mixture you’re using). After this addition you want your mixture to look more like yogurt. I usually add another 1/4 of the bottle — you don’t want it too runny or too thick.
- Start applying! Try to avoid getting henna on parts of your hair that are pulled up — the parts that you’re not ready to put henna on yet. Henna can really tangle your hair up if you’re not intentionally trying to put it on a certain area.
- You want to REALLY goop it on your head: don’t be stingy. Apply henna in very thick sections for maximum coverage.
- When you’re finished, remove your gloves and wrap your head with plastic wrap. After you’re wrapped, it’s a good idea to start cleaning any spots of henna off your face, neck, arms, etc. that might be there.
- Get comfy: I usually let my henna sit in for three hours. Some people do one, some do four — it depends on how deep you want to shade to be.
3. Wash the henna out of your hair
After the henna is mostly out of my hair I use shampoo for the rest — I always find that it really clings to my baby hairs at my hairline. You can use any shampoo you want. Your hair is going to smell like henna for a day or two — I like it, but some people don’t. If you’re not a fan, you can rinse your hair with lavender after washing it to get rid of the smell.
If your hair is super orange, DON’T FREAK OUT
It takes henna around three days to really show itself on your head — my hair is almost always SUPER bright the first day, then it gradually deepens over a few days. Something that’s really cool about henna vs. conventional red hair dye is that henna doesn’t fade — you just have to touch up your roots as your hair grows.
Also, you can use henna as often as you want — it’s a great conditioner and is wonderful for your hair. Unlike conventional hair dye, it’s totally safe for frequent use. You can do root touch-ups in between full hair applications, or if you like the relaxing effect henna often has, just do full hair apps every time.
Other things you can do with henna
You can also dye your hair dark brown or black with henna (you’ll mix it with indigo), cover up grays, or dye it strawberry blonde. This site has a wonderful selection of various henna mixes people have made.
If you’re still looking for even MORE info, you can download this free 60-page ebook from Henna For Hair. It’s pretty dense, but also pretty amazing.
Anyone thinking of dying their hair, must read this. So-called henna can be very dangerous! Pure natural henna which is used in body art is fabulous for your hair and you CAN DYE OVER it with commercial dyes, providing you choose Body Art Quality (BAQ) Henna which is pure Henna with no commercial salts or chemicals added. The henna you can buy which is labelled as ‘hairdye’ and generally comes in various ‘colours’ IS NOT pure henna, it has metallic salts and chemicals added which is what causes your hair to literally dissolve if you overdye it with comercial dyes. While we are on that subject, if you have ever had a black henna temporary tattoo you will be very allergic to commercial hair dye. Indian people use proper Henna on their hands and feet, it’s only usually in street markets and tourist spots where ‘artists’ paint high concentrations of para-phenylenediamine on to skin to create a black temporary tattoo. Para-phenylenediamine is the nasty chemical which is in virtually all permanent oxidative commercial hair dyes. It is not henna and is only used because it creates a tattoo very quickly, whereas real henna can take up to 12 hours to stain the skin enough. If you have ever had a black henna temporary tattoo you will be very allergic to hair dye, and it can be fatal. Only ever buy BAQ (Body Art Quality) Henna and you will be fine. If you read the e-book I’ve linked below by a lady who did a PhD in henna it shows you how to test your henna to see what type it is just from hairbrush hair. Never put anything on your hair unless you know what it is. ‘Hairdye henna’ also does not have the restorative and healing scalp properties of BAQ Henna which can clean up all manner of nasties like dandruff, lice etc. Read the book before you try anything. It’s just not worth messing your hair up for! Do it right the first time. Xx
http://www.hennaforhair.com/freebooks/hennaforhair.pdf
What color would come out on black hair?
Will henna dye over black hair? My current hair is dark brown/black with a few reddish streaks through the front (which I think would probably get redder and more awesome if I henna’d) but I also have some brown roots. If I used henna, would my roots stand out like crazy?
Also, you said nothing dyes over henna. Even black? (Black and red are my two go-to colors that I flip back and forth between…)
(Sorry if this question’s already been asked, I didn’t realize there were three pages of comments!)
i’ve used henna off and on for the past 8yrs or more. Like people have said as long as buy henna for tattoo art(100% henna) you won’t go wrong. i thin my mix out with vineagar and water, which does NOT hurt henna at all. i freeze it after it has dye release in the container-and thaw it the next day as this makes the color stronger. i go platinum or light ash blonde every year so i’ve had no issues with bleaching over it and i’ve used different henna companies. it def thickens hair and helps clean your scalp which in turn helps hair grow nicely.
Hi , having read thru all these you’ve inspired me to retry henna. But I’m still a bit confused! Are you recommending the body henna with no added colour? The last time I used natural henna there was no colour change to my hair what so ever but after nearly 10 years of chemical colours I’m finding they don’t last & affecting the condition. SO is it natural henna etc ?
Not sure why you didn’t get a color change. Natural body art quality henna is a green paste that stains red. I think cassia is sometimes called neutral henna (even though it’s not really henna) and has no color change unless you’re a very light blonde (and even then it’s subtle. Maybe you bought nEUtral henna instead of nAtural henna?
If you have very dark hair, the best henna will give you is a shimmer of red under direct sunlight -it may be too subtle for a lot of people – but it will make super shiny and healthy looking too.
Hi 🙂 I died my hair with a henna and the box said burgundy and then my hair came out a blackish purple which is really not what I wanted!! I have been trying to lighten it with natural stuff like lemon juice . Its still quite darkish. If I dye red henna over it will it work? I do want an obvious red colour
I know you posted this ages ago but I hope you reply. I just wondered why you say you shouldn’t use yogurt. I was reading that you can use yogurt in place of water to get rid of dandruff (which I have, badly). Please reply, I’m planning on Henna-ing (not sure that’s a word ) my hair next week and I was planning on using yogurt.
May I know, does henna cover white or grays? I have been chemically colouring my hair and would like to try henna. Will it affect my currently reddish coloured hair? Thanks. Lots the details in your website.
It totally covers greys but goes very VERY vibrant red ..
i’ve used lush’s caca rouge twice now and i love it. i don’t quite follow their directions though: instead of chopping the brick up with a knife and using a double boiler to melt it i just used a hand-crank cheese grater and hot liquid, instead of water i use a strongly brewed celestial seasonings raspberry zinger hibiscus tea (about 1/3 cup per section of henna) and then i add a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon. then i get someone to slap it on my head using a rubber spatula. (rubber gloves on hands and newspaper on the counters and floor are a very good idea.)
they say to leave it on 2-4 hours, the first time i left it for 3 and it wasn’t red enough for me. the second time i left it for 6 hours and it was perfect. i do cling wrap my head and use the blow dryer on low speed/high heat a few times during the process.
i haven’t found it terribly difficult to wash out but the first time i used it i made the mistake of rinsing it out in a tub that had some soap scum build up and my tub was kind of a baby poo green for about a week. the 2nd time i cleaned the tub first and it left no residue.
pros: cheaper than the box dye i was using (2 boxes dye vs 1/2 brick henna), lasting color, fairly easy to do, my hair feels great
cons: time consuming, messy (this can be kept to a minimum if you’re careful), strong smell (it doesn’t smell bad, especially with the cinnamon, it’s just pretty strong for the first few days)
I’m going to second the suggestion to beware hair-dye quality henna. I tried to use a “brown” henna on my dishwater blond hair, and came out looking like the jolly green giant. I am not kidding, pure green hair. Wonderful if you want to cosplay Shehulk, not so great otherwise.
This was the first time I had EVER dyed my hair, and my friend only convinced me to try it with what we thought was a natural, less scary than chemical hair dye henna. Turns out “brown” henna hair dye can easily turn blond hair green.
Do not despair if you end up with GREEN HAIR. Don’t bleach. I just soaked my hair in warm mineral oil for a few hours, then rinsed, then soaked. (Dump warm mineral oil on the hair, cover with shower cap, wrap the whole thing in a towel to keep it warm and to catch any oil that drips out.)
After three times my hair was only mildly green, more like the slight off-green cast you used to get sometimes from swimming in pools too much in the summer. I then went to a “professional” to fix what was left – and while trying to dye my hair reddish to cover the green color, she accidentally colored my hair purple. Yes, I DID tell her about the henna and mineral oil, but she wasn’t as good as I thought. Always ask for a strand test when fixing henna mistakes before dying the whole thing.
My best guess is that the dye either reacted with what was left in the hair, or the follicles in my hair shafts were wide open after all the oil treatments and soaked up the new hair dye like sponges. Either way, purple hair.
She offered to let me come back the next day and try to bleach it lighter, but by then I had had it and decided to live with purple hair until it faded.
So, lessons learned:
Choose your henna carefully!
Green hair can be fixed with enough mineral oil soak treatments.
Be VERY careful dying your hair afterwards.
Hey! So, do you have any tips for applying henna to short hair? All the directions I read talk about pulling your hair back and doing it section by section. My hair is too short to pull back (sort of a curly bob, long in front), but long enough to still frame/flop into my face. I’m trying to figure out how to sort it section by section and I’m sort of at a loss…
Great article, though!
Very nice, I didn’t know you could use henna on your hair! I do henna designs on my hands all the time and I made a blog about some designs, check it out at http://www.mehndiequalshenna.com/
hello, I have dyed my hair red twice with chemical dye (Nice n’ Easy shade 112B, natural radiant auburn). My hair is currently a pretty rich red, but I want to try henna dye. I however don’t want my hair to go super bright, and want to achieve a natural shade, something akin to a strawberry blond, but slightly darker. Does anyone have advice or experience with this kind of situation?
Oh my goodness!!!! Thank you so much for this!!! I have been dying my hair red for years but I am trying to go more natural. I have started baking soda and vinegar washing but was worried dying it again would undo all my hard work.
This is the perfect answer!!!!!
Hi! I’ve been dying my naturally brown hair red for about 3 years with a professional stylist, but have been considering a switch to henna. Right now my roots are really grown out (about 3-4 inches) and I don’t want a two-toned, botched-ombre effect on my head. Would it be better to do my roots and let them sit for awhile before adding it to the rest of my hair or would it not make a difference? Thanks!
Awesome post. Henna is a wonderful conditioner for hair. This can repairs your hair and makes your hair to become shiny. As compared to convention dyes, henna will color your hair and also makes your hair healthy, strengthens your roots and also combats with dandruff.
Thanks for the tips. Quite a few thing to keep in mind. The color that results from dying with henna depends on the original color of the hair, as well as the quality of the henna, and can range from orange to auburn to burgundy. Henna can be mixed with other natural hair dyes including Cassia Obovata for lighter shades of red or even blond, or with indigo to achieve brown and black shades.
hairdyecoloruk.wordpress.com
Hi I am wondering if the only reason to let it sit is to release the dye? I am using the henna for the main purpose of a scalp treatment for scalp psoriasis. If it dyes, fine, but that is not my main goal. Would it be okay to use it after prepping it without waiting?
Does anyone know if the mixture works after being frozen? I mixed up my henna, made too much deliberately as I didn’t want to do half my head and then realise I didn’t have enough for the other half. I had at least twice as much as I needed, so I froze the rest. Reckon it will work? Defrosted obviously 🙂
What do you suggest for lightening hair before going for henna? So far I’ve been told I need to bleach it one shade lighter, since I have VERY dark brown hair. Besides using baking soda/peroxide/honey and applying heat, the other option I’ve seen is using the Ion brand. I know that all bleaching will cause some kind of damage, regardless of how gentle the product is. What do you all suggest? I really want to do this myself instead of going to a salon. I never have good luck at a salon, lol.
Hi Stephanie ! My hair is dark (almost black ) brown and I want to dye them red with henna.In your instructions you say we need to use lemon for a deeper red color but since my hair is so dark I’m afraid it won’t show up red at all butwill only have tints of it so i have been thinking to add boiling water instead to get a lighter color that would show up red-orangey to my hair.I don’t know what mix to use since my hair is so dark and i would really love to see shining red on my hair.What do you think?
I have found Henna Maiden to be the best body quality henna to use. I mix auburn and red wine (the names of the colors) and add some lemon juice to bring out the red even more.
I have naturally wavy bordering on curly hair so it gets dry fast. Anyway, I r been using this stuff for at least a year now and even my naturally redheaded fiancé is envious.
You and your henna’d hair are beautiful. I just did mine for the first time yesterday and it’s covering a lot of grey so … Lots of bright, coppery-orange. But you know what – I love it! My hair feels so much softer too, after been dry for a long time. Thanks for this detailed and helpful explanation.
I’ve been thinking about doing this for years and finally took the plunge on Wednesday!
I bought the Ancient Sunrise Red from the Mehandi page http://www.mehandi.com/shop/hairhenna.html which is just the %100 pure henna. I mixed it with diluted lemon juice, let it sit overnight, and slathered it into my unwashed hair the next morning. It was easy at first but working toward the back was hard and when I sectioned my hair I spiraled it into little buns which made it hard to get the henna into the center of the section. My mom had to help me with the back. I wrapped it up and left it on for 6 hours. It was super orange-y red at first but now it’s a pretty red auburn and very shiny!
My hair was light brown with highlights, lots of brown roots, and red dip dye that had faded to pink on the ends. I bought 600 grams but had enough left over to freeze and touch up my roots later. Here’s a picture before and after: https://flic.kr/p/opaHtP