So you've gone natural and you are itching to try color. Like many naturals you may be suspicious of color treatment and for good reason. One of the main reason you went natural really was to avoid chemicals. Coloring one's hair if done incorrectly can cause unrepairable damage, but, gray hairs still need to be covered and not everyone is comfortable with showing them. I know I for one will not. So a few months ago I started to look on youtube and go through some popular blogs. I came across a CurliNikki post on Henna and immediately after reading the pros and cons of applying Henna went online to order some. I figured it's natural it wont hurt. Prior to this the only experience I've had with Henna was by means of my Indian girlfriend in college applying the body art to my hand. I was in for an adventure.
My process:
Henna does take some time to prepare and to apply correctly but the benefits far outweighs the time that you put into it. I ordered my henna online from http://www.mehandi.com/. it is the same company as http://www.hennaforhair.com/. It came with instructions on how to prepare. The main thing is that you want to do your mi\xture (mixtures may vary) and let it sit a while, preferably overnight, before applying it to your hair.
My mixture included:
Henna,
2 teabags (steeped in 2 cups of hot water),
2 tsps honey
1tsp of cinnamon
You can vary the mixture according to what you like but this works for me. By the way there are some things that you have to pay attention to when buying henna to the labelling. If you see that it contains metallic salts then shy away from it.
Getting back to my experience.
I mixed the mixture to the point of a thick Greek Yogurt like combination and allowed it to sit for 6 hrs in a cool place. Then I applied it to my hair. I should tell you that this can be a bit messy so don't forget your gloves and use an old tee shirt (I ruined a great blouse the first time I tried). I applied the henna in sections and, when my hair was completely saturated, covered with a plastic baggy. I kept it on for 4 hours. Some "Cottons and Curlies" prefer to sleep with it overnight but it's too messy for me to do that.
The next steps are important. Make sure that you fully rinse the henna out of you hair. Get a cheapie bulk size conditioner and stand under the shower and use it to work the mixture out until the water runs clear. I followed up with a deep conditioner. You have to think of Henna as you would a protein treatment, it can be very drying to the hair shaft though its good for it.
My Results
From day one I could see a gloss on my hair. My hair also was noticeably looser but this is a short term effect. The henna covered my grays leaving them a reddish/orange color (loved that) I noticed also that I was shedding less. My hair seems stronger.
Will I do it again? Absolutely!
Have you tried Henna today?
Kinkily Yours
CottonHeadGirl
