henna
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Long Hair Happenings
Forum Name: Long Hair Support
Forum Description: Growing it long takes commitment and support.
URL: /forum_posts.php?TID=61241
Printed Date: Jan 12, 2025 at 9:49pm
Topic: henna
Posted By: hairbraider
Subject: henna
Date Posted: May 28, 2008 at 4:35pm
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I'm thinking about dying my hair with henna. Many of the ladies on naturallycurly.com's forum use it with great results. I've been asking them all kinds of questions about it. I got a free e-book from hennaforhair.com that tells all about how to do it and shows before and after pics of different hair colors and different mixtures. I know that since my hair is so dark, the color won't be drastically different. But I mainly want to do it to cover my gray streaks which are becoming more obvious all the time.
My question is (for those of you that use/have used henna):
What are the "side effects" of using henna? Do you feel it is "safe" to use on long hair? Please share your experiences!
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sarah
40 inches
did henna for the first time
http://hairbraider.spaces.live.com - click here to go to My Hair Space
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Replies: 47
Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: May 28, 2008 at 4:35pm
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I'm thinking about dying my hair with henna. Many of the ladies on naturallycurly.com's forum use it with great results. I've been asking them all kinds of questions about it. I got a free e-book from hennaforhair.com that tells all about how to do it and shows before and after pics of different hair colors and different mixtures. I know that since my hair is so dark, the color won't be drastically different. But I mainly want to do it to cover my gray streaks which are becoming more obvious all the time.
My question is (for those of you that use/have used henna):
What are the "side effects" of using henna? Do you feel it is "safe" to use on long hair? Please share your experiences! 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: May 29, 2008 at 8:31am
You've got the best info there at hennaforhair, I love looking at their "mixes" page (although its too tempting so I try to stay away!). Their henna is permanent, so all I can tell you is make sure you don't get tempted into going darker than you'll like, because you won't be able to lift it (not without a lot of trouble and maybe not at all).
Sorry, I wasn't that into long hair back when I used to henna, so I don't remember noticing details like how it made my hair feel, if it was better or worse, (wish MissRini was here, she could tell you...maybe you could pm her). Good luck! What color are you going for?
!)) C ed``d ` %44`r #.,bb $ !,) ! (!) !!$` ,.
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: May 29, 2008 at 3:34pm
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I was thinking of just using henna alone (not adding indigo or anything). I don't want a big change. I know the gray will turn red, but there's not really alot clumped together so it won't be major streaks or anything like that. My hair has a reddish tone anyway (as you can see in my sig) so from what I can tell, henna will just cause it to have a more obvious red tone. I'm fine with that. I'm not really wanting to change the color exactly, just cover gray.
Thanks for your help. I'll send MisRini a pm and see if she's still around. I remember her red hair now that you mention it. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: May 30, 2008 at 5:50am
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I don't know that much about henna but one thing that stood out is that the henna is permanent so if you don't like the colour, you have to wait for it to grow out. This is more of a problem for girls who like to colour their hair more so for you as they can't chemically dye over it if they don't like the colour. I love your hair as is and can't really tell that you have gray hair but I guess you have to do what makes you happy. 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jun 2, 2008 at 8:34am
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Thanks. The gray doesn't really show up in pictures, but it's more obvious in person. I've had many people make comments to me about it. Most of it is done in teasing, by people I know.
I know that henna is permanent, I've given that alot of thought. That's one reason I haven't colored before... I was afraid I wouldn't like the results. But by looking at other's before and after pics, I don't think the color would really change much at all since my hair is so dark. That makes me feel a little safer.  |
Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: Jun 2, 2008 at 8:48am
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You can always do one piece of hair to test strand your henna, just to make sure. Good luck!
!)) C ed``d ` %44`r #.,bb $ !,) ! (!) !!$` ,.
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Jun 2, 2008 at 8:56am
I think you should do a strand test as well. As you are my curly haired idol, I feel that I have an invested interest in your hair  4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jun 3, 2008 at 8:46am
"As you are my curly haired idol, I feel that I have an invested interest in your hair" LOL 
Yes, I will do a strand test. Everyone I've talked to has strongly suggested it. Hennaforhair.com recommends testing on fall-out hair from your brush or the shower. I'll probably do both loose hair and an attached piece on the under side, just to be safe. I also want to know what it's going to make my hair feel like before I put it all over.
I'm going to try to get around to ordering samples soon. I'll keep you updated. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Jun 4, 2008 at 6:10am
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Definitely keep us posted I look forward to seeing the pictures if you decide to do your whole head.4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: Lengthygoal
Date Posted: Jun 23, 2008 at 7:07am
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I've never used henna on my hair. (I've never dyed my hair and never plan too) But I do henna my skin. You might want to check out www.hennapage.com. I would think that Henna would be a much better option rather than another hair color product with a lot of chemicals in. www.mehandi.com has great products (I order all my henna supplies from them) and special hair bundles with different types of henna for different hair textures and colors. Do you want more of a redish shade or brunette? You can do either with henna. Hope I helped out. Lengthygoal2008-06-23 07:08:09
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Jun 23, 2008 at 7:15am
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I've been reading all about henna & it's really interesting. I always got the impression henna was only a reddish colour. I didn't realise that you could mix up different solutions & create different colours. Unfortunately, my hair is chemically dyed & it's not an option at the moment.
I think a nice brown colour would suit Sarah. So Ms Sarah, have you done the strand test? 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jun 23, 2008 at 3:01pm
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Lengthygoal - thanks for the info! Mehandi.com is who I'm planning to order from. I've never dyed my hair and don't want to use chemicals. That's why I want to experiment with henna.
30isthenewblack - I've sent for the samples and am waiting to receive them. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jun 24, 2008 at 11:57am
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Got my samples in the mail today. Three different types of henna (from different regions) and one sample of indigo (just for curiosity's sake). I also received a sample from another company who claims pure high quality but the price is extrememly low compared to mehandi.com. I'm anxious to put it to the test as well.
Now for finding the time........ |
Posted By: Lengthygoal
Date Posted: Jun 25, 2008 at 10:39am
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Good luck!! I hope that you find something that works for you! :)
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Jun 28, 2008 at 9:07pm
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I just read on LHC that henna loosens curls. Have you read anything about that side effect Hairbraider? For me, henna would not be an option for me in that case. I love my curls just the way they are 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: Alisa06
Date Posted: Jun 30, 2008 at 3:28pm
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Hey, Sarah,
How are you? Did you do it? what did you use, how did it turn out? I am bubbling with curiosity! )! ,`p "$ !-2 )(( 0 " -, %!,$ -) ( `r "
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jul 1, 2008 at 8:23am
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Where I've been getting all my info is naturallycurly.com forum from quite a few women who use henna regularly. They recommend doing at least one deep conditioning treatment afterwards. If the curls have loosened, that'll help them bounce back.
Alisa, I've got the samples setting up "as we speak". I'm going to put hair in them this evening. I'll be recording the results on my site. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jul 4, 2008 at 9:00am
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The samples were helpful in deciding which henna to use. I've got the "experiement" results up on my site (with pics). My next step is doing a strand test on my head. I'll get a pic of that result too.
0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jul 7, 2008 at 8:12am
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I did a strand test. I can see the difference, but I couldn't get it to show up in a pic. The slightness of the color change is a good thing though, because I'm kinda afraid of a drastic change. My hair looks redder in the sunlight, and from what I can tell the henna will make it look all the time like it looks in sunlight. So I'll be ordering the henna this week!0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Jul 7, 2008 at 4:00pm
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Your hair has a reddish tinge anyway so it should be all good :-) Good luck & can't wait to see pictures!4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Jul 21, 2008 at 4:44pm
I got my henna in the mail a couple days ago!  I'm so anxious to get it done! I have to wait till I have time to do it though. I still have to buy gloves and things like that too. I'll post before and after pics on my site when it's all done. I'll let you know! 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 5, 2008 at 10:04am
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It's done! Before and after pics are up on my site. Let me know what you think.
My hair feels very soft, but the ends feel like they could use a good oiling. I plan to do a deep conditioning treatment this weekend. I'm really happy with it. I'm glad I got brave enough to try it. lol 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Aug 6, 2008 at 3:32pm
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Just checked out your blog. I love the colour! It turned out great. I am happy you are pleased with it 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: paper
Date Posted: Aug 6, 2008 at 6:28pm
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The color is very pretty! I'm glad you like it.
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Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: Aug 7, 2008 at 8:09am
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Nice rich color! I like it! I so wish I could do reddish shades.
!)) C ed``d ` %44`r #.,bb $ !,) ! (!) !!$` ,.
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 7, 2008 at 8:14am
Thank you!
It has toned down so much that last night someone said "I thought you said it was permament." I liked it brighter like it was at first, but I still like it now too. It reminds me of dark chocolate.  |
Posted By: Kimbearly
Date Posted: Aug 7, 2008 at 4:18pm
Hey there redhead! Glad you are happy with the results. How did it cover the gray? I got to give you credit to do the Henna. I just do not have the time or patience to do it. So, will you keep on doing it this way? Are you now a Henna girl? Your ends do look dryer after the Henna - is that improved? I was a bit surprised that it did that, since I thought Henna would erase the dryness. Maybe because your hair is curly. 
I have been using a fantastic product by Kiehls and it just might work on you. I use it as a leave in and only use a pea size on my hair. It takes away the frizz - I mean ALL of the frizz, keeps the curl all day and makes my hair really shiny. I am thinking it is the plant protein in it. Whatever it is though - I adore it!
Hair Conditioner and Grooming Aid Formula 133
I also will post about some of their other products on a separate thread. I just thought you would really like this one. I truly believe it will erase the dryness on your ends.
I also want to tell you how lovely your hair has been looking. I love how long it got and I love your bangs curly.  |
Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 8, 2008 at 6:51pm
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Kimbearly,
Those pics weren't really the best because my hair was combed out. My ends always look dry and frizzy when it's combed out. I CO washed it Tuesday and put some shea butter on afterwards. It felt and looked alot better. The ends feel back to normal now.
I don't know if I'm really a henna-girl yet. I do really, really like it though. The color took to the gray hair perfectly. They're bright shiny orange. It blends well though and looks like highlights. I have two friends whom I know would be totally honest with me. They were both ecstatic about how it turned out. One giggles every time she sees me and says "I just love your hair!" The other keeps saying "You are going to keep it this way, right?" It was almost a whole-day process, and I spent $40 on the henna and had only just enough. My sister put it in my hair for me and helped me rinse it out. I didn't trust myself to get it covered completely with all my hair! It is alot of trouble, but I really did not want to turn to chemical dye. Now that I've taken the plunge, I think it may be hard to turn back. lol The good thing is that the color difference isn't huge and it won't be hard to grow it out.
Thanks for recommending that product, I'll check it out! 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: Kimbearly
Date Posted: Aug 8, 2008 at 10:38pm
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My hair gets really frizzy too when I comb it out.
I am so happy for you that you really like the henna. It is great to also have friends that will tell you the truth. Me, I love your hair both ways.
Do you think the Henna made your hair healthier at all? I have read about Henna in the past and a few times have almost tried it, but I do not want it to make my hair dry.
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 9, 2008 at 5:21pm
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It definitely made it shiny, no doubt about it. It's very very smooth-feeling. It's soft, but not like it's overly conditioned. It's just the last 3-4 inches that seemed to be dry. My ends were in pretty bad shape anyway, so.....
I have to say the quality of henna makes a huge difference. I've heard some pretty bad horror stories about henna, Susan can attest to that since she has some pics on her site where henna turned her hair green.  I was afraid to use it until I started talking with the ladies on naturallycurly.com. There's so many of them that use it regularly, even over chemically dyed hair. I bought mine from mehandi.com. It's very high quality with no additives (which is what causes weird results). Also, the finer the powder is, the gentler it is on your hair.
If your interested, go to hennaforhair.com and check out their wealth of info. And the ladies on naturallycurly.com are so helpful and would answer any questions or concerns you have about it, share their experiences, give tips, etc. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: Aug 14, 2008 at 8:34am
Yeah, part of my problem was that mine was the crud from the grocery store that has all the metals in it, not good high quality stuff like mehandi sells. I'd never recommend the junk with the metals in it, but BAQ henna would be incredibly tempting if I could do red or dark colors.
Did you mix yours with a mordant like lemon juice? (Actually, I'm not sure if the purpose of the lemon juice is to help keep the henna in or to lighten the hair slightly so the color shows up more.) I remember Miss Rini used to do her henna very frequently, so if you like it you can always do it again, since it doesn't do any damage.
!)) C ed``d ` %44`r #.,bb $ !,) ! (!) !!$` ,.
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 14, 2008 at 10:19am
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Susan, I mixed mine with chamomile tea. I used water for my samples and strand test. I heard that chamomile tea helps it rinse out easier and I had some on hand, so I used it. Some people add lemon juice or vinegar to help it reach the right ph level. From what I understand, if you use distilled water you don't have to worry about that, only if you use tap water. Some also claim that it slightly alters the color, but I haven't found any real proof. There are soooo many "recipes" for using henna that a person could go crazy trying to choose the right one. I just decided simple was the best way, at least for starting out.0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Aug 14, 2008 at 10:20am
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Kimbearly, I posted some before and after pics on my blog showing gray coverage.0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: Lengthygoal
Date Posted: Aug 14, 2008 at 1:16pm
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I know that when I henna my skin I use lemon juice to mix it up because its acidic and helps the Lawson (Don't think I spelled it right!) molecules release their dye. So I'm guessing that mixing it with something acidic would also be good for better color in hair. Lengthygoal2008-08-14 13:20:57
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Posted By: mrsnj20
Date Posted: Sep 17, 2008 at 4:22pm
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you can use body art henna from mehandi.com over chemically dyed hair. I did it and it came out great!
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Posted By: mrsnj20
Date Posted: Sep 17, 2008 at 4:24pm
[QUOTE=30isthenewblack] I've been reading all about henna & it's really interesting. I always got the impression henna was only a reddish colour. I didn't realise that you could mix up different solutions & create different colours. Unfortunately, my hair is chemically dyed & it's not an option at the moment.
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Posted By: Kimbearly
Date Posted: Sep 23, 2008 at 7:32am
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Do you have a picture of your hair? Would love to see the color.
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Posted By: mrsnj20
Date Posted: Sep 23, 2008 at 7:28pm
sure. dont mind the costumes lol.
mrsnj202008-09-23 19:30:36
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Posted By: Kimbearly
Date Posted: Sep 25, 2008 at 8:15am
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WOW, I love your hair and color. I have never hennaed my hair before - but getting closer to trying it. What colors did you buy? - actually what do you do to get your color? I also love your costume for belly dancing. I just started taking belly dancing this year.
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Posted By: mrsnj20
Date Posted: Sep 25, 2008 at 9:25am
Thanks!
I bought the high quality henna from yemen on mehandi.com.
I mixed 300G of the henna and juice from 2 grapefruits and water until it is a pudding consistency and let it sit over night.
The next morning I added 50 G of indigo to the mix.
I wash my hair with fekkai clarifying shampoo before applying..no conditioner and I let it dry a little so it was just damp.
Put on the henna mix and wrap head with plastic wrap. I put a heat cap on over it to help it absorb better. Leave on for 3-4 hours
Rinse out. I use a ton of conditioner to help rinse it out.
My hair was dyed light and medium brown before I hennaed it so if yours is lighter, you may want to add more indigo so you don't get a red that it too bright.
This amount of mixture actually lasts me 3 times. I put the rest in ziplock bags and freeze it until I need a touch up.
The henna seems to be helping my hair alot. It seems to be growing a little faster and falling out less since I stopped using hair dye. It also cleared up a scaly patch that I had on the back of my scalp. I think it may have been psoriasis. The itching was driving me crazy. I tried multiple shampoos and creams on it but it just disappeared the first time I used the henna.
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Sep 25, 2008 at 3:44pm
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Love the hair and the costumes! I thought about using henna myself but the only that stopped me is that a lot of people have said that henna takes the curl out of the hair and I'm quite happy with my spirals!4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: mrsnj20
Date Posted: Sep 25, 2008 at 9:10pm
Thanks! I Dont know if it takes curl out or not since I dont have any. I wish I had curly hair!
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Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: Sep 30, 2008 at 11:49am
Sarah's hair is still pretty and curly, maybe that's the henna with metals in it that messes up curls?
!)) C ed``d ` %44`r #.,bb $ !,) ! (!) !!$` ,.
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Sep 30, 2008 at 3:45pm
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I'm not sure actually so maybe I shouldn't make blanket statements like that haha. I've heard it in passing on a few forums but it's not a huge interest to me so I haven't read deeply into the subject. My hair is a lot curlier than Sarah's and for me personally, I am quite happy with the way my hair is looking and would not upset the status quo by putting henna in my hair. Having said that though, I do have chemical hair colour in my hair but it does not upset the curl formation. 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Oct 1, 2008 at 2:47pm
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From what I've read on naturallycurly.com's forum, it affects some people's hair and not others (just like every product). I have noticed a bit of difference in my curls. It doesn't seem less curly, just not clumping together as well. I'm assuming it's a result of the henna because it started around that time. Although, sometimes it does that because of the weather. I was told that deep conditioning treatments would take care of any loss of curliness. I haven't had time to do one in a long time though, so I can't confirm that. I was also told to add oil to the henna mixture. I was thinking of doing that next time.
eta: It could be long-term results from using a new conditioner. I haven't completely decided yet.  |
Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Oct 1, 2008 at 3:28pm
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It might just take a while to settle down. I think whenever you do something new to your hair, your hair has to readjust and you may have to change your routine slightly. There are so many different variations of henna, everyone is bound to have different experiences. I think if people were going to try it on their hair, they should do a strand test exactly what you did 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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Posted By: hairbraider
Date Posted: Oct 8, 2008 at 9:54am
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I finally was able to do a good deep conditioning treatment with olive oil and molasses a few days ago. This is the first time I've had a chance to do it after using henna. My hair feels and looks soooooo much better now. I even got great curls on the second day! It looked so good I wore my hair down to work 2 days in a row! lol
The color has grown out alot and faded alot. I touched up the roots once, but it's grown out another inch since then. It's a good thing it blends well because I'm too lazy and too busy to touch up often. I'm planning to do another whole application next time. And I for sure will do a DT as soon as possible afterwards. 0! ! (bb $40 ),"(`r ,"0 " $($ (%,,! $- $(` )2
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Posted By: 30isthenewblack
Date Posted: Oct 8, 2008 at 2:25pm
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I'm glad you feel better about your hair. I always feel better about my hair colour a few months after the fact lol. I just do the roots of my hair every six months but I'm lucky as you can't see the regrowth. I don't think I have ever managed second day hair 4!%, icd`dd`e ,!"("b -
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