How to dye your hair with henna at home?

Among the huge number of dyes known to mankind since time immemorial, henna occupies a special place - a natural product with many obvious advantages. The described tool gives the hair an eye-catching shade and makes it healthier, which is confirmed by both experienced specialists and ordinary consumers. It is not difficult to dye your hair with henna at home: it is enough to know the basic rules for carrying out this procedure, which will be described below.

The paint in question is a powdery product resulting from the drying of the leaves of thornless lawsonia, a shrub common in North Africa and the countries of the East. Using henna to change the tone of your hair, you can get many spectacular shades - from golden honey to dark chocolate. Achievement of similar results is facilitated by the use of various additives of plant origin, the most popular of which are basma, ginger, coffee and cloves.

Several varieties of the described dye deserve special attention.

• Iranian. This henna is considered the best in terms of price-quality ratio, therefore it is the most popular. If this dye is used without additives, it gives the hair only one color - a rich red. Especially Iranian henna is useful for weakened hair, as it helps to accelerate the restoration of its damaged structure.

• Indian. The paint in question boasts 5 colors - dark chocolate, chestnut, burgundy, mahogany and golden. Like other varieties of henna, it is often used in combination with other components of plant origin, which significantly expands the palette of shades obtained with its help.

• Sudanese... This product is especially popular in Africa and Saudi Arabia. Its use is justified in situations where you need to get a rich copper shade of hair, characterized by maximum durability.

As for colorless henna, it is made from the stems of Lawsonia, therefore its composition does not provide for the presence of a coloring pigment. This product is used not to change the color of the hair, but to strengthen its health - increase elasticity, get rid of dandruff, accelerate growth and normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Other varieties of henna are worthy of mention, such as pink, purple or black.

Practice shows that the drug in question has much more positive qualities than negative ones. If we highlight the main advantage of the presented oriental paint, then this is naturalness, thanks to which you can not worry about the health of the transformed head of hair. Another obvious plus of henna is ease of use, which allows you to dye your hair yourself, without resorting to the services of a specialized specialist.

Other benefits of the described product include the following:

• positive effect on hair follicles;
• effective counteraction to dandruff (regardless of the reasons that provoked its development);
• restoration of hair after curls performed with the use of aggressive chemicals (even in cases where severe damage occurs);
• the return of the shine lost by the hair;
• simplification of styling hair, which becomes more "obedient";
• noticeable strengthening of hair, minimizing the likelihood of hair loss;
• effective protection of hair from the aggressive effects of direct sunlight;
• moderate cost (in comparison with high-quality synthetic dyes);
• impressive naturalness of the shade given to the hair (it is not possible to achieve such a result with the help of chemicals).

In addition, henna helps to accelerate the elimination of parasites (primarily lice) and many diseases of the scalp. Also noteworthy is hypoallergenicity, explained by the natural origin of the described product and the absence of ammonia in its composition. You can use henna for dyeing hair even during pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of any chronic pathologies.

The list of disadvantages of the presented tool is as follows:

• the corrosiveness of the paint, which does not allow the girl to quickly change her own image, which is explained by the penetration of henna under the scales of the hair, followed by their "sealing" with a thin film; you can get rid of paint with the help of special masks (both in the salon and at home), but solving this problem will take some time;
• relatively low efficiency of dyeing gray hair; if there are too many of them, the use of the described tool will have to be abandoned;
• too frequent use of henna leads to a gradual thinning of the hair, which negatively affects their health and appearance;
• dyeing hair using the product in question cannot be called fast; such a procedure takes twice or even three times more time than synthetic means, and is quite laborious.

Another feature that cannot be attributed to the pluses of henna is the impossibility of using it with hair colored with a chemical composition. Ignoring this circumstance can lead to an unpredictable visual result, therefore it is strongly discouraged by the overwhelming majority of experts. It will also not work to apply a chemical agent to hair previously dyed with henna, for the reason mentioned above.

Many women believe that henna can be used without any restrictions. Experts consider this opinion to be erroneous and note that too frequent use of henna leads to the accumulation of dye in the hair structure. The natural result of this is the following troubles:

• gluing and clogging of flakes;
• an increase in the weight of the strands;
• gradual tarnishing of the hair;
• increased dryness and stiffness of hair.

Before you start dyeing your hair with henna at home, attention should be paid to the preparation of inventory and materials necessary to solve the problem, namely:

• disposable gloves and a cape that protect skin and clothing from contamination;
• a shower cap (if not, ordinary plastic wrap will do);
• a comb necessary for quick and convenient formation of strands;
• clips (alternatively, hairpins called "crabs" can be used);
• paint brush;
• high fat cream or petroleum jelly;
• a dye stirring tool (stick or spoon);
• old towel;
• utensils for preparing the composition (the most suitable material is glass, since ceramic or plastic products tend to stain).

Particular attention should be paid to the shelf life of the product of interest: if the henna is expired, its use must be abandoned. It is also advisable not to buy too cheap paint, which is explained by the high probability of purchasing a low-quality product.

In order to determine the shade that henna will give the hair, you need to conduct a simple experiment, painting 1-2 thin strands with this tool... If the result obtained is completely satisfactory, you can proceed with a full-fledged procedure, and if not, resort to changing the composition used with the help of additives, which will be discussed a little later.

As for shampooing, it provides for such two possible options as:

• immediately before dyeing hair - relevant for those who use henna for medicinal purposes;
• 2-3 days before the scheduled procedure - this solution is suitable in the vast majority of cases.

As mentioned earlier, the procedure for dyeing hair with henna is not difficult, therefore it can be successfully carried out at home. To perform it correctly, you must adhere to the following procedure:

1. prepare the composition by pouring the required amount of henna with hot water (but not boiling water) - dyeing short hair involves using 100 g of dry dye, medium - 150-200 g, long - 250-300 g, very long - 400-500 g; it is irrational to breed excess paint,since it can only be used freshly prepared; the consistency of the product used should resemble gruel or thick sour cream, which avoids dripping after application;
2. when it is necessary to transform dry hair, it is advisable to supplement the prepared product with 15 ml of cream or a few drops of unrefined vegetable oil;
3. you need to prepare a water bath that prevents henna from cooling (the latter must be applied to well-heated hair);
4. for dyeing thin hair, it is rational to use a composition in which water is replaced with kefir; before proceeding with the cultivation of henna, the fermented milk product must be well heated;
5. put on gloves and a cape, then lubricate the hairline with a cream with a high fat content, and it is also advisable to apply oil to the scalp - in order to avoid the appearance of traces from the staining;
6. divide the hair into parts (top, side, back), form several strands of suitable thickness from each and paint them one after the other from roots to ends; the described procedure should be started from the back of the head, paying special attention to the treatment of gray hair on each of the transformed areas;
7. it is necessary to distribute the dye through the hair quickly and carefully, pinning the strands treated with henna and immediately moving on to the next; upon completion of applying the composition, it is necessary to massage the hair and comb it with a comb;
8. put a shower cap or plastic wrap on your head and cover it with a towel; to achieve a light effect, you need to wait about half an hour, while a full-fledged painting provides for a much longer time period - 60, 90 and even 120 minutes;
9. the next stage is washing your hair with warm water; it is advisable to refuse the use of shampoo, but in some cases it will not be possible to make a full rinse without the help of a synthetic agent;
10. if necessary, the hair is additionally treated with conditioner; in the end, it remains to dry the hair - with a hairdryer or naturally.

If the color of the purchased dye does not fully correspond to the girl's preferences, it can be changed to a more suitable one, using additional ingredients, namely:

• rich redhead - add about 20 g of grated ginger to the prepared composition;

• copper - mix henna with 5 g of turmeric and the same amount of ground cinnamon; the next step is to dilute the resulting combination with strongly brewed black tea;

• golden honey - add 1 tbsp to the paint. l. liquid honey and 5 g of ground cloves;

• black cherry - mix henna with strong infusion of Sudanese rose (hibiscus).

Special attention should be paid to the rich chocolate color, which is deservedly popular among lovers of beauty and style. To prepare a composition that allows you to dye your hair in this shade, you must perform the following steps:

• finely grate 2 pieces of tiled henna (or take a comparable amount of powdered dye);
• brew 50 g of ground coffee in 150 ml of water and let it brew, preventing the temperature from falling below + 40 ° C;
• mix both ingredients thoroughly;
• dilute the prepared composition with hot water if it turns out to be too thick;
• heat the mixture in a bath and start staining.

Another popular solution that allows you to get a spectacular milk-chocolate shade of hair, is the addition of basma - a grayish-green powder obtained from indigo leaves and mixed with henna in a 1: 1 ratio. Before you start coloring, you need to brew strong coffee or black tea, used to dilute the prepared combination.To get a richer shade, it is enough to change the ratio of the main ingredients in favor of basma.

An equally effective way of giving the hair a rich brown color is the use of henna and ground cinnamon. To solve the problem under consideration, it is enough to mix both of these components in equal amounts.

Depending on the specifics of the hair, determined by its structure and some other features, henna can last from several weeks to 3 months. To keep the color as long as possible, the following recommendations must be taken into account:

• during the first 2-3 days after the completion of staining, it is advisable not to wash your hair using shampoo and balm; this is due to the fact that during this time the pigment continues to appear;
• at the end of the procedure for dyeing hair with henna, you can rinse your hair with infusion of sage or rose hips, 1 tsp. which is diluted in 1 liter of cold water (if there are no herbs, the same amount of vinegar will do);
• regularly use shampoo that helps to preserve color; a prerequisite is the absence of silicone and anti-dandruff components in the composition of the product used;
• Minimize swimming in chlorinated water and exposure to direct sunlight.

If a girl wants to get rid of the described dye, she can use two methods for solving this problem.

• The first assumes the use of 70% alcohol, applied to the hair and left for 5-10 minutes, followed by processing the hair with vegetable oil. You need to keep such a mask under polyethylene for half an hour, after which it is thoroughly washed off with a mild shampoo. To achieve the desired result, after 2-3 days, the described procedure is repeated.
• The second option involves multiple rinsing of the hair. using vinegar and laundry soap, as well as using masks based on kefir and yeast.

For information on how to dye your hair with henna at home, see the next video.