How often can you dye your hair with henna?

For those who have never used this method of hair coloring before, it is worth knowing that henna is a powdery product that is obtained from the dry lower leaves of the lawsonia shrub that grows in Central and South Asia, North Africa, India, Pakistan. Thus, this is a completely natural remedy, but how often you can dye your hair with henna without harming it is a big question.

Perhaps the main reason why the great-grandmother's method is used for dyeing hair is the absence of ammonia in the product. Anyone who has dyed their hair at least once remembers this pungent smell and itching on the head during dyeing.

In addition, different types of Lawsonia have the following components:

• aromatic oils, vitamins K and C, which supply the scalp, hair follicles and strands with nutrients;
• pectins, which absorb harmful substances, reduce the oiliness of the hair and are responsible for the density of the curls;
• polysaccharides, forcing the sebaceous glands to work in a special way;
• resins that make hair silky and shiny;
• henna-tannin and other acids, which impart coloring properties to the leaves of the plant and take care of the antibacterial effect;
• Chlorophyll is a powerful antioxidant that rejuvenates scalp and promotes skin healing.

Unfortunately, you can only say with confidence that you have 100% natural henna powder in front of you in a chemical laboratory. That is why users get such different effects from one and the same tool.

The following result can be expected from high-quality henna:

• the paint penetrates into the upper layers of the hair, leveling the scales: split ends are cured, curls are gradually straightened;
• relieves dandruff;
• does not cause skin irritation;
• improves hair structure;
• protects from ultraviolet radiation;
• there is no restriction on the use by pregnant women and nursing mothers, if there was no previous allergy to this paint;
• suitable for an adult at any age;
• pure lawsonium is an inexpensive remedy, the price can increase significantly if the composition contains other components.

The negative consequences include the following indicators:

• with a decrease in the secretion of fat by the sebaceous glands, the hairline gradually becomes brittle and faded;
• with regular use of the paint for a long time, the destruction of the upper layer of the hair is noted;
• curls gradually straighten;
• hair is electrified;
• it is difficult to predict what shade will be obtained as a result of using henna;
• since the hair structure is different for everyone, you will have to individually select the proportions and dye holding time;
• gray hair, as it is more porous, can become not only bright red, but also blue or green;
• almost all users are convinced that artificial paint should not be applied over henna - the effect may not be very pleasant.

On the Internet, a huge number of ladies of all ages offer their recipes and reviews for hair dyeing with Lawsonia. And all these reviews indicate that the frequency of staining is very individual. Factors affecting this include the quality and manufacturer of the dye, the length of the hair, the structure and growth rate of the strands, the number of previous dyes, the sensitivity of the skin, and much more.

• Since the natural dye is practically not washed off, but only accumulates, the dye is usually used once a month on a dry type of hair.
• For a normal or bold type, it is allowed to paint curls three times a month.
• But if the scalp is sensitive, then the frequency rate is reduced to 1 time in 2 months.
• After curling with the use of chemicals or highlighting or coloring, natural dye is not used for a long time.
• You can touch up (correct) the roots as often as required.
• After the first dyeing, the hair is unlikely to be shiny. But after the second and third times, the effect will be much stronger, and the color will turn out richer. The longer henna is used, the less often it needs to be used, so as not to injure the hair and scalp once again.

But the hair at home is not always dyed the first time. It may also be such that the shade will turn out to be undesirable. In this case, re-staining is carried out. It does not carry any pronounced harm, but you should not abuse this procedure either, since from frequent staining, the hair scales stick together, the hair becomes heavy. Moreover, such painting requires much more time than chemical painting.

There are many ways to color your hair using natural dye. They are quite different from each other. To say that some are better and the rest are bad would be unfair. But there is a general painting technology.

Before starting work, you need to prepare:

• gloves;
• brush;
• comb;
• an old towel or hairdresser's cape;
• a plastic bathing cap or bag;
• oilcloth or newspaper on the floor;
• ceramic or glass dish (0.75-1 l);
• mirror;
• medical petroleum jelly or greasy cream;
• henna (based on 75-100 g for medium hair);
• hot water (about 85 degrees, boil and let stand for 15 minutes);
• vinegar (not essence!) or lemon juice.

Now let's look at the procedure itself in more detail.Wash your hair with shampoo, dry your hair. In some recipes, there are recommendations to completely dry your hair.

Dilute the paint (in pure form or, mixing with other natural ingredients) with hot water so that you get a lump-free composition, similar in consistency to thin sour cream. The thicker the mass, the more difficult it is to apply it to the hair, and then wash it out of it. But the mixture should not flow through the hair either. Some users add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the cooling mixture (burdock, jojoba, ylang-ylang, lavender, lemon or just sunflower), whey, pharmacy vitamins in liquid form - this prevents the hair from drying out.

To prevent the skin on the face from becoming reddish, it is smeared with petroleum jelly or cream along the edge of the hair. Then put on gloves and cover your shoulders with a towel. Use the long, thin handle of the comb to part the head and start painting at the roots. Apply the mixture with a brush.

After dyeing the roots, spread the paint over the entire length of the hair, first with a brush, and then with gloved hands.

Put a bathing cap (bag) on ​​your head and wrap it up with a towel. The holding time is selected very individually:

• blonde hair will turn red in a quarter of an hour, dark hair in two hours;
• if the paint was mixed with other natural ingredients (coffee, basma), then the dyeing time increases by 3-4 times;
• there are also those who hold the paint for 4-8 hours, periodically warming up a towel on their head with a hairdryer (you need to be extremely careful with such experiments so as not to be left without hair).

The paint is washed off with ordinary running water. It is not recommended to use shampoo or balm, but not everyone follows these recommendations. To add shine to the hair, rinse it with an aqueous vinegar or lemon solution. It is important to immediately wash the bathtub so that you do not have to repaint it later.

In the next 2-3 days, the paint will be absorbed into the strands. Therefore, it is not recommended to wash your hair with any detergent.

With the help of this paint, you can become not only red, but also other colors and shades. It's all about the natural additives that are used in the preparation of the mixture.

• To create a chestnut color, henna and basma are used in a ratio of 3: 1 or 5 tablespoons of coffee are added to the lawsonia.
• A reddish tide is obtained if lawsonia is bred together with a decoction of chamomile, turmeric gives a sunny redhead.
• The cherry color will turn out if you use beet juice instead of water, or add 4 tablespoons of cocoa to the water.
• Two parts of henna and one part of basma will give a bronze color.
• If the hair is first dyed with lavsonia, and then with basma, then the curls will turn black.

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