How to dye henna hair 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 a shade that attracts attention and makes it healthier, which is confirmed by both experienced specialists and ordinary consumers. Dyeing hair with henna at home is easy: just know the basic rules of this procedure, which will be discussed later.

The paint in question is a powdery product, which is the result of drying the leaves of Lavsonia spineless - a shrub common in North Africa and the East. The use of henna to change the tone of the hair allows you to get many spectacular shades - from golden honey to dark chocolate. The achievement of such 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. Such henna is considered the best in terms of price and quality; therefore, it is most popular. If this dye is used without additives, it gives the hair only one color - rich red. Iranian henna is especially useful for weakened hair, since it contributes to the accelerated restoration of their 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 saturated copper shade of hair, characterized by maximum resistance.

As for colorless henna, it is made from stalks of lavsonia, so its composition does not include the presence of coloring pigment. This product is not used to change the color of 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, for example, pink, purple or black.

Practice shows that the positive qualities of the tool in question are much more than negative. 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 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 specialist.

Other advantages of the described product include the following:

• a positive effect on the hair follicles;
• effective anti-dandruff (regardless of the reasons that provoked its development);
• restoration of hair after curls made with the use of aggressive chemicals (even in cases where severe damage occurs);
• the return of shine lost by hair;
• simplification of hair styling, which becomes more "obedient";
• noticeable hair enhancement, 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);
• the impressive naturalness of the shade attached to the hair (it is not possible to achieve such a result with the help of chemicals).

In addition, henna contributes to the accelerated elimination of parasites (primarily lice) and many diseases of the scalp. Hypoallergenicity, due to the natural origin of the described product and the lack of ammonia in its composition, also deserves attention. You can use henna for hair coloring even during pregnancy and lactation, as well as in the presence of any chronic pathologies.

The list of disadvantages of the 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 hair flakes, followed by their "sealing" with a thin film; you can get rid of the paint with the help of special masks (both in the salon and at home), but the solution to this problem will take some time;
• relatively low efficiency of dyeing gray hair; if there are too many of these, you will have to refuse to use the described tool;
• too frequent use of henna leads to a gradual thinning of the hair, which negatively affects their health and appearance;
• dyeing of hair with the use of the product in question can not be called fast; such a procedure takes twice, or even three times as much as synthetic means, and is quite laborious.

Another feature that cannot be attributed to the pluses of henna is the impossibility of using it with a hair dyed with a chemical composition. Ignoring this circumstance can lead to unpredictable visual results, therefore it is strongly not recommended by the vast majority of specialists. To apply a chemical agent to hair previously dyed with henna also fails - for the reason mentioned above.

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

• gluing and clogging flakes;
• weight gain of strands;
• gradual dimming of hair;
• increase in dryness and hair stiffness.

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

• disposable gloves and a cape protecting skin and clothing from pollution;
• a cap for a shower (if it is not there, an ordinary plastic film will do);
• a comb needed for quick and convenient formation of strands;
• clamps (as an alternative, you can use hair clips called "crabs");
• paint brush;
• high fat cream or petroleum jelly;
• dye mixing tool (stick or spoon);
• old towel;
• dishes for the preparation of the composition (the most suitable material is glass, since ceramic or plastic products have a tendency to stain).

Particular attention should be paid to the shelf life of the product in question: if henna is expired, its use must be discarded. It is also advisable not to buy too cheap paint, due to the high probability of acquiring a low-grade product.

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

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

• immediately before hair coloring - 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, so it can be successfully carried out at home. To execute it correctly, you must adhere to the following procedure:

1. prepare the composition, pour the right amount of henna with hot water (but not boiling water) - dyeing short hair involves the use of 100 g of dry dye, medium - 150-200 g, long - 250-300 g, very long - 400-500 g; diluting excess paint is irrational,since it can be used only in freshly prepared form; the consistency of the product used should resemble slurry or thick sour cream, which avoids its 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 several drops of unrefined vegetable oil;
3. you need to prepare a water bath that prevents the cooling of henna (the latter must be applied to the hair well warmed up);
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 grease the hairline with a cream with a high fat content, and it is also advisable to apply oil to the scalp - to avoid the appearance of traces of staining;
6. divide the hair into parts (top, side, back), form from each several strands of suitable thickness and paint them one by one from the roots to the ends; begin the described procedure should be from the back of the head, paying particular attention to the treatment of gray hair in each of the transformed areas;
7. you need to distribute the dye through the hair quickly and carefully, stabbing the henna-treated strands and immediately proceeding to the next; upon completion of the application of 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 involves a significantly longer time period - 60, 90 and even 120 minutes;
9. the next step is washing your hair with warm water; it is advisable to refuse the use of shampoo, but in some cases it will not work to complete a full wash without the help of a synthetic agent;
10. if necessary, the hair is additionally treated with air conditioning; in conclusion, it remains to dry the hair - with a hairdryer or in a natural way.

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

• saturated red - 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 breeding the resulting combination with brewed black tea;

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

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

A rich chocolate color deserves special attention, 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 powder 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 turned out to be too thick;
• heat the mixture in the 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 staining, you need to brew strong coffee or black tea, used to dilute the prepared combination.To get a richer shade, just change the ratio of the main ingredients in favor of basma.

An equally effective method that gives 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 quantities.

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 should be considered:

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

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

• The first involves the use of 70% alcohol, applied to the hair and left for 5-10 minutes, followed by treatment of 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 repeated rinsing of the hair using vinegar and laundry soap, as well as the use of masks based on kefir and yeast.

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