HENNA
It is a dye prepared from the plant lawsonia inermis – an evergreen and flowering plant which belongs to the loosestrifes family.
It was originally used in Egypt.
How it works
The lawsone dye found in it binds to the keratin in your skin, making a permanent stain.
For Hair
It is usually used as a hair dye although it does have other benefits.
Benefits
It helps to decrease shedding and hair loss
It has both antifungal and antimicrobial properties therefore it helps to promote scalp health. It also helps with dandruff.
It dyes hair and therefore covers grays.
It coats the hair strand and when mixed with other conditioning products, it helps them penetrate the hair shaft better.
It gives the hair a voluminous appearance.
The Lawson dye attaches itself to the keratin in the hair, filling in the damaged areas in the hair shaft, and strengthening the hair.
It protects the hair by making it more resilient to damage.
Cons
It’s messy
Can dye the hands/nails
Takes time- both to make and apply
Can be quite drying
The dyeing results are not very predictable
Has a smell that some may find unpleasant
Types of Henna
Natural/Red henna
This is the real form that comes from the plant. It is also called lawsonia inermis. It produces a red-orange stain. It is translucent therefore it blends well with natural hair colour as such, it is the best henna to use if you want to dye hair naturally.
It is a dye that gives full volume to hair and makes it smooth and shiny. Brown, black, blonde shades can be achieved with this henna by mixing in other plants and herbs.
It acts as a permanent dye until hair grows further.
Black henna
This is derived from Indigo but may contain other substances that can be irritating to the skin.
Neutral henna/Cassia Powder
It’s a green powder derived from a plant called cassia obovate. It does not give any colour and is conditioning and therefore can be used instead of henna if one wants to get the benefits of henna without the dyeing effect.
Important things to note when working with henna:
Patch test – apply a bit of the henna to a few strands of your hair (preferably in the back) to see how your hair takes to it before applying it to your whole head. This will give you a bit of a heads-up as to what colour changes there may or may not be, once you use the henna.
Moisturizing: henna can be quite drying and strengthening as such, it may be wise to follow up with a moisturizing deep conditioner once it is used. You should also avoid other protein treatments when using henna as you do not want to experience ‘protein overload’.
Quality: look for body art henna when looking for henna to use on your hair. This tends to be the most natural and it will give you the maximum benefits. Other types may have harmful additives.
