This year's unusual holiday momento was a book about henna. Go figure. Anyway, one interesting fact (which confirms some things that were already in that narrow space under the henna) was that henna is a coolant. The book recommends not using henna while the weather is cold (or if you're sick or pregnant, but that's less relevant right now) because of this effect. Now, i don't want to go from September to May without colouring my hair (i live in England, remember?), so am trying to work out some strategies. I already use a hairdryer and put the heating on when henna-ing. Beyond that, i thought of adding some substances with a warming effect to counterbalance the henna'd chill - so far i've noted ginger and (surprise surprise since i've been tasting it all week and burning my lips on it) clove oil. Any other suggestions would be gratefully received, especially if you've actually used them successfully.
PS, anarchists, i'm not up for setting my hair on fire so don't ask. ;)

I noticed the other day that my hair, although henna'd fairly recently (maybe a week beforehand?) was nearly back to brown. A bit of research revealed that the most likely reason was sun fadage. The sun bleaches your hair whatever colour it happens to be, and since henna is a coating on your hair this will be what it goes for first. So here are some provisional tips for anyone who is interested:
( Cut so you don't have to read about hair if you don't wantCollapse )

Henna with sparkly bits in would be nice - fools' gold or something? Or is there a plant that is sparkly? Or just use whatever goes into Lush hair glitter, i guess that's organic etc. Might experiment there...

I have clingfilm on my head. Under the clingfilm is a thick layer of henna. Not *all* the henna is under the clingfilm, making it impossible to be anywhere where there is absorbent, non-washable upholstry. I should probably keep away from curtains too. I should also avoid putting my hood up, although if the doorbell rings it might be better to look like a hooligan than someone with clingfilm plastered to their head over a layer of what looks like the subject of my last post.

Got some new henna today, Henne Auburn. I was a bit dubious about it since there was a lot of product placement in the instruction leaflet - loads of detail about the different Henne products and how they worked best together rather than with mudblood other products. Anyway, my hair seems to have come out an acceptable colour from using it with other brands of essential oil, cinnamon, henna shampoo and conditioner and comb, so i'm not worried. (15 drops t-tree and 15 drops cajeput oil - smells like the vet's waiting room -, one teaspoon cinnamon if anyone's interested in the blending side) I like the colour, it's a darker red than i'd managed with the blend i'd been using. (a good brand for you, Sofiya, if you decide to convert!) Dunno how much of that is the colour (or the cajeput) and how much of that is seeing my hair freshly-dyed after not doing it for so long. I think i look less old and tired: next step is feeling less old and tired too!

Henna FAQ: (well, asked this morning)

( Sofiya's questions and my answersCollapse )

Some tips:

There are essential oils which help henna along. I can testify that rose and tea-tree are good for this. Cajuput is apparently the best, although i've never tried it because nowhere in Notz seems to sell it.

You can mix different shades of henna to produce the colour you want. This takes a bit of experimentation, but the end result is worth it. Try sticking with two or three colours from the same brand, though, so any additives and stuff will be in sync.

There's no harm in sticking substances in henna just to make it smell nicer. (the smell is an aquired taste) The brew i mixed up today had cinnamon (intentional) and coffee (put in on a whim because i was making coffee to drink) in it, and i don't think it's hurt the colour any.

To apply the henna paste evenly, use a tint brush and a wide-toothed comb. Then you stand a better chance of getting at the bits inside.

For washing the henna paste out of your hair, conditioner and a comb are your friends. The best way to get the clots out is to cover your hair in conditioner and comb it through, repeating if necessary. Then you shampoo.

Doing your roots is pretty easy. Just mix up a small quantity of henna (if mixing different shades, it's worth having a ratio to work from - in my case two parts mahogany to one part flame red - to keep the colour even. To allow for fading, maybe put a bit extra of the duller shade in) Then just apply it to your roots with a paintbrush. If you're only using one shade of henna and the original colour has faded, comb a light coat of henna over the top of your hair as a quick-fix.

Links (these sites contain tips on applying henna, also apparently the henna they sell is better quality than you get in the shops):

The Henna Page

Henna Boy

Right, that's the limit of my 'experience and wisdom' on the subject. Anyone else wants to contribute, you're welcome to.