Does henna fading gray hair?

Gray hair can and even needs to be dyed with henna. This tool is useful for hair and is convenient for use at home, especially for those who prefer only natural hair products.

In the famous Indian films all oriental beauties have gorgeous hair. No matter how many years the heroine has been, at least 50, not a single gray strand can be seen in her hair, and the length of the curls is in no way comparable to her age. All this thanks to the regular use of natural hair products. Unlike regular dye, henna does not damage the hair cuticle, so the curls become better with each coloring.

But there are some features of coloring gray hair with henna. First you need to understand that gray curls differ in color due to its structure. In ordinary hair, it has a filling, which determines the color, the so-called pigment. Gray curls do not have such filling, they are hollow. Therefore, such hair is rather coarse, hard and dry. After staining with henna, gray hair becomes strong at the roots, shiny and the color is more saturated.

But not everything is so rosy with natural dyes for hair, as you can imagine at first glance. Henna has its advantages and disadvantages in use.

Pros:

1. Does not contain chemicals that can adversely affect gray curls.
2. No age restrictions in use.
3. Protects from the harmful effects of sunlight.
4. Protects curls from dandruff.
5. Improves the structure of the strands: they become smooth and silky.
6. After use, hair becomes bulky and well-groomed.
7. Regulates the sebaceous glands, so that the curls for a long time remain fresh.
8. It improves blood circulation, making hair grow much faster.

Minuses:

1. Can not paint over gray hair, but only serve as a tinting agent.
2. Do not use on already colored hair, only on gray. There is a chance to get green hair color even brunette.
3. May overdry strands, so before applying it is better to use fat balm.
4. It can not be used in chemical perm, as the powder can straighten curls.
5. Frequent use of the product leads to hair stiffness.
6. You can not paint the curls with regular paint after henna staining.

There are several types of henna, each of which is designed for a particular shade of hair.

• Colorless henna - It is the crushed leaves of Indian grass Dacron. In such leaves there is no coloring pigment. Colorless henna can be added to hair masks, it makes curls shiny and promotes their growth.
• Colored henna - the most popular and is much cheaper than colorless. With this tool you can get different shades of hair, and it is used for dyeing strands. The tool also has healing properties, with which you can restore damaged hair.
• Lightening. Such henna can lighten curls by a tone and a half. Used only in combination with hair oil.

Henna staining of gray hair has several subtleties, the knowledge of which will help to easily dye hair in the desired shade.

1. Before dyeing the head must be washed, be sure to apply a balm and conditioner to moisten them.It is better to dry the hair with any fabric product; both a cotton cloth and flax will do.
2. Henna is best diluted with warm water. It must be remembered that the dye diluted with boiling water or hot water is not worth it, because boiling water leads to the loss of the pigment itself.
3. Coloring should start from the back of the head, because the back of the head is very coarse and thick hair. After going to the temporal areas, and only then to the parietal area, at the very end - small hairs near the forehead (they are the thinnest, and the time for their coloring is minimal).

The time required for henna dyeing is exclusively individual. On average, it will take from half an hour to three or four hours of "exposure". Coloring depends on the structure of the strands. It is important to remember that henna manifests its “very juice” color about the day after staining. If the result is immediately not clearly pronounced, and the curls have a slightly different shade, do not panic. Everything will clear up the next day.

Henna is a plant that has a coloring pigment of honey, red, golden hues. If staining is done only with henna, then the final result will be exactly that shade. To get a darker color (chestnut, brown or chocolate), henna should be added to henna.

Basma is another natural dye and also paints gray hair well. It has a dark blue and greenish hue. Basma as an independent dye (without adding henna) is better not to use, because the result will be a blue-green tint of strands. These two dyes are used exclusively in tandem.

To get reddish-blond curls, it is enough to mix the paint in the following proportions: one teaspoon of henna and two teaspoons of basma. For a darker shade of hair, mix one teaspoon of henna and three teaspoons of basma. If necessary, increase the dose. It is better to mix these two dyes in a powdery state, and then add warm water.

There are many recipes for different shades of hair.

1. For a sunny tan Two packets of henna diluted with warm water, add to the mixture any acidic medium (for example, lemon juice, kefir, vinegar). So henna will give pigment to hair more intensively. Then add one or two spoons of cosmetic oil (for example, burdock, olive, vegetable, sea buckthorn, coconut or almond). This will further moisten the hair. Henna is best applied immediately after combining all the ingredients. Hair does not need to be wrapped in a bag or towel. The longer the paint will be on the air, the better it will show its coloring properties.
2. For brown and brown color. Mix one bag of henna with two or three (for a darker color) bag of basma. Mix them in a dry state. To this mixture add brewed tea or coffee and one or two tablespoons of butter (for example, burdock, apricot kernels, coconut, almond or olive). Thoroughly stir everything to a state of gruel. Apply to curls.
3. Separate staining. The two previous recipes can be applied separately. First apply henna, as written in the first recipe. Hold for half an hour to an hour, rinse and dry with a towel. Then apply basma, as written in the second recipe. Hold for up to four hours, then rinse.
4. Brew strong tea, add a teaspoon of turmeric and basma. Soak it all for about an hour and rinse with running water. Instead of strong tea, you can add coffee, and instead of turmeric - oak bark.Tea will remove the rusty color that may occur as a result of dyeing, this will result in not too dark hair color.

Video about hair dye using henna and coffee, see below.

It is possible to rinse henna only under running water without using shampoo or soap. Henna and Basma are afraid of alkaline environment. Shampooing is recommended on the third day after dyeing. And if the result turned out to be richer than desired, then just the opposite, you need to thoroughly wash these sections of the strands with alkali. Apply any mixture is better with a special brush, as when dyeing hair with ordinary paint. It is also recommended to use special gloves to protect hands.

According to reviews, most users positively assess the effect of henna on curls. Someone has been using henna for decades and forgot about hair loss. Someone uses the powder all his life, because the curls do not perceive the usual hair dye, and in case of allergy to chemical dye, they also use henna. For most users, after using henna, their hair became shiny, smooth, silky and stopped falling out.

Some find it difficult to find the right shade of henna, so after one use they stop dyeing hair in this way. Some reviews suggest that henna made hair tougher than it was before dyeing. Someone does not like the prospect of dyeing hair at home every time, and such procedure is rare or much more expensive than regular hair dye for beauty salons.

Opinions about the coloring of gray hair powder diverge. Some get it, others don't. In any case, it is necessary to remember: everything depends on the structure of the hair, the time of dyeing and the initial condition of the hair. And, of course, any staining should be approached wisely: prepare all the necessary components and tools in advance, and then carry out the painting procedure.

How to paint hair with henna and basma, see the following video.