Henna’d Hair, How-To

Since I did my micro-braids I’ve done a few things with color… first, going jet—black, then adding on a slew of blonde locs for variety. Well, I’m tired of the blonde, and my grey roots are going wild. I decided to henna this weekend, and here’s the fantastic result. Below are instructions for how I color my hair with Henna:

MIX: 

• One full package of Henna powder, I used Jaimila 
• Boiling water, enough to make a pudding consistency. 

Mix powder and water thoroughly with plastic spoon or dye brush, until all lumps are gone. Let sit until cool and the green paste darkens, looking reddish or muddy.

APPLY

Wear plastic gloves to avoid staining your hands. 

1.  First, I used Vaseline to cover my skin and ears around the hairline, forehead too—it drips. 
2. For my Locs, I started at the top center part and worked left to right then did the back. Using a dye application brush to be sure that all the blonde locs were covered with Henna. 
3. For folks without locs: Begin at scalp and apply Henna with gloved hands. Pack it on as if you’re putting a mud pack on your head. 
4. Continue until all the hair is thickly coated. 
5. Place a cotton or tissue band around the hairline. Cover the hair with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and old towel to help maintain heat. 

TIMING IT:

After application, I covered my hair with two plastic shower caps then wrapped a black turban around my head. Black, because the Henna paste might drip from under the plastic--and it did.

This stayed on for about 4 hours. 

It probably could have come off after 2 hours, but I was busy. In my experience, leaving henna on my hair for up to 8 hours has caused no damage—conventional dyes can’t boast that, and I wouldn’t even try it. Rinse hair thoroughly until the water runs clear, dry hair and that’s pretty much it.

WARNING:

While I've not seen this, in some instances people are allergic to Henna. If you haven't used it before, do a spot test on your skin before applying a ton of Henna to your head.