Henna For Your Hair: The Scoop

Henna is a plant that grows in the hot, dry climates of the Eastern hemisphere. For decades, women from North Africa, India and the Middle East have used henna to stain their hair, skin and nails. The red henna dye is contained within the leaves of the plant. After the plant is harvested, the leaves are dried, ground and sifted into a flour-like powder. In the last few years, henna has become a popular treatment option for African American women seeking more natural remedies for their hair.

Though I naturally have reddish-brown hair, I love to use neutral henna for its great hair health benefits. Here are a few FAQs about using henna on  your hair.

What Are the Types of Henna?

1. Cassia Obovata:  “Neutral Henna” is  a green plant powder that smells like freshly cut grass with golden yellow dye molecules.  It is used as a deep conditioner for all hair types.  It makes your hair shiny and thick, while it also promotes a healthy scalp.  It also strengthens the hair shaft and improves your hair’s overall health.  Cassia is grown in Egypt and Nubia, with about 400 types around the world.
2. Lawsonia Inermis: “Red Henna” is a green plant powder that smells like hay with reddish dye molecules.  It is also used for deep conditioning for all hair types. It will stain your hair red-orange; but this stain is translucent and will combine with your natural color. It makes hair shiny and thick as well.  It also strengthens the hair and makes it smooth.
3. Indigofera Tinctoria: “Black Henna” is a green powder that smells like frozen peas. Though often referred to as black it is actually indigo. This henna isn’t pure and has been mixed with other ingredients in order to produce the dark colorant.

What Are The Benefits? 

Some of the ingredients in the henna are great because of their ability to bond with the keratin in the hair. This makes hair stronger by coating the hair and filling in rough spots on a frayed cuticle. This adds a…

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… second layer of strength, without locking out moisture. More benefits include:

• With the cuticle rough edges smoothed over, the hair feels smoother and the cuticle takes a lot less damage during combing and manipulation. It takes several days for henna to stabilize, allowing it to becomes more flexible.
• Anyone that has used red chemicals dyes knows how badly they fade. Henna may fade a little after the first application, but after the second application fades very little.

 
Here’s a couple of quick henna hair recipes:

You can add amla powder (about 1/4 of your mix or less) to your henna prior to stirring in liquid. Since amla is slightly acidic, you can simply mix with plain water (rather than tea).

Mix henna with coconut milk and wait 4 to 8 hours before applying. It works wonders!

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Check out my how-to/results video to see henna in action.

Visit the BlackDoctor.org Hair Care center for more helpful articles and tips.

For more henna information, visit KissTheChaos.com