Using Henna For Red Hair
If you’re contemplating dyeing your hair (hopefully a delectable shade of ginger), you’ve probably been Googling and Wiki-ing the best ways/places to do it. And if you’re looking to save a few pennies, it’s tricky trying to find a cheap-but-good-quality and kind-to-your-hair solution.
But look no further, lovelies!
For the best natural way to give your mane a redder tinge, use henna, your new friend in all Red Hair Adventures.
‘Natural’ henna is great for dyeing your tresses a glorious rich, velvety red, mixed with a variation of herbs (see below). Depending on your natural colour and combination of ingredients, a different outcome will come out and greet you. The long and short of it though, is that your hair will take on a red tinge when using natural henna. Pretty near, huh?
It’s all rather clever, really. The dried and powdered leaves of Lawsonia lythraceae, or ‘henna’, has been used for years and years, and has been known to eradicate the dandruff and itchiness that conventional commercial hair dyes can cause with their 500 (at least!) synthetic chemicals, whilst leaving it strong and silky smooth.
For educational purposes, you should be aware that there are a few variations of henna. ‘Neutral henna’ is Cassia obovata, used to strengthen and condition damaged hair without changing its colour. However, take care, because it will stain white or grey hair yellow! There is also ‘black henna’, which is a dark, indigo colour, creating a blue-black shade and should be mixed with natural henna for a softer, more natural black, if that’s what you’re after.
So what I’m saying is, know what you need.
In this case, you’ll likely want ‘natural henna’, which will always give you a tinge of red. A little experimentation might be needed to get the shade you want, but patience is a virtue.
Body art henna powder is the best ingredient to use for this sort of thing. Anything else, like ‘developer’ henna contains synthetic chemicals. Blurgh.
I’m not saying it’s not a tricky process to master. It definitely takes a lot of effort. Probably a lot more stressful than sitting in a salon with a cup of tea and a cheesy mag for a couple of hours. Yes it’s messy. Yes it’s time-consuming. But it’ll be a damn sight cheaper and healthier for your locks, so it’ll be worth the heartache in the end!
Top Tip: If you’re feeling unsure, test the mixture on some old strands of your hair taken from your hairbrush, until you’re feeling brave enough to dive in (perhaps not literally).
And when you’re ready, for a full 10-step guide on using henna, click here.
Good luck!
By Emma