Henna For Hair

Henna has been used to color hair for centuries just as mehendi has been.  But usually the henna powder available in a market is only good enough to use on hair.  Quite a few mehendi artists/hobbyists save their leftover skin quality henna paste and then use it on their hair.  Henna has amazing conditioning properties when used on hair.  For most people it will make your hair feel luxuriously soft.  I can often get out of bed and finger comb my hair without finding any snarls.

Henna won’t completely change the color of your hair.  It will make it red but the color is more of a transparency over your hair.  If you have blond hair then you will end up with a noticable carrot top-fiery red.  If you have dark hair then it will be more noticable out in the sun when your head becomes a blaze of shiney dark red.

Mixing henna powder for your hair is the same as it is when mixing for skin.  Just as you need to leave the paste on your skin for hours you will also need to leave the paste (or mud) on your hair for hours.  Since I tend to have leftovers from doing mehendi I just save that in a plastic tub and store in the freezer until I am ready to use it.
Body art quality from a good supplier is best.  Off the shelf boxed henna often contains grit, twigs and other dyes.  If you are already concerned about keeping your hair healthy, then the slightly higher cost for quality henna powder is worth it.

Once I have all the paste on my hair I wrap my scalp with clingfilm and then put a warm hat or towel over my head.  After 6 hours I will go wash it out by wetting it thoroughly.  Usually there is dried paste that comes out easier if I use some conditioner to loosen it up.  After all the paste is rinsed out of my hair it doesn’t feel soft and silky.  That seems to occur a few days later.

There are tons of recipes, tips, hints and information (as well as a message forum) over at Henna For Hair