Going to henna soon

[allison0699]

Depending on the light, my hair varies from medium to dark brown.

I did my first strand tests with a box of Jamilla that I already had in the freezer. Here are the results. It's nice and subtle which I like. You can't really tell it too much from the photo, but I feel like it gives me a richer color.

I've got some more henna ordered and I will do another strand test since it is from a different crop. Then it's on to henna head!

 

[umraon]

Henna is great for some hairtypes but don't forget that after you put henna on, you can't dye your hair with normal hair coloring..

 

[allison0699]

Actually you can if you use BAQ henna and dye over it darker. I've been doing research on this for about a year now.

 

[umraon]

i didn't know that..thanks for the info.

 

[allison0699]

I had heard so many conflicting things on henna which is why I started doing the research. I wanted to find out all my options before I had an "Oh Sh*t!" moment! You should have seen some of the threads on another hair forum dealing with trying to remove henna! Some were really tragic stories! I have no senitmental attachment to my hair and have spent most of my life growing it out and then chopping it off to chin length. If I didn't have that option, I don't know if I would go through with it...

 

[Ashley]

That looks lovely. I can't wait to see final pictures!

Beautiful hair, by the way!

 

[xtiffanyx]

It looks nice...your hair is really pretty

 

[KatJ]

I adore henna, if I wasn't such a hair color whore, I would be using it. Good luck with your transition!

 

[allison0699]

Result turned out very subtle.

I ended up using BAQ2. I mixed up 300g with a bit of lemon juice, some tap water, some distilled water, and a tiny bit of coconut oil. I let it sit on the counter for about 8 hours and then I stuck it in the fridge overnight. I did another strand test with this batch.

To apply, I filled up the garden tub a few inches and sat down facing the mirror. I worked from the back of my head forward, twisting each section over to the side when done. After every few sections, I rinsed off my neck and shoulders to avoid staining. I covered with a few layers of press and seal and then a layer of foil. I only ended up using about half of the mix, so I stuck the rest in the freezer for next time.

I ended up leaving it on for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Occasionally I opened up the foil and exposed the press and seal layer and then blasted it with a blow dryer for a few minutes. Then I wrapped back up with the foil to hold in some of the heat. I kept a packet of baby wipes next to me and occasionally wiped the back of my neck where a bit would leak out occasionally due to shifting.

To rinse, I just layed in the tub and swished it around some. Then I used shampoo once. The bath water was the color of very strong tea! I drained that, layed in the water stream for a few minutes to rinse a bit more of the residue and then filled the tub again. I added a bit of water to a bottle of Suave coconut conditioner and applied all over. I massaged it in for a few minutes and then layed back in the tub and did another swished session. It rinsed out very easily.

Today, the texture is very soft and the henna smell has faded considerably. Only in certain lights do I feel the color is noticeable.

Sorry for the crappy lighting in this photo. I'll try to take one outside with my better camera in a day or two when the color fully oxidizes.

I think you can see the color a bit better in these photos.

 

[msmack]

lovely!