Re: WHAT WOULD make henna work on my black hair?

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Posted by Kimberly (from BC) on May 16, 2004 at 16:49:08:

In reply to: Re: WHAT WOULD make henna work on my black hair? posted by Pierre on May 14, 2004 at 16:32:15:

Pierre I'm sorry, but I must disagree with you. Henna is not a super-
sophistocated chemical dye and this can't work such complicated
magic.
( I'll get to the question of hennaing black hair in a moment)

Henna is not a subtractive colour (subtractive implys that it
lightens or otherwise bleaches your hair, which it does not)

Henna dye (dye meaning adds colour) covers the hair with an all over
red-orange tone and darkens the hair slighly.

here's a good analogy as to how henna dye works:
Take an orange-red peice of celophane and look through it. If you
look at a white peice of paper through the cellophane it will look
red-orange, a brown peice of paper will look darker reddish brown,
and a black peice of paper will look.....still black! why? because
you can't add color to something that's black and have it show.

which brings me to hennaing black hair:
If your hair is already dark, then henna over top of it will give you
redish highlights at best, it will make your hair feel smoother but
it won't lighten your hair at all. Unfortunately lightening your hair
is what you will have to do if you want your hair to apear red. You
could look into non-chemical ways of doing this such as spending long
hours in the sun, but unfortunately there aren't any non-chemical
ways of successfuly lightening your hair that I know of.

If you want red henna hair you'll have to lighten your hair first
(Caution peroxide is basic, henna is acidic acidic+basic= meltdown!!
test strand it first) I don't recomend it, but it's your hair. if you
must, then try and find a hair professional who's savvy about
chemistry and not anti-henna.

why not try some fun and satisfying henna body art instead?

Best of luck, kim

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: Pierre I'm sorry, but I must disagree with you. Henna is not a super- : sophistocated chemical dye and this can't work such complicated : magic. : ( I'll get to the question of hennaing black hair in a moment) : : Henna is not a subtractive colour (subtractive implys that it : lightens or otherwise bleaches your hair, which it does not) : : Henna dye (dye meaning adds colour) covers the hair with an all over : red-orange tone and darkens the hair slighly. : : here's a good analogy as to how henna dye works: : Take an orange-red peice of celophane and look through it. If you : look at a white peice of paper through the cellophane it will look : red-orange, a brown peice of paper will look darker reddish brown, : and a black peice of paper will look.....still black! why? because : you can't add color to something that's black and have it show. : : which brings me to hennaing black hair: : If your hair is already dark, then henna over top of it will give you : redish highlights at best, it will make your hair feel smoother but : it won't lighten your hair at all. Unfortunately lightening your hair : is what you will have to do if you want your hair to apear red. You : could look into non-chemical ways of doing this such as spending long : hours in the sun, but unfortunately there aren't any non-chemical : ways of successfuly lightening your hair that I know of. : : If you want red henna hair you'll have to lighten your hair first : (Caution peroxide is basic, henna is acidic acidic+basic= meltdown!! : test strand it first) I don't recomend it, but it's your hair. if you : must, then try and find a hair professional who's savvy about : chemistry and not anti-henna. : : why not try some fun and satisfying henna body art instead? : : Best of luck, kim
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