Thanks and questions

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Posted by Al Gisnered on July 5, 2004 at 17:23:14:

Thanks, Catherine, for the henna and colloidal oatmeal. I've been
trying to add some color to my moustache, which went snow white in my
twenties. I used to color with commercial PPD stuff till I developed
a severe reaction. Then I came upon the idea of henna, and your page.
So I tried it. No matter how stiff I made the henna mix it always
slid down the hair shaft and collected at the ends, leaving me with
white roots, colored ends. Now, with the oatmeal, I have colored
roots too!

However, the only color I've been able to get, after 5 or 6 henna
sessions (between 6 & 8 hours each, body art quality, red wine,
cloves, etc.) is kind of an orangey marigold color. (I kind of get a
laugh out of assertions on this thread that henna gives only red, red,
red. The writers should see my moustache!)

Questions: 1.) I know the hair in my moustache is very resistant to
color. When I used the PPD stuff, I had to pre-soften the hair with
an application of ammonia. As I understood it, the object was to open
the cuticle so that the color would get to the cortex. Is there any
chance this would work with henna? I'll probably try it sometime, but
your thoughts please.

2.) As I understand it, an application of acid closes the cuticle. If
I do pre-soften, would the acidic henna mix then need to be
neutralized to help it bind to the cortex? Ammonia again? Baking
soda? Alka Seltzer? (Fizzy henna!)

3.) I realize it's hard to know for sure, but your best guess - will
subsequent, frequent (oatmeal included) applications continue to
darken the color, or does there seem to be a limit to the depth one
can achieve? I hesitate to try indigo yet, since the base color,
particularly the first quarter inch is very pale yellow. A green
moustache isn't my object.

By the way, I'm not in crisis here. I groom it every day with
water-soluble wax, in a black/brown mix, which is quite believable.
However, the wax washes out instantly if I go swimming or get caught
in the rain or get some martini on it, leaving me with either a droopy
gray caterpillar or a snow white one (now, weird yellow) Some people
find that unnerving, for some reason.

Follow Ups

Re: Thanks and questions Catherine Cartwright-Jones 18:04:02 7/5/2004 (5)
- Re: Thanks and questions Diane 18:18:49 7/6/2004 (3)
  - hm ............ a puzzle Catherine Cartwright-Jones 10:39:37 7/7/2004 (2)
    - Re: hm ............ a puzzle Jane 11:34:22 7/7/2004 (1)
      - Re: hm ............ a puzzle Catherine Cartwright-Jones 21:31:05 7/7/2004 (0)
- Re: Thanks and questions Al Gisnered 09:07:00 7/6/2004 (0)
Re: Thanks and questions Pierre 18:02:42 7/5/2004 (4)
- Re: Thanks and questions Al Gisnered 11:53:07 7/6/2004 (2)
  - Re: Thanks and questions Pierre 16:18:29 7/6/2004 (1)
    - Re: Thanks and questions Al Gisnered 10:11:39 7/7/2004 (0)
- Re: Thanks and questions Al Gisnered 09:27:19 7/6/2004 (0)

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: Thanks, Catherine, for the henna and colloidal oatmeal. I've been : trying to add some color to my moustache, which went snow white in my : twenties. I used to color with commercial PPD stuff till I developed : a severe reaction. Then I came upon the idea of henna, and your page. : So I tried it. No matter how stiff I made the henna mix it always : slid down the hair shaft and collected at the ends, leaving me with : white roots, colored ends. Now, with the oatmeal, I have colored : roots too! : : However, the only color I've been able to get, after 5 or 6 henna : sessions (between 6 & 8 hours each, body art quality, red wine, : cloves, etc.) is kind of an orangey marigold color. (I kind of get a : laugh out of assertions on this thread that henna gives only red, red, : red. The writers should see my moustache!) : : Questions: 1.) I know the hair in my moustache is very resistant to : color. When I used the PPD stuff, I had to pre-soften the hair with : an application of ammonia. As I understood it, the object was to open : the cuticle so that the color would get to the cortex. Is there any : chance this would work with henna? I'll probably try it sometime, but : your thoughts please. : : 2.) As I understand it, an application of acid closes the cuticle. If : I do pre-soften, would the acidic henna mix then need to be : neutralized to help it bind to the cortex? Ammonia again? Baking : soda? Alka Seltzer? (Fizzy henna!) : : 3.) I realize it's hard to know for sure, but your best guess - will : subsequent, frequent (oatmeal included) applications continue to : darken the color, or does there seem to be a limit to the depth one : can achieve? I hesitate to try indigo yet, since the base color, : particularly the first quarter inch is very pale yellow. A green : moustache isn't my object. : : By the way, I'm not in crisis here. I groom it every day with : water-soluble wax, in a black/brown mix, which is quite believable. : However, the wax washes out instantly if I go swimming or get caught : in the rain or get some martini on it, leaving me with either a droopy : gray caterpillar or a snow white one (now, weird yellow) Some people : find that unnerving, for some reason.
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