I have experience with henna hair colouring in early adolescence, and it is truly terrible. Since then, I have been very sceptical of all these fans of “natural ”, “oh, how useful”, “hurray, henna, I will treat my hair” and so on. But I could not explain my scepticism with anything but personal experience. And now, after studying, I can.
Let’s start with how henna works on hair. How about lamination approximately, that is, forms a film on the surface of the hair. Very durable film, honestly say. None of the chemical lamination composition such strength, thank God, and never dreamed of. This is due to the content of tannins. These are polyphenolic compounds that condense the protein in this case on the surface of the hair. They make scab from healthy tissue (this property is used, for example, when processing hides). So far everything does not sound too scary. But what does this actually give us?
An impenetrable crust on the surface of the hair that nothing can break. If your hair is absolutely, perfectly healthy – it is good, because it will be difficult to spoil it. But if the hair was damaged, dyed, God forbid discolored, this is the end. Because more no balm, no oil, no mask will not pass through the surface of the hair. And this, damn it, is irreversible. It remains only to gradually shear.
Here it was a single henna treatment. If you dye your hair regularly with this infusion, then henna will also harm healthy hair. Time after time, the crust will grow, become firmer, and hair harder. Gradually hair almost completely lose elasticity. And when you try to collect the tail, combing, wiping, corny during sleep, always when the hair had to bend – it will break. From the break will go section, and the elasticity is at zero … Well, and so on.
But the worst thing about henna is that its effect is irreversible. It can be washed up, but the inability to remove this film completely. It is impossible to remove this red color, to level the effect. Henna is very difficult to paint over.
Here, too, you need to understand why. A durable paint (or powder for lightening) works under the cuticle (sheath) in the inner layer of the hair – the cortex. Henna peel does not allow the composition to penetrate to its place of work, and staining does not come out. You can paint the henna in darker shades, but the paint will wash off very quickly, because instead of resistant staining you will get toning – a layer of dye on the surface of the peel.
For thin and weak hair – this is generally hell. Because the roots can not withstand the severity of the crusts on the hair, and the hair also begins to fall out.
I am sure that among my readers there are young ladies who have a positive experience in using henna. I will listen to you with pleasure, but most likely I just won’t believe it. I saw a lot of henna-stoned heads. I now as a hairdresser regularly encounter the need to correct it. But as a matter of fact, while all length will not be cut off, I have nothing to offer. Here and toned and come up with beautiful short haircuts to quickly.
By the way, henna does not paint over gray hair. And the gray hair, on which henna is not painted over with anything, it will still glitter.
This is what I need before repainting your hair with anything: think 5 times. I ask you as a hairdresser 🙂 Before you put henna on your head, think a million times and change your mind, please. You do not need it. Now the sea of professional dyes for every taste and wallet, safe, harmless, allowed for use even during pregnancy. Please, if you care about the beauty and health of hair, do not use henna. Her only plus is vegetable origin.