Henna'd

In my sophomore year of high school, I went through that phase where I dyed my hair blue. The front sections of my hair next to my face were bleached and then slathered in blue dye, sometimes with multiple applications. My hair became straw-like and the dye would wash out pretty quickly (something about the color molecule being too big for my hair follicle...) so I would be left with tealish/green hair with blonde poking through. Also, my hair grows rather quickly, so I would have brown roots which would then have to be bleached and dyed. Overall, I had an inch of brown, then a couple inches of blonde/green where the dye wouldn't stay, and then faintly blueish/green for the rest of my hair. It was time consuming, expensive, and I didn't really get the affect I wanted. So I switched to purple for a couple of dye sessions and then decided to go back to my natural hair color.

For the last two years, the last remnants of my dyed hair have been growing out and this summer I finally cut them off. No more bleached hair for me! So what did I do to celebrate? Dye it red with henna.

I had been thinking about having the under layer of my hair dyed red for a little while, and when I noticed that henna was relatively cheap at the local health food stores, I decided I might as well. My awesome roommate stayed up with me at 11:30 and applied the greenish-brown gloop to my hair and then wrapped my head in plastic wrap. I don't know if it was because we had no idea what we were doing or if it was because the under layers of my hair are fairly dark, but it didn't show up. So I figured that I might as well dye the rest of it one night in the bathtub of my dorm's bathroom. And  I liked it.

I like the results of henna because it adds sort of a red coat around your hair, so you still see a bit of your natural color through it. This also means that the red affect is a bit more subtle and doesn't really look like you just bought a bottle of Manic Panic from Hot Topic. Plus, the henna powder only costs around six dollars. After that all you need is some plastic gloves, plastic wrap, hot water, and some old towels and you have a new hair color for under 15 dollars. Plus, it conditions your hair, so your hair feels all soft and amazing instead of feeling like straw. Win!

One thing I have to say, if you are considering using henna be prepared to get messy. Henna powder is made from the ground leaves of the henna plant, which when mixed with hot water releases a reddish dye which not only stains your hair, but your skin, your clothes, your bathroom tile, and your nails. If you wear clothes while using henna, make sure that they are ones you don't mind getting red splotches all over. If you can, try finding an application bottle or something you can use to squeeze the dye onto your hair with. Both times I've used henna, I've mostly just set down the bowl of dye in front of me and applied it using my hands. It's messy to say the least. Some directions suggest using a paintbrush, but I don't think that will prevent any drips from happening. Also, henna hair dye is a little gritty and it doesn't spread all too easily.

Also, if anyone sees you applying henna, you will look crazy. When prepared, the henna dye looks like those mud masks for your face that are supposed to be really good for you. It looks even crazier on your head. Some people are put off by the smell, which I think is a little like wet straw with coffee. Your hair smells a little grass-like for the next few days, but so far I haven't gotten any complaints. But then again, how many people smell your hair up close during the day?

After your hair is shellacked with the muddy mixture and you've mummified your head in plastic (keep the wrap close by while you're dying), clean the tub or wherever you did the coloring. I recommend dying your hair near an area with a hand-held spray nozzle. The henna will most likely drip everywhere, including on you, and you need to rinse it right away or it will stain. Dry off with old towels and I suggest wearing old clothes until your hair is mostly dry. My pajamas have orange splotches around the collar because the drips stained. As soon as my hair stops dripping, my clothes are safe.

If you don't mind a little mess and want to try out a new color, I would definitely suggest  using henna. I even pipped some of the henna paste onto my nails using a plastic bag with the corner cut off. I left it on for a half hour and then wiped off the paste, which left my nails an orangey color which will stay until my nails grow out. I would have left the paste on longer for a redder result, but I was trapped in the bathroom with no computer or any source of entertainment other than to watch my nails dry. Can you blame me?

One last note, I should mention that the finished result of the henna depends on your natural hair color. My hair is a medium brown, and the first time I dyed my hair with henna it worked out to a nice auburn. I used Rainbow Henna in the color Persian Red. This last dye job (which I did a couple of nights ago) has turned out to be a darker red which should mellow out a little bit over the next few days. This time I used Light Mountain Henna in the color "bright red". What's the difference between red and bright red? Bright red has a wolf on the box. Enough said.

Light Mountain Henna color chart
Rainbow Henna color chart

(image from here)