Why Your Hair Loves Henna

November 18, 2016

Why Your Hair Loves Henna

Natural henna is healthy for your hair and that’s why your hair loves it! Before you decide to pamper your hair with henna, read on for some tips

Green henna is obtained from the leaves of a plant and is primarily used as a natural alternative to synthetic hair dyes. With the right mix, it makes a permanent dye without causing damage or allergic reactions.
Henna covers grey hair effectively, penetrating the hair shaft and delivering permanent color.
Henna is cooling, strengthens your hair and thickens it.
It makes your hair resistant to breakage.

As a colorant, henna has limitations. It gives only a basic red color or variations of red to your hair. Black hair will have a reddish tint while brown hair will become auburn and grey hair will attain a bright shade of orange.
Once henna has been applied, the color is hard to change, particularly if you end up with a color you don’t want!
The process of removing henna can cause damage to your hair and you may have to wait for your hair to grow out before you return to conventional coloring dyes.
While commercial henna could give hair other colors, they are often mixed with harmful dyes or chemical salts that can make your hair brittle or give undesirable shades.

Given henna’s ability to stain, it is wise to use a newspaper where you prepare henna paste or apply it.
Protect your hairline, ears and back of your neck with a shower cap or apply Vaseline to these areas as a protective shield.
Wear old clothes while using henna.
Use rubber gloves for preparing or applying the paste.

Henna can be used for conditioning by soaking in green tea overnight. Beat an egg into it and apply to hair and scalp and wash off after an hour.
For hair fall, heat some henna leaves in mustard oil and 1 tsp of lemon juice and massage it into your scalp. Wash off after 30 minutes.
Henna therapy is good to cure dandruff. Make a paste by soaking methi (coriander) seeds overnight and grinding them. Strain henna leaves heated in mustard oil, add the methi paste and apply on your scalp. Wash after 30 minutes.
Henna is known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties. Henna is a cure for dandruff, ringworm, athletes’ foot and fungal infections of finger and toe nails.
Henna is helpful in reducing certain kinds of inflammations and eradicates head lice.

An acidic liquid such as lemon juice, tea or coffee is good to make a paste with henna.
Mix the liquid with natural henna powder and keep the paste in a warm place for around twelve hours.
Apply the paste over your hair and scalp evenly using a flat brush.
Section your hair for easy application and work from the back of your head to the front to ensure even coverage.