Anyone use real henna on their hair?

[blm]

I've been using it for almost 20 years. It really makes a difference to keep it shiny and strong.

It felt especially good to use it today, as I'm just getting over my second bout of pneumonia and I was feeling kinda blah. You know how your hair looks and feels after you've been sick for a long time? I needed this lift.

It's messy, but worth it.

[Kamika]

1. hmm

Isn't that a drug?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. no

[blm]

6. heheh...no...it's herbal.

Made from plants.

[Kamika]

8. what was the thin they chew?

I read like arabs or so chew something and it's a drug.

Ohwell I remember now I saw some afghani guys color their beards with it

[Orangeone]

13. You are thinking

of Khaat, that stuff they chew in Somalia, and Yemen.

Henna is used for hair dye or painting hands and feet.

[Superfly]

17. Beetle nut

is chewed by people in SE Asia...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. yes

but it goes a bit too reddish on greying hair (atleast thats why my mom had to stop using it)

[blm]

9. Yes. Grey hair only absorbs red henna.

I have dark mahogany color hair naturally, so when I started to get grey hair I just added the step of using Avigal red henna first and then one week later mixing Avigal mahogany with Hennalucent bark brown, which is their darkest brown. Instead of hot water, I mix it with coffee for a richer color.

Today was my red day.

What shade do you use?

[CatWoman]

3. Where do you get it?

I remember my grandmother using it, as well as my mother.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. indian stores carry it.

and i mean indian as in from india not native american.

[blm]

7. I get it sent from LA.

My ex sends it to me, because I can't find Avigal henna in South Carolina.

I use Hennalucent in a pinch, which you can get from some beauty supply stores.

[supernova]

10. Some brands at Whole Foods

I've seen them the personal care section, along with the Burts Bees lipstick. :P

I've wondered about trying them. I'm still attached to the chemical varieties though, because I'm worth it. ;-)

[put out]

11. Heh, yeah. I used commercial varieties and then,

Got a wild hair and stopped at a health food store and bought the real thing. Mixed it with egg and boiling water.

WOW! My hands were red. My fingernails were red. And my hair was RED! Looked great (hair, not skin and fingernails) but it did not fade at all and I ended up with roots.

Advice: If you go with the real thing, test patch test patch.

[Zomby Woof]

12. never

The damn things always lay an egg in my hair, and it's a mess! (although the egg's protein gives me a shine!) :D

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. ..and yet, you don't like rabid squirrel poop in your salad? I'll never

understand some people...sigh. :P

[Zomby Woof]

18. ewwwwwwwwwwwww

You're gross. x(

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. I learned from the Best!

:P

[Zomby Woof]

25. True true

I am DU's First Grump. :P

[mitchum]

15. I used dark red henna during my slinghead days...

great stuff and much better than chemical dyes

[Melsky]

16. I've been thinking about it

I have grown out my drug store hair dyed hair, and am looking for something more natural. I have medium ash brown hair with natural blonde highlights. What's a good color/brand/place to get it?

[blm]

19. Avigal champagne, if you can find it.

It's pretty neutral, so it will strengthen your own color. If you have grey you HAVE to first use strawberry blonde and then the champagne, or any other color you choose.

The good thing about the henna is that you can enjoy any stage of color you are at until you darken or lighten.

Read the packages carefully, though.

If your hair is still somewhat damaged by chemical dyes, then I suggest you recondition your hair first with olive oil treatments at least once a week for a month.

[Melsky]

20. Thanks

What I actually want to do is go deep, deep red though, so I think I will look into some of the other colors of that brand.

I've been dying my hair for years with drugstore type dyes for years and am waiting until all of my dyed hair is grown out until I do any henna. The hair that's growning out is so much thicker and less frizzy.

Thanks for the info.

[blm]

22. Then go straight to Avigal red....

then if you want to deepen that, mix red and mahogany together. You should get an Irish Setter type red from that.

The good thing is that you won't be damaging your hair, and you can deepen or lighten at your leisure.

Enjoy.

[noonwitch]

21. I use the Aveda rinse that has madder root and a little henna

It's keeping my hair from fading to blonde (it was naturally red) as I approach 40.

[Hand]

23. I'm sure someone must....