[peggyhill]

I was wondering why people use henna on their hair. Is it a conditioner, a dye, or what? I read in a magazine that it turns light hair a reddish color. Does anyone know if that is true? I can't remember where I read it. I have light brown hair. I would like to have a reddish tint to it. I'm probably going to dye it, but I was curious as to whether henna would turn it red. Thanks for your time and answers! :)

[charlotte234s]

Henna has been known to color hair. With light brown hair, you can use it achieve a red color, and with dark hair, a reddish tint. Henna is also known to be a very very good hair and scalp conditioner and can be bought in pastes for easy use, and also as a neutral paste so it doesn't color, but only conditions. Lucille Ball was even known to use lots of henna to color her hair. I've used it because it softens my hair and also feels good on your skin, but not as a hair dye. although it is effective and very safe since you can buy it chemical-free.

[LexieRS]

Henna contains a dye molecule known as lawsone. This has an orange color. Repeated applications will build up the color to red. The color you get depends on your base color. The darker your hair, the less noticeable the color change as lawsone is nothing more than a translucent dye.

There is no such thing as neutral/black/brown henna since, as I've already said, henna can only offer an orange dye. Cassia has been called 'neutral henna' by some companies, but there is only one henna plant, and cassia is not it. It does have similar conditioning results, but henna is the superior conditioner. Indigo has been called 'black henna' by some companies, but again, it's not henna. Few have reported any real conditioning benefits from it, but it does offer a rich, blue dye that, when used with henna, can offer auburn, brown, and even black shades.

The majority of people with light hair who use henna are using it for color. The fact that it conditions as opposed to damaging hair is an added benefit. People with dark hair can condition without worrying about much of a change in their hair color, so you find that some do it for a little color and some do it for conditioning. I use it for both, mostly for color, but I couldn't live without the conditioning now that I have it.

Interesting that you mentioned Lucille Ball because she was a natural blond. She used henna for a natural-looking red color.

If you're interested in henna, only buy BAQ (body art quality) because it's free of metallic salts and PPDs. You can find a reputable supplier at as well as a forum to discuss it further.

[jessica x]

The only truth I've heard about Henna is that it is the worst possible hair color substance to put in you hair. If you don't like it, it's very hard to reverse. If you want to go red, I'd try it first with a temporary hair color that will rinse out. If you like it, you can then get something more permanent.
Trust me. I'm sitting here with a hair color disaster that was professionally done, and it's only because of that I have a chance at repair in a week or so. Do yourself a favor and call some experts and get their opinion of Henna before you move forward.

[LexieRS]

'Experts' are taught only about compound henna and don't know about BAQ henna. Therefore, their opinion is unfortunately biased. Not their fault, but they only tend to know what they're taught, and that is tainted.

Let me go on to say that 'experts' have caused horrible damage to my hair and scalp. I trust them about as much as I trust doctors now. No offense to them. Again, they generally only work with what they're taught. Some do know about BAQ henna, but those are few and far between.

Also, I'd like to know how henna became 'the worst possible hair color substance to put in your hair.' While it can be tricky to remove, we always recommend a test strand/hairball so you know what color you're going to get before you take the plunge. If you don't test and don't like your resulting color, you can't blame henna, only yourself.

And red doesn't have to be the only outcome with henna. You can add indigo and cassia and even make glosses with conditioner. These additions can give you blond, brown, and black shades as well. They're also completely safe unlike chemical dyes. I would never recommend those to anyone. They're dangerous and harsh. Now they are the worst possible hair color substances to put in your hair. You may only realize it after your hair is ruined, like mine was.

ETA: This was a strand of mohair that I tested a henna+indigo gloss on. As you can see, it's not red. Others have used this gloss on their own hair with the same results.

[cutybumbum]

If you put henna, you can't ever back to your blond hair again. Bcs you can't use chemical hair color .if I was you, I was never think of red, any way its hard to reverse even with chemical hair color.

[LexieRS]

That's wrong. You can't use chemical processes over compound henna, but that's because of the metallic salts. It has nothing to do with henna. You can use BAQ henna safely even directly before and after chemical treatments.

Also, I've used Colorfix to remove indigo and ended up removing 2 years worth of henna as well, so don't say it's impossible. It is possible. And since henna doesn't bleach hair, if you successfully remove it, you go back to your natural color. Can't say the same for chemical dyes.