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Let’s learn about Henna and the Wonderful Benefits of Henna Hair Dye. Henna is derived from the Mignonette tree, which belongs to the Lawsonia genus species. The use of henna as a beauty product originated in Egypt in 1200 BC and was initially used to dye nails.
Cleopatra, the beautiful Egyptian queen, used henna excessively as a beauty enhancer. In Egypt, henna was used as a practice to paint the nails of the mummies before burial.
In India, it is used widely as pastes to adorn the body and as hair dyes. Apart from its cosmetic use, it is also known for its miraculous healing and therapeutic properties. Some historians are of the view that henna was used in India long before it arrived in Egypt.
Archaeologists use cave paintings and murals preserved in Ajanta and Sri Lanka to support their premise. The paintings and murals date back to the 7th century before the Mughal invasion.
1. What Is Henna?
Henna is a ground powder of the plant Lawsonia Inermis. The paste is made by crushing Henna plant leaves. The colour of freshly applied henna is dark green, but it leaves a rusty red colour and an exotic fragrance when it dries and is washed out.
It was used cosmetically in ancient Egypt, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and South Asia.
Henna has amazing benefits. It has been used as a natural hair dye for centuries. It is still popular for colouring hair and covering greys. Apart from this, it is also packed with a lot of hair-loving nutrients. From conditioning your hair to strengthening it, henna does it all.
Henna naturally colours the hair in a beautiful and vibrant red tone. Henna is free from synthetic chemicals. It is a good alternative to the market hair dyes, which use many toxic chemicals that can damage the hair and cause several skin ailments. Henna nourishes and conditions the hair and makes it softer. It provides the hair with a rich and healthy shine.
A pure henna treatment is one of the most potent and strong ways one can treat their hair.
2. 7 Benefits of Henna on Hair
2.1. Improve The Health Of Your Scalp
Henna is known for its incredible antifungal and antibacterial properties. Henna gives a cooling and calming sensation, which keeps inflammation at bay. It leaves a relieving effect on the scalp and increases scalp circulation. It also reduces dandruff and improves hair health. Henna hair dye maintains healthy pH levels in the scalp, thus eliminating the dandruff problem and dryness in the scalp.
2.2. Add Natural Colour To Hair
Henna is widely used to colour hair and to cover the greys. It has natural tanning properties that stain the hair. Henna can be a fabulous substitute for synthetic dyes as it leaves the hair looking darker and stronger without any harmful chemicals. Natural henna has antioxidant properties that prevent premature greying of hair and ensure it lasts long.
2.3. Retain The Length Of the Hair
Henna has some amazing properties that can improve hair follicles’ health when applied to the scalp. This reduces hair fall gradually and promotes hair growth. The application of henna can prevent breakage that occurs in the hair and prevent premature hair loss.
2.4. Deep Conditions The Hair
Henna is a great way to ensure that the hair remains smooth and frizz-free for a longer period of time. This dye has a conditioning effect that deeply nourishes and heals the existing split ends and makes the hair look glossy and better.
2.5. Strengthen Hair
Henna helps to maintain the balance in pH and oil levels. Henna binds your hair cuticles. Applying henna can soothe the overactive sebaceous glands and can control oil production. This, in turn, strengthens the hair shafts and nourishes the roots and follicles. Henna works in the same way as a conditioner works and protects the hair from ultraviolet radiation damage. It also protects your hair from weathering while you are outside.
2.6. Thicken The Hairs
Our hairs are exposed to heat, dust, and pollution in our everyday life. This damages the hair shafts and increases their breakage. Henna can help in the fast recovery of damaged hair and increase hair volume, making it thick and shiny.
2.7. Fix High Porosity Hair
Henna stains on the surface of the hair and does not penetrate within the hair shaft. Henna may relax curls, especially perms. Henna seals the hair cuticles and prevents breakage while increasing the shine. Henna deposits Lawson dive particles into any gaps and crevices present on the hair’s surface. this fills up the gaps and gradually makes your hair less porous.
This fortifies your kinky hair and locks moisture into your hair strands.
3. Tips Before Applying Henna
• Before applying henna, wash your hair with a good shampoo to remove oil and dirt.
• Do not use conditioner on your hair as oils in the conditioner can prevent henna from entering your roots.
• Use a wide-toothed comb, and remove tangles, and knots from your hair. Part your hair by providing layers for dyeing.
• Apply coconut oil, petroleum jelly, or body butter on your hairline to prevent stains around the hairline. The oil acts as a barrier between the henna and your skin.
• Make sure your hair is fully saturated from root to tip as henna does not spread as easily as a commercial dye.
• On applying henna, wrap your hair with plastic to keep the henna warm and moist. This will allow it to set.
4. Side Effects of Henna Hair Dye
• If you use henna, you must give at least a 5-month gap to start with any other dye as it will not be effective in penetrating the hair.
• Using henna on previously dyed hair can lead to an allergic reaction or lead the hair colour to change into something undesirable.
• Use of henna on infants with G6PD deficiency increases the risk of red blood cells to burst. Therefore it is not recommended for children.
• If you are allergic to henna, avoid using it.
5. In The End
Henna is a much less expensive and natural way to dye than using commercial hair dyes and bleaches available in the market. It improves the hair and scalp’s health and treats skin and scalp conditions like hair loss and dandruff. If you plan on colouring your hair naturally, you must give it a try.
If you do not like it, you can always move on. You can try Clay Mask For Hair: Is It Proven Effective? as a good alternative.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
6.1. How Long Should You Leave the Henna on Your Hair?
For highlights, you may leave the henna on your hair for 1-3 hours, depending on the intensity of the colour you want. If you are looking for a deep, rich colour or want to cover grey hair, keep the henna on your hair for 3-4 hours.
6.2. Is Henna Better for Your Hair Than Dye?
Henna is safer than hair dye as it is natural and does not contain any harsh chemicals.
6.3. Can I Wash Henna After 2 Hours?
Try not to scrub or wash the henna-applied area for the first 24 – 48 hours while the stain is still developing. Try and keep your skin moisturized by using natural products such as olive oil or cocoa butter.
Last Updated on by Arnab
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