Henna

Here are some popular online Henna resources:

The Henna Page
Mehandi.com
Henna for Hair
Henna Sooq

What is henna? 

Henna is a plant (lawsonia inermis). The plant is finely ground into a powder, and when mixed with an acid, after for allowing for the appropriate amount of time, the dye molecules release. It stains skin temporarily and stains hair permanently. Lawsone, the dye molecule, has an affinity for protein in skin and hair.

Why use henna? 

There are many reasons why people use henna on their hair. Henna is a very effective dye, and people looking for a beautiful shade of red can achieve it with henna, so long as their hair is light enough in color (Lucille Ball was known to bleach her hair and then henna over it to achieve her famous red shade). Henna can effectively cover gray hair. If you have just a few grays, here and there, henna can turn them into beautiful highlights. I think it is especially pretty on people with naturally dark hair and a few grays. Henna can have "conditioning" type effects. I use quotations because some scientists argue that henna is not a "conditioner" in technical terms.

Here are the "conditioning" effects henna has on my hair:

henna binds to the keratin in hair, essentially coating the hair and adding bulk - my hair is naturally very thin - henna makes my hair appear thicker.

henna loosens my curl pattern - due to the same reason as above - more weight on the hair shaft produces an elongated curl.

henna makes my hair shiny, and it always feels smoother after a treatment. I think this is because the shaft is coated, cracks are filled in, and also because the curl, after being elongated and less kinky, reflects light better (not 100% on this one!)

What if I don't want red hair? 

Some will argue with me, but I think in order to get the full benefits of henna, you are going to have to be willing to put up with a bit of a red tint. No, you don't need to become a redhead. Indigo (a dark blue dye, also a plant) and Cassia (another plant that has a slightly staining yellow effect) can be mixed with henna to create a desired haircolor. Usually, people will henna before indigo or add an indigo mix to henna after the dye has released. It is not usually recommended to indigo first, as indigo has no conditioning benefits for hair. Cassia can be prepared with henna.

What henna should I buy? 

Always buy body art quality (BAQ) henna for use on hair. Do not buy "henna hair dyes" as they usually contain metallic salts and are not pure henna. Henna only comes in one shade: red. If you see "black henna" or "blond henna" it is not henna. It could be a indigo/henna or a cassia/henna mix, but there is no way to be sure. Don't buy it.

Where can I get BAQ Henna? 

I live near an area of town affectionately called "little India". It has the largest South Asian concentrated population in the United States. I buy my henna there. Chicagoans will know it as Devon Avenue. It is relatively easy to get BAQ (body art quality henna). Even if you don't find it in the first store, just go two stores down. My most recent purchase was a HUGE bag of Dulhan BAQ henna (1000g) for $10. I have also ordered from Henna Sooq in the past, when I was out of town or out of the country. They usually have specials on Friday, and I purchased a bunch of Cassia recently as I have been lightening my hair. Any of the links at the top of the page will have info on getting BAQ henna. I think that if you are a henna newb, online is probably your best bet. I actually purchased some non BAQ Jamila in store that was masquerading as BAQ. I could tell that it was not BAQ during the prep process, so I threw it away, but someone unfamiliar might not know what to look for.

BAQ henna will usually be:

- light green in color
- packaged in a sealed foil pouch or plastic bag
- come in a box with the sealed bag inside
- have an expiration date
- not say anything about hair dye on the box. the Jamila and Dulhan that I usually get in the store say nothing on them except "henna powder"