Henna made my hair dryyyyyyyy.

sparkle25

sparkle25

Well-Known Member
I know there are several henna pages that are super long, but I can't read though all of that and I'm already reading like 4 other threads that are super long. I've been reading some for like a week now lol.

So here is what I did. I mixed a box of henna with coconut milk, half a cup of olive oil and a few dollops of honey. Applied the henna mix to clean hair and left on for like 6 hours. I rinsed it until the water ran clear. Dumped a bunch of treseeme naturals conditioner on and massaged it into my hair and scalp. The conditioner turned green color and so I knew the henna wasn't out. Massaged, massaged, massaged and rinsed. Applied Darcy's Botanicals daily cleansing cream (awesome stuff. not a huge cowasher and still love this stuff). The cream was white while massaging it through my hair so I think this means the henna is gone. Anyways massage, massage, massage and rinse rinse rinse. Dude. My hair was so dry a bit tangled. Single strand knots at the ends. My hair is dry as it is so I'm like 'oh he'll no'.

I am now deep conditioning with Jessicurl, but I know my hair is still going to be dry when I rinse this out. It was hard to even apply this deep conditioner I mean it was not even melting into my hair when applied like it usually does. After 5 years on my journey,(always been natural, but not a heathy natural) Jessicurl is one of my two holy trails because it never fails me. But yeah it was super hard to even put in my hair. I applied the same treatment to my moms hair and her hair is like a 4a and mine is a 4z. Her hair is pretty low maintenance , she had super longhair before we had all this knowledge we do now. Her hair is moisturized easily, stuff that feels greasy as hell on my hair doesn't on hers etc. Well her hair was hard. Even after I deep conditioned it for an hour with heat. I rinsed hers the same way I rinsed mine.

So what gives with the crunchies? I would really like to use henna for the benefits. I just don't understand how this makes anyone's hair soft! Does it forrreal? Lol I'm serious though. What did I do wrong here? What can I do to prevent this next time?

Thanks curlfriends :)
 
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DC longer. When I henna I DC/use TJ Nourish conditioner overnight with a shower cap. If I'm feeling fancy I'll sit under my heating pad (yes pad, lol I don't have a heat cap). Sometimes, I need an extra co-wash for my hair to stabilize.

When I rinse my henna my hair is usually rough, but very defined.

ETA: your mix also seems really complicated. But I only use warm water so that might be why I think yours is complicated.

Did the henna dry on your hair or was it still wet when you rinsed?

Not sure this matters, but did you smooth the henna on or smush it in? I read somewhere that you should smooth your henna on to help with rinsing and reduce tangling.
 
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Lol at virtuenow. I'm going to read that thread you posted as I'm DC' ing. I wouldn't say my experience is a disaster just not what I needed or expected. I'm not having any more or less breakage, but I thought this was suppose to help with breakage and I really don't need drier hair!!!!!!!

YaniranNaturally it did not dry on my hair and ii did smooth it on. I can "smush" anything into this hair, not even conditioner lol.

I just want to wear my real hair out :( It's so long but I do have breakage and it's so dry all the time so it never looks nice :(
 
sparkle25

I'm not sure, but from some of your posts, it appears that you have low porosity hair and/or protein sensitive hair. If you continue with henna treatments, I'd recommend doing a henna gloss in lieu of a straight henna treatment. Also, henna and coconut milk both have protein like properties even though they're not proteins. In the future, please don't add coconut milk to your mix, for a lo po head of hair it's too much protein-y like substances when combined with the henna.

I freaked following my first henna treatment, because my hair felt like straw. However, my hair came back to life following a two hour DC session with a moisturizing DC SD Shea What! Deux. My hair is stronger and more resilient due to the henna treatments.

Both Nupur and Jamila rinse out well. In order to ensure that all of the henna is removed I use GVP Conditioning Balm, during the last part of my henna rinse out. A lot of ladies use Suave or VO5 cheapie conditioners to assist with their henna rinse out.

HTH!
 
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I've never had "soft" hair immediately after henna until I rinse out the DC. Its not crispy or straw like either though. My usual mix is similar to yours. I mix henna and coconut milk, let it release overnight, then add oils right before applying. Henna is just drying period lol Were the people saying they had super soft hair doing glosses? That would make more sense.
 
I henna once a month and after I rinse it out for 30 minutes, I DC for about 8 hours at times and then set it.
 
Yes ma'am, henna dryness is what led me to salt.

After a henna one time I DC'd 3 times and ran to the store for a 4th "moisturizing" DC. My hair was still straw-like. Then I read about sea salt and table salt creating softness. I added 1.5 tsp to one of the DCs and applied it. My hair felt like butter as it was being applied. It was really soft once I rinsed it out.

I now use salt about 99% of the time when I do a moisturizing DC. I've used both table salt and sea salt with the same results.
 
Where did you get your henna? Was it body art quality (BAQ)?

I always dc for at least half the time the henna was on my head with a DC that is specifically made for dc'ing.

Let me go read your mix.

Less is always best. Henna and warm water on completely detangled hair.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y
 
Don't add honey or oil.

How long was it in your hair?

Did you get dye release? How long did you let the mixture set before putting it on your hair? Was your hair coated completely in henna? I mean slathered on. Your hair should have been heavy and looking like mud.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y
 
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virtuenow said:
I hear too many henna horror stories, I doubt I'll ever use it. The bad seems to outweigh the good. @Ms Lala posted about her henna disaster (and recovery)....I was done after that. Mayber her threads will help give you guidance: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=515925 http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=517945
Click to expand...

I would like to use Henna, but I agree I hear to many bad experiences to even try Henna. I'm weary of trying new things. Shoot, the reason I'm natural is because everyone was raving about Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Relaxer, and I felt like I just had to to try it:nono:. I put that mess in my hair and all my hair came out. That's when I was like enough is enough I'm going natural. Sorry OP for derailing the thread. I would continue using a moisturizing deep conditioner every week until your hair regains back its softness. Most people who use Henna say that their hair feels like straw for the first couple of weeks, so what you're experiencing doesn't sound too unusual. I know you said you don't like cowashing, but it would be a good way to add some extra moisture in your hair midweek instead of waiting a whole week to condition your hair.
 
NaturalEngima said:
I would like to use Henna, but I agree I hear to many bad experiences to even try Henna. I'm weary of trying new things. Shoot, the reason I'm natural is because everyone was raving about Organic Root Stimulator's Olive Oil Relaxer, and I felt like I just had to to try it:nono:. I put that mess in my hair and all my hair came out. That's when I was like enough is enough I'm going natural. Sorry OP for derailing the thread. I would continue using a moisturizing deep conditioner every week until your hair regains back its softness. Most people who use Henna say that their hair feels like straw for the first couple of weeks, so what you're experiencing doesn't sound too unusual. I know you said you don't like cowashing, but it would be a good way to add some extra moisture in your hair midweek instead of waiting a whole week to condition your hair.
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Hmmm, my opinion is all henna is not the same. Some people throw henna on hair in poor condition. I did my research thoroughly before trying henna. I asked questions from the henna vets and followed their advice before attempting henna. I bought from a reputable online vendor, mixed according to advice given and did a dc after. Don't be afraid of good henna.

Henna is a long process from mixing, waiting, applying, rinsing and dc'ing. A member on a different forum decided she didn't want to wait on her henna in the mail and went to the BSS and bought some henna against advice. We never found out what was in that henna but she had a bad experience. Some of these "hennas" are dyes with henna mixed in. Some are very low quality and old. Henna should be applied Ike a relaxer and kept smoothed down.

I believe in strand testing and even trying it on a section of hair for first timers.

I love henna and was using henna weekly and I had no drying or brittle hair. My hair was super shiny and silky feeling. I stopped henna'ing weekly when we moved from out of state. I was too busy.

I am one of those that uses protein immediately after henna before I dc. My hair loves that even better. I use milcreek keratin and Nutrafix by Giovanni for an hour or so. Then I use a moisturizing DC for a few hours.

I buy my henna from henna for hair and hennasooq. They test their henna for quality, pesticides and strength of color. I use organic body art quality henna.

I can't see any mentions on my IPhone. PM me if it is a must see. Allons y
 
I henna gloss every two weeks and have had no problems with dryness. Henna has made my hair stronger, heavier, and have had great retention due to less splits. I only did a full henna treatment once and the the rinse out process was too difficult for me. If henna makes your hair dry, I would suggest using henna glosses instead. Most importantly, if your hair is already super dry and you have not found a sufficient moisture retention regimen, do not use henna at all. For reference, I mix Jamila and Nupur henna with Crece Pelo and Universal La Bomba.
 
MileHighDiva I was thinking that it could have been the coconut milk. You are correct my hair is lopo and it is also sensitive to some proteins. The Komaza care protein strengthener is good for me, like it doesn't dry my hair at all. All the other (very few) proteins I have tried in the past have not worked for my hair. So what I did was not a henna gloss, it was a full treatment?

BranwenRosewood I did not let the dye release because I did not want to dye my hair at all. I rinsed the henna out with just water, the did the first cowash that was green and the second one wasn't green.

vsweets I'm not sure if it was henna gloss or just a treatment that people were saying their hair was soft. I think I have read both lol. But I do read more that it makes hair dry.

MzSwift I may try that if this deep conditioner I still have in hasn't softened my hair

HanaKuroi I bought my henna from myhenna us and it was jamalia. My hair was clean and completely detangled. It was on my hair for maybe 4 hours. I did not let the dye release I applied it right away after mixing it. Why do you say not to add honey or oil? I was under the impression that those two things were meant to keep the henna from drying the hair, that's why I added them.

NaturalEnigma I have been cowashing mid week for about a month. Don't love it or hate it. I cowash, deep condition, them several days later wash with a shampoo then DC again.

SouthernScienceNerd, my hair is not super dry, just dry. I do not seal with oils or butters because my hair doesn't like oils and that is why it doesn't stay moisturized for longer than 24 hours.
 
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sparkle25

I did a hendigo gloss and didn't experience any dryness. My hair felt normal so to speak. After I cowashed my hair was fluffy and soft.

I think it may be your mixture. I used a very basic mixture that consisted of a water base. No tea, no coconut milk, no nothing.
 
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You may not have rinsed/cowashed all the Henna out either.

Try cowashing again & maybe try Baggying to get your Moisture back on track.
 
EnExitStageLeft so what did you use? I think it may have been the coconut milk. I still have DC in my hair. Haven't rinsed it out yet lol. I applied it right after the henna last night and still haven't rinsed it out, so we will see if my hair is normal when I do.

IDareT'sHair it was all rinsed out. I cowashed twice and the whole rinsing including the cowashes took about an hour.
 
sparkle25

If you want the benefits of henna without the dye you should try cassia. There is a huge thread on using cassia. I don't know if it's as drying as henna can be since I haven't used my pack yet but it might be worth a try.
 
I really wanna know what type of henna you used and where you got it from. As one poster said upthread, all henna is not created equal. Henna Sooq sells quality, organic products from my experience. I have also ordered once from ayurnaturalbeautu and from mehendi, I think. Jamila henna and others can be found on dusty store shelves but its probably no good. The Jamila I have came from Henna Sooq and from B-n-B during one of their sales. It has the following stamped on the bottom of each box:



image-1041233855.jpg



image-3445317533.jpg

I LOVE this HHJ!!
 
sparkle25 said:
EnExitStageLeft so what did you use? I think it may have been the coconut milk. I still have DC in my hair. Haven't rinsed it out yet lol. I applied it right after the henna last night and still haven't rinsed it out, so we will see if my hair is normal when I do.

IDareT'sHair it was all rinsed out. I cowashed twice and the whole rinsing including the cowashes took about an hour.
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What did u cowash with? What are u dc'ing with?

Sent from my iPad using LHCF
 
MileHighDiva said:
sparkle25

I'm not sure, but from some of your posts, it appears that you have low porosity hair and/or protein sensitive hair. If you continue with henna treatments, I'd recommend doing a henna gloss in lieu of a straight henna treatment. Also, henna and coconut milk both have protein like properties even though they're not proteins. In the future, please don't add coconut milk to your mix, for a lo po head of hair it's too much protein-y like substances when combined with the henna.

I freaked following my first henna treatment, because my hair felt like straw. However, my hair came back to life following a two hour DC session with a moisturizing DC SD Shea What! Deux. My hair is stronger and more resilient due to the henna treatments.

Both Nupur and Jamila rinse out well. In order to ensure that all of the henna is removed I use GVP Conditioning Balm, during the last part of my henna rinse out. A lot of ladies use Suave or VO5 cheapie conditioners to assist with their henna rinse out.

HTH!
Click to expand...

HanaKuroi said:
What did u cowash with? What are u dc'ing with?

Sent from my iPad using LHCF
Click to expand...

The first co wash was with tresemme naturals. Second cowash was with Darcy's botanicals cleansing conditioner. I'm DCing with jessicurl weekly deep treatment.
 
I just rinsed of the jessicurl DC. My hair was buttery soft while I was detangeling. I have never felt it that soft after any DC sessions ever. Detangeling was pretty easy, about 4 minutes for my whole head (using my Hercules hair rake). I still didnt have any less breakage than normal, but not any more. When will I see strengthening from the henna? 3rd use? 4th?

Anyways rinsing it out my hair still felt like silky butter. It's about half dry right now and still feels like silky butter. I know it won't dry feeling like this, but yeah I have never felt my hair this soft. But I have had this DC in for 18 hours ( Ive been home all weekend and was paranoid so lol), so in not going to give this credit to the henna. I'm wondering what my hair is going to feel like once it dries. That will be the real test.

I still don't like how hard and crunchy this henna made my hair after rinsing it out. My hair hadn't even dried all the way and it was hard to part and put into sections and it was more tangled at the ends than normal and I have a few ssk at the end, but I always have those.

Can you guys suggest a henna mix that won't be so drying?

Ill keep everyone posted on the results once my hair has air dried.
 
I've never had a problem with henna either. I use Moroccan henna and indigo (70:30) mix up with plain hot water no waiting on dye release. Sometimes I'll add a squirt of cheap conditioner to help with rinse out later. Apply to dirty hair. 3h later I rinse in the shower cowash with LTR, then Pantene beautiful lengths then deep condition with biolage ultra hydrating or aphogee 2 min. Then I rinse out and apply leave ins ( Moroccan oil serum, davines relaxing fluid, a few drops of grape seed or argan oil mixed together in my hands) and blow dry. Henna can be drying but it also gives awesome strength and heaviness and shine. I get my Moroccan henna from hennasooq or hennaking. I know some people won't use henna but I only use body art quality powders. I keep it super simple too. Only mix with water adding a little conditioner and I only apply to dirty hair. HTH

Sent from my iPhone using LHCF
 
I use henna once a month and have never experienced any issues. I do a henna gloss. I use green tea and GVP Conditioning Balm and let it sit for 4 hours for dye release. After dye release I apply the henna and let it stay in overnight. The next boring I rinse it out with one bottle of V05 Moisture Milk conditioner. I use the entire bottle to get the henna out of my hair. After rinsing it out I Dc under stan with a moisturizing DC that does not contain protein. Several I have used are SD Shea What Deux, Hairveda Sitrinillah, Bee Mine Bee-u-ti-ful, and Curl Rehab Curl Junkie. After DC'ing I apply leave-ins and air dry.
 
I use henna from Henna Sooq once a month and I have never had any issues. I once used the henna with the green tea and lemon juice my hair was dry after that but a DC corrected it after wards. My regimen is pretty simple, i got it from minimalist beauty if you search online you will find her.
150 gm of henna from henna sooq
1 can of coconut milk
mix the night before for dye release
then right before use add 1/4 of whatever oil of your choice, I have used both coconut and olive oil I prefer the olive oil.
Clarify hair with Redken cream cleansing
Apply henna and leave on hair for 3-4 hours
Rinse with whatever conditioner I have but I use the shescentit avocado conditioner
Steam with a good dc most of the time I use Biolage Matrix for 25 minutes
Done, I always get compliments on my hair the next day after I use henna. U won't see the real benefits of using henna after 3-4 applications. It can loosen your curls but so far mine are not that loose. I do believe a good henna makes all the difference. I have so far never used a box store henna and I don't think I will.
 
sparkle25 Did you use a conditioning/processing cap?

Rozlewis Do you add your GVP Conditioning Balm after dye release? Or, do you add it on the front end when you're initialing mixing it up?

317537 Does the henna/indigo stick when it's done on dirty/dry hair?
 
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