Henna Mask For Hair: Preparing My Natural Hair For Colour

Time for a hair post! Today is all about my henna treatment. Ever tried a henna mask for hair?

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My hair has long left behind the TWA stage finally and I’ve been enjoying this medium-length hair as it gives me different shapes depending on the treatment it gets. I still haven’t tried many other styles other than my wash-and-go and various clip types but I’m vowing to try and perfect the twist out this summer!

Speaking of summer, this is the season that many of us dabble in colour to brighten up our look and switch it up for the season of beach parties and BBQs.

I’m not sure where the tradition of me applying henna to my hair before I colour it came about. Somewhere in my mind, I think that the strengthening and conditioning properties of henna help to prepare the hair for the brutality of the bleach. There isn’t any other way to get the colours I like without bleach!

Henna Mask for Hair

What are these properties I speak of? Let’s look a little bit at why henna is so good for natural hair.

Henna is an all natural, plant-based powder that results in smoother, shinier hair because it is able to completely coat and fill in any rough spots on frayed cuticles. Many believe that this locks moisture out, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. You can still oil and condition your hair as needed.

Henna is also one of the safest and most natural ways to strengthen hair since it is able to penetrate the shaft and bond to the keratin in each strand. By doing this, it makes the hair thicker and less prone to breakage.

This study even says henna is good for alopecia. Though the study was done on rats…

Benefits of a Henna Mask on Natural Hair

Applying a henna mask on natural hair can bring about several benefits. Henna, a natural plant-based dye derived from the Lawsonia inermis plant, has been used for centuries as a hair treatment in many cultures. Apart from its ability to add a reddish or coppery tint to the hair, henna offers numerous advantages for those looking to enhance the health and appearance of their natural hair. Here are some key benefits of applying a henna mask:

Strengthening and Thickening: Henna contains natural properties that help strengthen the hair shaft, reducing breakage and promoting overall hair health. It coats each strand with a protective layer, making the hair more resilient and less prone to damage. This, in turn, can lead to thicker and fuller-looking hair.

Conditioning and Moisturizing: Henna acts as a natural hair conditioner, providing deep hydration and locking in moisture. It nourishes the hair, leaving it soft, silky, and smooth. Regular henna treatments can help combat dryness, frizz, and brittleness, resulting in healthier-looking hair.

Natural Hair Color Enhancement: While henna is primarily known for its dyeing properties, it can enhance the natural color of your hair without causing any damage. It adds subtle highlights and a rich shine to dark hair tones, creating a multi-dimensional effect. Henna can also help cover gray hairs effectively, giving a vibrant, natural-looking color result.

Scalp Health: Henna has a cooling and soothing effect on the scalp, helping to relieve itchiness and irritation. It has natural antimicrobial properties that can combat dandruff and maintain a healthy scalp environment. By improving scalp health, henna indirectly contributes to stronger and healthier hair growth.

Safe and Chemical-Free: Henna is a natural alternative to chemical hair dyes that often contain harmful ingredients. It is free from ammonia, peroxide, and other harsh chemicals that can damage the hair and scalp. Using henna on natural hair minimizes the risk of adverse reactions and long-term damage associated with synthetic dyes.

Long-Lasting Results: Henna provides semi-permanent hair color that gradually fades over time, allowing for a low-maintenance approach to hair dyeing. Unlike synthetic dyes, which tend to cause a noticeable root line as the hair grows, henna blends in naturally as it fades, resulting in a more seamless transition between root and colored hair.

It’s important to note that henna is generally suitable for most hair types, but it may produce different results depending on your natural hair color. Additionally, if you have chemically treated or color-treated hair, it’s advisable to perform a strand test or seek professional advice before applying a henna mask to ensure compatibility and desired outcomes.

In conclusion, applying a henna mask on natural hair offers a range of benefits, including strengthened and thickened hair, enhanced color, improved scalp health, and the absence of harsh chemicals. Incorporating henna into your hair care routine can contribute to the overall health and beauty of your natural hair.

Will Henna Colour My Hair?

Henna will definitely colour your hair, even black hair. You may only be able to see the tint in the sunlight at first. Repeated applications of true henna develop a richer, deeper hair colour with each succeeding application.  Think of a teaspoonful of coffee in a white cup. It will look very light brown. Add 10 more teaspoonfuls and it looks dark brown, fill the cup to the top and it looks like “black” coffee.

If you do it often then each application coats the last, changing the depth and bounce of the light wavelengths off your hair and giving the appearance of progressively deeper richer colour each time. If you only henna your hair once, it may lighten a few shades from its peak colour, but the henna’s essential colour will remain until it grows out and is cut off unless it is stripped out with a chemical process.

Can I Colour My Hair After I Henna?

If you’re trying to colour your hair after a henna application, read this post, you’ll see my process of getting true red on my hair that was previously treated with henna. How permanently henna sticks to your strands can be viewed in this post when I used a lowly box colour to try and colour my hair after henna. HA! What a waste of money and time that was.

You really have to go strong if you want to break the henna bonds and I somehow have convinced myself that since I’m going to bleach my hair anyway, I may as well do it on my strongest possible hair.

You may also read reports that chemical colour after henna will damage your hair to the point of it falling off. This is so only if you purchase henna that is mixed with chemicals, to begin with. Only buy pure henna! It should have one ingredient or only be mixed with other natural ingredients such as amla, or coffee to change the colour of the henna result.

What Should I Mix In Henna For Hair?

I mix my henna with full-fat plain yogurt. This gives me a thick and rich consistency that remains creamy for the entire 4-6 hours that it is left in the hair and washes out easily without getting dried on and gritty. Easy is relative, you’ll have to really get in there to wash the henna out of your hair but it won’t be as difficult as if you mixed it with ACV or green tea as some do.

And always, always, always deep condition your hair right after to increase the conditioning effects. Any treatment that promises to strengthen the hair (like a protein treatment) is probably going to leave you feeling a little straw-like after. It won’t be very bad if you choose to mix it with yogurt which can be very moisturizing, but, still. Try my aloe vera deep conditioning treatment after, it’s perfect for this.

I didn’t say it was pretty bruh! These are some bowls that I’ve got cooking up for my next henna treatment already. Simply because I’ve never done back-to-back henna treatments before and I want to see what the colour will be like. There are three bowls here, one for my mama and yes one for munchkin too. I freeze the leftover bowl to use next time. Just leave it out to defrost naturally.

For the full how-to on applying henna to hair, see this post.

There have been reports that the weight of henna can weigh your hair down, essentially loosening one’s curl pattern. It doesn’t seem to affect those with a kinkier hair type but let’s see what it does on munchkin’s 4a/b type hair. I did have this problem the first time I applied henna but have not had it so much since then, maybe the brand? Maybe because my hair was virgin? No clue. Anyway, enough chatter! I’m sure you’re dying to see what the outcome was like!

Henna Treatment For Hair Results

I love it! I’m in love with the depth of the reds and oranges and I’ve definitely scratched the colour itch that will hold me over for another month or so before I dabble in the bleach. You can peep my home-made deep conditioner in my hand in the 3rd pic. It works like a charm after a henna treatment.

What do you think? Have you tried henna? What have your results been like?