I thought I would share what has become a really lovely ritual for me with anyone out there who might be curious about using henna to color your hair.
First of all, WHY use henna instead of a simple, quick chemical color? There are a few reasons, but the most compelling (I think) is that it's entirely natural; no added chemicals (no metallic salts either when you use pure henna for body art), no detrimental effect on the hair, gorgeous rich shades of red (that vary slightly depending upon where the henna was grown, what type it is - plantwise - your base color, etc) and no worries about chemicals smells or reactions. I suppose someone could be allergic to henna, but it's far less common than bad reactions to harsh chemicals.
The next question I usually get, when someone is staring at my long, red locks with envy, is where I get the safe, good sh*t. Very simple; from the same online retailer I've used for years, who imports it from Pakistan, India, etc specifically for body art use, which means nothing is added. When you buy henna for hair, it usually says it's pure henna with nothing else. That's not usually the case, which is why most hairdressers cringe at the mention of the word. They've probably seen or heard about the fried hair and frog butt green episodes frmo using the impure crap. But where I get it (www.mehandi.com) it's been pure all the way.
Having been used to coloring my hair as a temporary inconvenience, to be rushed through in order to get it over with, I've learned that the process of henna-ing your hair is one to languish in and to really embrace. I heard that it used to be a group thing with women spending all day laughing, celebrating, relaxing, dancing, eating. Well, I do mine solo (thank goodness cause it ain't pretty) and where I tried doing it in a rush, you really can't. It needs to sit on your hair for anywhere from 2 to 4 hours...some people do it longer. Since my hair is naturally light blonde (and therefore it's heresey to color it red in my family) I can usually rinse it out after 3 hours.
The first handful of times I did this, I'd be pacing like a tiger, waiting for the time to be up. I looked at it as wasted time so I wanted it to go by quickly. Now, I make it into a gorgeous afternoon or morning of ritual and pampering.
It begins the night before, actually. That's when I take a glass bowl (never use metal bowls, because they effect and react with the dye releasing in the henna paste), dump in my powder, add fresh lemon juice (no pulp or you'll be rinsing it for hours!), olive or coconut oil (extra conditioning), and whatever spices I want to give the shade a little kick...like paprika, turmeric or cinnamon (note- I tried cayenne and was laughing as I sat there with a burning head for hours...what a doofus, please don't go there). I mix it all around until the consistency is something like brownie batter, cover it and let it sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The lemon juice helps to release more of the dye, although I think with water it would work very nicely too, just a much more light and subtle shade. I used to love that, it gave me a beautiful titian or strawberry color. But for the drop dead gorgeous, head turning red, I use the lemon juice.
On henna day, I wash and then blow dry my hair (it should be clean and dry) if I didn't already do that the night before, take off the clothes or put on something I don't mind having orange stains on, grab the gloves and I begin to apply the paste. My hair is long and I learned from rushing, there's no point. Go slow, be methodical, always make more than you think you could possibly use. Saturate every little strand from root to tip however you can. Once you've done that, wipe the skin all around, the ears, the face, so you don't stain there (but if you do it washes off pretty quickly) and wrap the head securely in plastic wrap or a plastic grocery bag. This keeps it from dripping or shedding grains as it dries and adds warmth to heighten the effects of the color and the conditioning. Since henna coats the hair shaft, it seals it and adds weight, volume and shine. It's frickin gorgeous!
Now, there I am with green mud on my head and saran wrap, and there it must sit for 3 hours. What do I do now? Sometimes I lie down and nap for a bit, read a beloved book, pop on my DVD of the beach to make it feel like I'm at a retreat all day, do my manicure and/or pedicure, maybe even a multi step facial. It's a full day of relaxation, beauty, deep breathing and basking. Sometimes I pop on a movie or a DVD of a TV show I love (like Monarch of the Glen) and let my mind just wander while I cuddle up on a mountain of pillows with my two gorgeous, purring kitties and my silky kimono. Another lovely addition might be to do some Kundalini meditation/mantras for 31 minute stretches, since I rarely sit my butt down for that and it's quite relaxing and transformative. Have to add that one next time!
I'm finding that where I used to put it all off until the afternoon, doing this in the morning is lovely. It's not too hot outside but it's still sunny and beautiful enough to open my patio doors and windows for fresh air. And when I'm ready to rinse, I grab some cheap conditioner, which helps to rinse the henna out because that can be tricky, and hop in the shower. (In my family, we realized we always say "hop in the shower" and I don't think that's common, is it?) By that point I sometimes have a masque to rinse as well and I just enjoy a luke warm, luxurious shower. Once I feel I've gotten out as much as I can for the day (it continues to rinse out even after you feel like you got it all) I hop back out, dry off, blowdry and get myself all dolled up for the rest of the day.
By that point I've already been pampered, relaxed, peaceful, quiet and indulgent...what more could you ask of the day? And the best part? Gorgeous, shiny, thick, strong, wavy, intensely red hair that turns heads and gets compliments every damn day....seriously. It doesn't fade and grows out so gracefully you can easily go for 2 months in between, but I enjoy this and the added thickness and shine so I do it every 4-6 weeks...and I love the few hours of total self indulgence.
Though I just did mine a couple of weeks ago, I might do it again this weekend. Last time I cut the henna with something called Cassia Obovata, another plant with a neutral golden tone, but I didn't like the result as much. Might do the straight Jamila Pakistani henna this weekend. Because what used to be something to "get out of the way" is now a really lovely way to spend a few hours.
As soon as I can, I'll post some more recent pics of my henna look - it's far brighter and darker than the current pic on here. Quite fun, running around looking like Jessica Rabbit!
If you have any henna questions, don't hesitate to ask...it's one of my many passions and I've been using it now for years.
Sat Nam
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