Hi all,
I've been using henna on my hair for several years and love it. I've been warned that henna is permanent and I thought I was fine being a redhead for life, but lately I've really been missing my natural blond hair color. I don't really want to just grow the color out, since I'm guessing it would look pretty bizarre for a while. But I've heard trying to bleach over henna can have some pretty terrible results. Is there a way I can try to safely strip the henna from my hair? I've heard that oil can work, with repeated applications. Any advice? I could really use some help!
Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Thu, 2013-12-19 22:57
#1
Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Thu, 2013-12-19 23:25
#2
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Oil is an old wives tale. Unfortunately, there is no real way to remove henna from the hair. When its said henna is permanent, its meant literally!
You CAN bleach it out, but by the time you get to a true blonde, you'll have to chop most of it off and whats left will be pretty frazzled. The safest way would be to start adding cassia or conditioner to your henna mix and doing roots only. This will result in a fairly gradual color change and allow you to trim the ends off as you get new growth in. It might go a little brassy on you in between, but you could do a brief, weak indigo gloss to tone down the brass.
Sat, 2013-12-21 09:36
#3
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Thank you! I am pretty wary of bleaching, so that might be a good idea if a remover like Color Oops doesn't work or causes too much damage. If I used cassia, what's a good ratio with henna for going back towards blonde? Can cassia lighten the color I already have at all?
Sat, 2013-12-21 20:46
#4
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
You'd want to start in small amounts of cassia and add more while adding less henna with each time you do your roots.
Cassia doesn't lighten, plant dyes cannot.
Color removers like Color Oops often work better on indigo, I've only ever heard of very limited success with henna. Not trying to chase you away from trying cause theres no harm in trying on a strand test, but just want you to be prepared in case it doesn't work so you're not super disappointed.
Fri, 2013-12-20 10:51
#5
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Well, several people on LHC forum have actually had (varied) success in removing henna - like the poster of this this thread, using a commercial colour removal:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=85463
Some more experiences, though this is mostly about the bleaching method: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=79734
Some more experiences, though this is mostly about the bleaching method: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=79734
Sat, 2013-12-21 09:37
#6
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Thanks! I will give the color removal a shot, though it looks like some damage might be a problem, similarly to bleaching.
Sat, 2013-12-21 10:09
#7
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
There shouldn't be actual damage from colour removers, as they don't contain any peroxide or other ingredients that cause the damage in bleach/dyes. I've myself used them 3 times (not to try to remove henna though), and haven't noticed any. There might be some dryness afterwards, but that's easily remedied. :)
Oh, and cassia cannot lighten at all, I'm afraid ;)
Oh, and cassia cannot lighten at all, I'm afraid ;)
Thu, 2013-12-26 15:37
#8
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
The idea of scaling back the henna and adding cassia till you have blond hair is probably your safest bet. If you substitute in about 1/4 of the henna you normally use with cassia and add perhaps a 1/8-1/4 each time you should be able to get back to your natural color without there being too much stress on your hair - but it will take a lot of time. I would recommend trying to apply cassia once you've started your lightening process. While it won't lighten your hair at all, it might give it shine that the dyes remove.
Thu, 2013-12-26 16:15
#9
Re: Is there a way to safely/naturally *remove* henna?
Something you could try that I have personally done is use a clarifying shampoo to strip a little of the henna off (a natural rosemary & mint shampoo will work well). I have also used a mixture of honey, cinnamon and lemon water on my hair for 6-8 hours to gradually lighten and it works. You might have an undesirable color if you don't like shades of orange though. You will have to do repeated applications to significantly lighten your hair. It probably won't get you back to blonde but it will at least get you in the right direction without bleaching it. Then when you start using cassia in your mix it won't be as drastic. Something to try if you feel like experimenting ;)
Recent comments