Blog - Beginners Guide to Henna for Natural Hair

August 11, 2018 by Swirly Curly 

Have you been wondering about using henna for natural hair? Henna is known to have many benefits for hair, even if you’re not looking to change the color.


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The first few times doing henna can be challenging because you need to do a lot of mixing and preparation. Plus, you’ll need to follow specific instructions to make sure your henna treatment is a success.


In this post, you’ll find out some ways you can use henna to soften and condition your hair.


The Benefits of Henna for Natural Hair


Henna is a one-of-a-kind ingredient that could make your natural hair journey much easier. It will be very difficult to stop using henna once you’ve tried it because you’ll immediately see the improvement in your hair.

Here are four benefits:

Improves Scalp Health. Henna improves scalp health by drawing out impurities like fungus and bacteria. Massage it into the scalp well when you apply it to the hair.

Colors Gray Hair. If you’re looking for a way to color your gray hairs without damaging your curls or exposing your body to chemicals, you should give henna a try.
Henna will turn gray hair into a coppery red color. If you decide you don’t like the red, you can use indigo powder afterwards to color your red hairs black.

Adds Manageability. Henna smooths and softens natural hair. You’ll find that this conditioning adds manageability and makes your hair easier to maintain.

Strengthens Hair Shaft. Do you have high porosity or damaged hair? Henna binds to keratin and patches gaps along the shaft permanently.

Adds Shine. Henna improves the appearance of hair by patching holes so that your hair can reflect light more. You’ll also find that your hair looks less dull and more vibrant after using henna.
 

Good Mixers for Henna

Henna needs to be mixed and prepared the night before you apply it. If you do a Google search, you’ll find many websites and videos all dedicated to henna mixers.

Henna takes several hours to marinate, and it is crucial you do it the right way.

Otherwise, your henna won’t have the desired effect.

There are many things you can mix your henna with, but the most important thing is to make sure you add an acidic ingredient.

Here are a few good mixers that will activate your henna:

Lemon. The acidic pH of lemon will activate henna overnight. You should especially think about using lemon if you want vibrant color from your henna.

Apple Cider Vinegar. ACV is also very good for bringing out the power in henna and softening hair. Keep in mind that it has a strong smell, and you do need to let the henna sit on your hair for 6-8 hours. So, don’t use ACV If the vinegar scent bothers you.

Black Tea. Black tea is acidic and works well for activating henna. Black tea also reduces shedding. Use black tea to darken the effect of the henna.

Coconut Milk. Using coconut milk is a great way to get the benefit from both ingredients, especially since you’re leaving it on your hair for such a long period. Coconut milk contains protein, it is moisturizing, and it is a good acidic ingredient to add to your henna.

Also try adding essential oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, and rosemary to your henna. They don’t activate henna, but they do stimulate hair growth.

How to Prepare Henna for Natural Hair


First, you’ll need to decide how much henna to use. If you have shoulder-length hair, you may want to use two boxes (100 grams) so that you can cover your entire head and scalp without fear of running out.

If you have shorter hair, you may be able to get away with using only one box (50 grams).

Ingredients

100 grams of henna powder
1 can of full-fat coconut milk or 1 cup of warm black tea
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
Wooden spoon and non-metallic container

Instructions

1. Pour your henna powder into a non-metallic bowl.
2. Add the coconut milk or the black tea into the mixture. You can also use a combination of both.
3. Mix with the wooden spoon until smooth. 
4. Add warm water if necessary. Consistency should be like thick yogurt.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

How to Apply Henna to Natural Hair

It’s best to begin your henna application in the morning because it will take the entire day. Be sure and cover your floor and counters with newspaper because henna is messy.

You can easily remove henna stains from shiny surfaces, but it is tougher to remove from stone, grout, or very porous showers or counters. 

However, you may decide that the messiness of henna is completely tolerable once you see what it can do for your hair.

Most henna users advise against shampooing the hair after rinsing out the henna.

And if you’ve applied the henna to your scalp, you may find that it works almost like a cleanser because it draws out impurities and stops itchy scalp conditions.

Always use your favorite deep conditioner after your henna treatment. Henna softens hair, but it can be drying if you don’t follow it with a deep conditioning mask.

Instructions:

1. Apply henna to hair and massage into scalp.
2. Cover your head with a plastic shower cap.
3. Leave the mixture on your head for at least six hours. 
4. Thoroughly rinse, but do not shampoo.
5. Apply the deep conditioner and let it sit for 20-60 minutes. 
6. Rinse and style.

Henna can help to dramatically improve the condition of natural hair, even though it can be a big project. Try adding this treatment to your regimen once a month for stronger, softer, and shinier curls.

Have you tried henna for natural hair, and if so, what were the results?