Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the henna for application
• Part 2 of 3: Applying the henna paste
• Part 3 of 3: Let it soak in and rinse
• Necessities
• Warnings
• Tips

Henna is a harmless vegetable dye that you can use to give your hair a reddish brown color. You can make a lot of mess when you apply henna to your hair, and you will need to take some precautions to avoid staining your forehead and work area. Once you have applied the henna to your hair, you will need to wrap plastic wrap around your hair and let the henna soak for a few hours before you can rinse the paste out of your hair. When using henna, the preparation is the most important as the powder must be mixed and allowed to stand for several hours before you can apply it to your hair. So make sure you prepare the powder well in advance.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the henna for application

1. Mix it up henna powder. Henna is available as a powder that you must mix with water to apply the resulting paste to your hair. Mix 50 grams of henna with 60 ml of warm water. Stir to mix everything. If necessary, stir in a tablespoon (15 ml) of water at a time until the paste is as thick as mashed potatoes.
   • When you've mixed the powder and water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the paste sit at room temperature for about 12 hours.
   • When you're ready to apply the dye, mix in a little more water until the paste is thick, but easy to spread over your hair.
2. Wash your hair with shampoo and dry it. It is best to apply the henna to clean hair. In the shower or bath, wash your hair with your regular shampoo to remove dirt, sebum and hair styling products. Rinse the shampoo well from your hair. When you're done showering, let your hair air dry or dry it with a towel or a hair dryer.
   • Do not condition your hair as the oils in it can prevent the henna from penetrating properly into your roots.
3. Protect your hairline with oil. If you have long hair, bundle it up and make a ponytail so that your hair doesn't hang down on your face and neck and on your shoulders. If you have short hair, put on a headband to keep your hair out of your face. Using your fingers, apply a little coconut oil, body butter, or petroleum jelly along your hairline, including on your forehead, neck, and ears.
   • With the oil you create a barrier between the henna and your skin, so that you do not get stains on your skin along your hairline.
4. Comb and part your hair. Untie your hair and comb it out with a wide tooth comb. This way you get rid of knots and tangles without making your hair frizzy. Part your hair in the middle and let your hair fall down on either side of your head.
   • You don't have to divide your hair into sections as you will be dyeing it layer by layer.
5. Protect your skin. The henna gets on everything, so it's a good idea to wear old clothes and protect yourself with a cloth or an old towel. Wrap the towel around your shoulders so that your neck and shoulders are covered. Hold the towel together with a pin or hairpin. Henna can stain the skin, so put on rubber or latex gloves to protect your hands and nails.
   • You can also put on a sheet of plastic, a poncho, or a hairdressing cape.
   • Keep a damp cloth handy to be able to immediately weigh away any drops of henna paste that fall on your skin.

Part 2 of 3: Applying the henna paste

1. Apply a generous amount of paste to a small area of ​​your hair. Start with the top layer of hair and grab a 2-inch section in the center of the back of your head. Comb this section away from the rest of your hair. Using your fingers or a hair dye brush, apply 1 to 2 teaspoons (2 to 4 grams) of henna paste to your roots. Smooth the paste towards the ends and apply more paste as needed.
   • Henna paste cannot be spread over your hair as easily as regular hair dye, so it is important to check that your hair is well covered from roots to ends.
2. Twist the hair on top of your head to make it into a bun. When you have completely covered the first section of hair, turn the strand a few times and make a bun on top of your head. The henna paste is quite sticky, so the bun will stick on its own. You can pin the bun if you wish.
   • If you have short hair, turn the section around and pin it on top of your head so it doesn't bother you.
3. Apply the henna paste on the next section. Continue with the top layer of hair, grabbing a 2-inch section next to the first section of hair. Apply the henna paste to the roots with your fingers or a hair dye brush. Smooth the paste towards the ends and apply more paste as needed. You do this until the entire section is well soaked with henna paste.
4. Turn the section of hair around and wrap it around the first bun. Turn the dyed section of hair around a few times. Wrap the strand around the first bun you made with the previous strand. The henna paste is quite sticky, so the bun will stick on its own. You can pin the bun if you want.
   • If you have short hair, turn the section around and pin it on top of the previous section.
5. Continue to apply paste to the rest of your hair. Always apply the paste to a small section of hair, just as you did in the previous steps. Working towards the front of your head, apply henna to the strands of hair on both sides of the part. Always treat a thin section of 5 centimeters wide so that you can cover the hair well. When you have covered the top layer of hair, do the same with the layer underneath until you have covered all of your hair with henna paste.
   • Turn each section of hair around and wrap the strand around the first bun.
6. Touch up the strands along your hairline. When you have covered all areas of your hair with henna paste and made buns, examine the area along your hairline and apply more paste to areas where there appears to be too little or no henna. Pay particular attention to the hairline itself and your hair roots.

Part 3 of 3: Let it soak in and rinse

1. Wrap plastic wrap around your hair. When you have completely covered your hair with henna paste, take a long sheet of plastic wrap and wrap it around your hair. Wrap the plastic all the way around your hairline, covering your hair and the top of your head completely. Don't cover your ears with plastic.
   • Wrapping your hair in plastic will keep the henna warm and moist and allow the dye to soak into your hair.
   • If you have to go somewhere while waiting, you can wrap a scarf around the plastic to cover it.
2. Keep the henna warm and let the dye soak into your hair. In general, it takes two to four hours for the henna to fully absorb into your hair. The longer you leave the paste on your hair, the deeper and brighter the color will become. You can get a deeper color faster by keeping the henna warm. Stay inside when the weather is cold, or wear a hat if you do have to go outside.
   • You can leave the henna on your hair for up to six hours if you want the color to be as deep and bright as possible.
3. Rinse your hair with conditioner. When the henna has been able to set, put your gloves back on and remove the plastic from your hair. Get in the shower and thoroughly rinse the henna paste from your hair. Apply conditioner to your hair to help loosen the paste.
   • Keep rinsing your hair and applying conditioner until the rinse water runs clear and there is no paste left in your hair.
4. Wait a few days for the color to develop further. It takes about 48 hours for the henna to fully develop. When your hair dries it will first have a very bright and orange color. Over the next few days, the color will become deeper and less orange.
5. Update outgrowth. Henna is a permanent colorant, so you don't have to worry about the color getting washed out or fading over time. You can apply new henna to get a deeper and brighter color, or apply more paste to your roots to update outgrowth.
   • When you are updating outgrowth, leave the henna paste on your hair for as long as you did when you dyed your entire hair with henna. This will give your hair roots roughly the same color as the rest of your hair.

Necessities

• Henna powder
• Towel
• Coconut oil
• Brush
• Old clothes
• Old towel
• Bobby pin
• Gloves
• Damp cloth
• Comb
• Plastic foil
• Conditioner

Warnings

• It is not recommended that you dye your hair with henna within six months of having it permed, straightened or dyed with other hair dyes. Also, don't do this within six months of treating your hair with henna.
• If you have never dyed your hair with henna, test the henna paste on a section of hair a few days beforehand to see if you like the result. Apply the henna to a small, invisible section of hair, leave the paste on for two to four hours and then wash the henna out of your hair. Wait 48 hours and then see what color the pick has turned.

Tips

• Place covers on floors and countertops to prevent stains.
• With henna you always get a reddish color. If you have dark hair you will get reddish brown hair. If you have blonde hair, you will get orange-red hair.
• The henna paste can sometimes drip from your hair after application. Try adding a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum to the paste so that the henna becomes more of a gel.