In my teens I had long chemically straightened relaxed hair, which had to be touched up once a month. As we all know relaxing changes the structure of each hair strand leaving it smoother but much more fragile.

Having naturally black hair that has been weakened by chemicals meant that as much as I loved the sun and the beach, these elements were not kind to my hair. The extreme summer sun mercilessly fried my hair dry and into an un-descriptive colour that couldn’t really be called brown. The roots remained black and the ends an unflattering dirty-blond colour. More than not, I ended up cutting my dried out dirty-blond tips and having to regrow my locks.

As much as I have learned and done more to protect my hair from drying out through using top quality hair conditioners, my hair colour being bleach out still remained an unresolved issue. So in my search to retain my hair colour without adding more chemicals to my already fragile hair led me to henna. A friend at varsity introduced me to the product and my unintentionally sun bleached hair days were over. I’ve been henna’ing now for more than 8 years!

So, what is Henna?

Henna, lawsonia inermis, is a plant. It is a large bush, or a small tree, that grows in hot and dry climates. Henna has been used for millenniums to keep hair healthy and to colour grey hair. As much as the henna cannot lighten your dark hair, it does an amazing job of darkening and/ or brightening colour back into your faded locks. Henna has some undeniable benefits for hair, which is why so many people use it and love it. Like everything else in life, there are pros and cons and everything else in between to be considered.

Henna pros include:

Stronger Hair

The dye molecules penetrate the hair shaft, binding with the keratin in the hair. In simpler terms, this makes hair stronger and the colour much more long lasting. It is also is one of the qualities that makes henna removal near impossible. Henna also coats the hair and fills in rough spots on a frayed cuticle. This adds a second layer of strength, but it does not lock out moisture.

Smoother and Shinier Hair

Henna’s coating and filling in the rough edges on each and every hair leaves the strands smoothed and looking glossier. Smoother hair results in a lot less damage during combing and styling. It takes several days for Henna to stabilize though, so the results of your hair colour might not be so impressive within the first 48 hours. The colours might be too dark than expeted and the hair might feel a bit hard. This is no reason to be alarmed, within 48 hours the colour will become less unnatural looking and the hair much more flexible. Never ever colour with henna a day before attending any occasion of importance such interviews, dates, parties and weddings, ever. The pictures will haunt you for eternity.

Non-Fading Red

Anyone that has ever used red chemical dyes knows how badly they fade and the high mantainance that goes into keeping reds flaming hot and smoldering. Henna may fade a little after the first application, but after the second application, the henna colour becomes much more durable.

The Absence of Chemicals

Chemical dyes may be damaging to the hair, they can also cause scalp burns and allergic reactions. Exposure to chemicals long term is not exatly something that can be considered healthy, but henna is made from plants thus it is natural and not harmful to your hair. While there are benefits, there are also some drawbacks as well.

The cons:

Application Process

Henna can be hard to apply evenly on your own, can result into a huge mess, and is tiring on the arms and neck. It also has to be left on for a longer time than commercial chemical dyes (4-12 hours), so more time has to be alloated for the process.

Experimentation

To find your ideal mix, dye release time, application time, rinsing method, etc. all require some experimentation. It is not as simple as out-of-a-box dye, and it may take some tweaking to find your ideal results. Your perfect hair colour is never a guarantee. The more you use henna the better you become at getting the results you want.

Dry Hair

Some people complain about dry hair after using henna and that has been my experience too, especially with the first 2 days. Henna colouring needs to be followed up with a moisturizing deep conditioner to soften the hair.

These may be pros for some, cons for others:

Cost

Depending on your mix, how much hair you have and how often you henna, it may either be more or less expensive than chemical dye but that is very unlikely. In the long run, use of chemicals is more expensive to the health of your hair. Because henna doesn’t fade much, only the touch up of roots is needed after the first 2 applications. This means you can save a lot of money by only redoing the roots.

The Smell

Some people might not mind it, some people might hate it, but the grassy smell of henna lingers in your hair for a while after the application, often reviving when your hair is wet. I personally find the henna scent to be not an issue at all.

Variable Colour

Henna can and does shift in colour depending on the light the hennaed hair is placed in. The same head of hair can go from burgundy to fiery copper, just depending on the light. This also happens with the expensive chemical dyes. So with henna you do not miss out in the fun.

Limited Colours

Henna only comes in red the red colour, but that is not the only shade you can buy it in. You get the shades of blonde, brown and black. Many natural henna hair colours are a blend of henna, cassia, indigo, and other colour enhancing herbs.

Henna Results

The hennaed hair is shinier, stronger, and silkier. The texture is much smoother and slightly looser. Hair breakage and splitting is drastically reduced. Take care of your hair.

Find out about other natural hair care remedies.

Article by: Ncomeka Mpofu http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/ncomeka-mpofu