Henna Damage!?

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

Is it possible for Henna to damage hair...

I've read all about the conditioning and strengthening benefits of henna, but think it breaks out my hair...has anyone else experienced something similar from using henna.

I used the brand Jamila got great results with grey coverage and overall hair colour was beautiful..the last two times I applied the henna only to the roots of my hair and about 2-3 inches above and i've noticed breakage particularly in the crown and front areas of my hair...

 

[MsDee14]

I usually hear about dry hair issues after using henna which could result in damage. Which is why in my mix I always use a thick oil like Castor or EVOO. But to counteract the dryness, you can do some moisturizing deep conditioning treatments. But to be extra safe..I would clarify first then do a Moisturizing DC.

 

[sweetnlow06]

Yes, there are some people who have breakage from Henna. I got breakage when I first started using it. I realized it was because I was not completely rinsing out all the Henna.

 

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

sweetnlow06

I rinse and rinse even began washing with CON detangling shampoo so that my hair would be softer and easier to detangle...I agree it really made my hair stiff I should have followed up with a moisturizing treatment ...I like the colour effects but I realliy don't think I will be using henna again

 

[discodumpling]

Henna breakage may result from A. Overuse B. Neglecting to DC after a henna treatment.

Henna is not meant to be used weekly, or even monthly for most hairtypes. I use henna every 6-8 weeks I aim to henna 4 times yearly...but I love the process!

DCing with ultra moisturizing products immediately after a henna session is necessary. Henna acts like a heavy protein treatment for some heads of hair.

Also check your henna mix...drying additions like lemon juice or ACV are not always necessary.

HTH

 

[melissa-bee]

The first time I used henna I got loads of breakage. You gotta deep condition after to soften up your hair a bit. The next time I deep conditioned with ORS replenishing conditioner and it was fine.

 

[Pompous Blue]

I usually hear about dry hair issues after using henna which could result in damage. Which is why in my mix I always use a thick oil like Castor or EVOO. But to counteract the dryness, you can do some moisturizing deep conditioning treatments. But to be extra safe..I would clarify first then do a Moisturizing DC.

Yes, there are some people who have breakage from Henna. I got breakage when I first started using it. I realized it was because I was not completely rinsing out all the Henna.

I agree with MsDee14 and swetnlow06. Henna will cause breakage if you don't infuse moisture back into your hair or rinse it out well.

I use Jamila henna and rinse and rinse and rinse and co-wash and co-wash and co-wash to be sure it's all removed.

Afterwards, I DC for an hr or more under my steamer.

Love hennaing and it will alwasy be in my reggie.

BTW, I henna every 10 days to 2 weeks. Been doing this for over a year.

 

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

here's how I mix

half pack of Jamila ..1/2 lemon ... water..4 spoons evoo and sit overnight

leave on for anywhere between 2 - 4 hours never over 4hrs... rinses thoroughly wash condition for softness set and air sometimes dryer on low setting

applied every 8-10 weeks

From your responses I'm certain that I did not moisturize hair enough, it seem this is where I went wrong

 

[MsDee14]

^^^ It could also be the Lemon Juice- was it 1/2 lemon juice and 1/2 water? Usually I just put a capful of ACV if I want more of a dye release. The lemon juice can also be drying.

 

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

no a little more water than lemon..I thought the evoo would make it less abrasive to the hair, I was wrong...

 

[gn1g]

Absolutely, I am one that experienced a set back. It dries your hair out! I use it to basically color my hair line and to add protein to my fine hair, but I didn't use enough moisturizer and my hair BROKE fo'real!

I will continue to use it but use an UPERDUPER moisturizer next time, and I will only use it 2 to 3 times per year.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

Me no likey Henna.

Messy - Took too long, and I was better off with Aphogee.
and I like Silver hair - NOT RED

Most of my henna stuff went in the trash... It took WAY too long for my hair to soften up again - so I let it go.

I do like other Indian powders though

 

[january noir]

here's how I mix

half pack of Jamila ..1/2 lemon ... water..4 spoons evoo and sit overnight

leave on for anywhere between 2 - 4 hours never over 4hrs... rinses thoroughly wash condition for softness set and air sometimes dryer on low setting

applied every 8-10 weeks

From your responses I'm certain that I did not moisturize hair enough, it seem this is where I went wrong

Please stop using lemon. It is not needed. Even though folks post all kind of mixes requiring lemon or any other acid, it is not recommended nor is it needed to get henna to release color. All you really need is warm water and a dash of oil.

Oh and you can leave henna in all night - it doesn't matter. What does matter is making sure your hair is moisturized properly BEFORE and AFTER a henna treatment.

 

[Ariana4000]

I mix a tablespoon of henna with cholesterol conditioner and have no dryness issues. However when I use it straight, I get dryness.

 

[nikkibrown]

Well henna can dry your hair and dry hair breaks easily! when you use henna you need to deep condition like crazy i used this mollire 2 step henna conditioner and it helps me not to have to use too many different kinds of conditioners but you can try a mix of conditioners and oils to see which one works best for you!

 

[Maguerite]

I used jamila BAQ henna for months, determined to achieve it's famous supposedly conditioning effect. Well it made my hair very brittle which persisted no matter how well i conditioned after. I used deeply moisturising treatments and only mixed my henna with olive oil or conditioner but nothing helped until I admitted to myself I was in denial & stopped using henna. I believe Paula Begoun slams henna for causing brittle dry hair...
Ultimately it does not work for everyone; my hair loves protein yet hates henna. Listen to your hair & keep it simple.

 

[Miss*Tress]

All one really needs in a henna mix is water. After rinsing it out thoroughly, try oil rinsing before deep conditioning.

 

[Guitarhero]

Is it possible for Henna to damage hair...

I've read all about the conditioning and strengthening benefits of henna, but think it breaks out my hair...has anyone else experienced something similar from using henna.

I used the brand Jamila got great results with grey coverage and overall hair colour was beautiful..the last two times I applied the henna only to the roots of my hair and about 2-3 inches above and i've noticed breakage particularly in the crown and front areas of my hair...

Oh yes! How are you rinsing it out? Henna makes my hair extremely dry until I steam the heck out of it with the wet/hot towel method and a good conditioner. Henna can snap off a hair in a second if you aren't careful. And it all depends upon your individual needs because not everyone experiences this.


I just read where you use lemon. Not all people can. Omit it. If you get the Yemeni henna, you don't need anything but water. But try a tsp. of EVOO with the water and that's it. Remove by saturating with a watery conditioner like Suave Coconut etc. Take your time, massage it in gently with fingertips and run your hands down your strands towards the ends. Do not shampoo after rinsing. A lot of people make this mistake. Steam in a non-protein conditioner like Humectress. After 3 days, shampoo and recondition. Deep condition weekly.

 

[natstar]

bumping.......

 

[FlowerHair]

My hair didn't break off from henna, but it became very dry after a year or so. I hennaed every 3-4 months before I decided to go gray.

I used henna and indigo mixed.

 

[Hazel]

Surprisingly, EVOO dried my hair out. I generally henna monthly and have very fine, extremely dense hair. I use a cap full of ACV, honey, and water with my Rasjani Twilight mix. I rinse with conditioner for at least 20 minutes, deep condition under my steamer with a moisturizing conditioner and not six oil for thirty minutes, rinse again until the water is clear (not red) and slather on more deep conditioner. Using this method, I have never had any breakage. I love Henna. It strengthens and coats my fine stands and has helped REDUCE breakage for me.

 

[Rozlewis]

I do a henna treatment every month and have not had any problems. I mix my Henna with Coconut Milk and conditioner so I guess it is more of a Henna Gloss. I DC with a moisturizing DC afterwards but I could actually skip that step because mohair is so moisturized after the treatment. Using Coconut Milk changed the game for me. Prior to that I used green tea and my hair wold be dry but the Coconut Milk it feels so soft and smooth after.

This leave mohair with strength as well as color deposits. In addition because my hair is high porosity it helps to lay my cuticles down. Nothing but benefits for my hair.

 

[MilkChocolateOne]

Henna caused damage to my hair. I used henna and indigo over a two year period. I experienced breakage and loss of elasticity. I also noticed that henna seemed to thin out my hair of a period of time. There was a distinct line of demarcation between my that was treated with henna and the hair that wasn't. my non-hennaed hair was definitely thicker. i can attribute the damage to henna because it was the only change in my regimen. I also developed a sensitivity to indigo during that time. I slowly cut all the henna out of my hair by cutting 2 inches off every other month. After 18 months, my hair was completely henna free. Then I ignored my previous experience and decided to try henna(without indigo) again. I assumed indigo was causing my previous issues with breakage and thinning . Big mistake, My hair reacted the same way as it did before. Once again I had to cut the henna out of my hair.

**mandatory disclaimers**
1. I used BAQ henna from trusted vendors (hennasooq and hennaforhair)

2. I did extensive research and I used henna properly.

3. I rinsed the henna completely out of my hair each time

4. I used simple mixes. I did not complicate the process with extra ingredients and additives

5. I deep conditioned afterwards. No amount of conditioning returned my hennaed hair back to its normal elasticity.

Henna simply did not work for me.

 

[Smiley79]

Henna caused damage to my hair as well. At first, I thought it was the best thing ever for my hair, but eventually it's like it turned on my hair, lol. I'm going back to Cassia; i should have stayed with it from the get go.

 

[BrownSkin2]

I used henna for a year about every two months. It seem to 'straighten' my hair and i had less volume. It looked thinner. I didn't like what it did to my hair, so i stopped using it. That was at least 5 years ago.

 

[Smiley79]

Yes my hair had less definition over time as well......the Cassia on the other hand made my hair seem fuller but it only lasted a couple of weeks. I cant wait for the Henna to grow out. smh

 

[almond eyes]

Henna can act like a protein on some heads of hair. For example, with Aveda some of their hair colours that have no peroxides or ammonium are like a henna. Now, in the past when I followed up the Aveda henna treatments with their protein treatment, I had straight pieces and damage. Now, I use Aveda again and now only ask for a regular shampoo and conditioner and as soon as I get home I use a moisturising conditioner.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[Hazel]

So for the first time in my 3.5 years of using Henna, I see texture change! My hair is less voluminous, and seems thinner. I did it a few days ago and followed with my usual reggie of steaming in a moisturizing conditioner. My hair looks less dense....even a little limp. I want to follow up with protein tomorrow, but does anyone have any suggestions? I don't think I have permanent damage but perhaps I overdid it since my last Henna was in October and lately I've been going back to back.

 

[curlytwirly06]

So for the first time in my 3.5 years of using Henna, I see texture change! My hair is less voluminous, and seems thinner. I did it a few days ago and followed with my usual reggie of steaming in a moisturizing conditioner. My hair looks less dense....even a little limp. I want to follow up with protein tomorrow, but does anyone have any suggestions? I don't think I have permanent damage but perhaps I overdid it since my last Henna was in October and lately I've been going back to back.

Hi! So I have fine 3b hair. I have been hennaing for almost 3yrs now. I noticed the same thing after a year. I have 3a through 3b strands after henna use which was not my goal. The conditioning and color I love but could do without the loosning. Anywhoo, if you have just hennaed I think it is the effect of the henna "weighing" down ur hair then actually damage. You might over dry ur hair as it is not damaged just the long term effects of.henna. Plz ezcuse any errors im on my phone.

Also I meant to say I started out 3c

 

[almond eyes]

So for the first time in my 3.5 years of using Henna, I see texture change! My hair is less voluminous, and seems thinner. I did it a few days ago and followed with my usual reggie of steaming in a moisturizing conditioner. My hair looks less dense....even a little limp. I want to follow up with protein tomorrow, but does anyone have any suggestions? I don't think I have permanent damage but perhaps I overdid it since my last Henna was in October and lately I've been going back to back.

I wouldn't follow it up with a protein treatment. If you read my post after an Aveda colour which was a henna color the colourist proceeded to put a protein treatment in my hair and my hair clumped together and fell out but that was years ago. I went back to Aveda henna colour again without the protein treatment but I must admit no texture changes but it left my hair more porous so I have decided nope no more. Henna again can act like a protein and if you have high porosity hair it can make the hair even harder. I would try moisturising treatments and staying away from harsh shampoos and any leave ins with protein in it.

Best,
Almond Eyes