Now that I am in my 30s my natural hair color is losing some of its luster so I decided I wanted to color it just to perk up the color.  I decided to try henna and it was the biggest disaster.  The stuff got everywhere, it looked like there had been a mud fight in my bathroom.  My little boy was crying because he thought mommy's hair was going to be green when I got done.  And finally rinsing the henna out was really difficult, it was like I had dirt in my hair and afterwards my hair was really dry and prone to tangling.  Is there anyone out there who does henna on a regular basis or has any helpful hints for perking up brunnette hair?

Thanks so much.  I have heard of a coffee rinse but I wasn't sure how to do it.  I look forward to giving it a try this weekend.

I've been wanting to henna my hair but I've been put off
by the reports I've read of the mess and the unpredictability of the final results.   Since I haven't done
it yet, I can't help you on how to avoid the tangle-ness!
And Welcome!

I've been longing to try henna as well for a long time. One website with tons of good info and procedures/recipes is http://www.hennaforhair.com.  I think it's mostly just trial and error and getting good quality supplies.

Also, does anyone know what kind of store I could find henna at? I checked my local organic food store, but they don't carry it, and there are no ethnic stores in the area that I know of. What about a large chain store, like Meijer's or WalMart or something? I know I can order it online, but that always seems to be so expensive...

I am a brunnette too and I use Lush Caca Brun henna (www.lush.com). It is also very moisturizing and doesn't leave your hair feeling dry. Here is my henna routine, hope it helps you do it a little less messy:

1. Wet all of the hair, shampoo the scalp (Body Shop Honey Moisturizing Shampoo) and rinse, letting the shampoo touch the length. I know Madeleine uses a clarifying shampoo to ensure clean hair. Hair that has oils/butters all over it will not allow the henna to absorb. Wrap a towel around the hair.

Note: You can always shampoo after henna. You don't necessarily have to do it before. That's just what I do, because it is easier for me . If you are applying henna to the scalp, I suggest using shampoo (or light conditioner if you CO), because Lush henna is very moisturizing and might leave the scalp looking greasy.

2. Make the henna mix. I use 3/4 to 1 1/2 blocks of Lush Caca Brun and 1 tablespoon espresso, for extra darkening. Depending on the color you are going for, you can add other herbs. You can also add tea, lemon, etc. - anything you would use with normal henna. Add boiling water and mix.

3. Take off the towel and put on some plastic gloves - don't want your hands to get dyed! Apply henna upside down in the sink/bathtub above the bowl. This creates a minimal mess for me, and it is easy to clean as well. I do not apply henna to the scalp area, but you can if you want. It is easiest if you put your hair in a bun after applying henna on the length, then brush the leftovers onto the scalp hair. After applying the henna, I put my hair into a bun on top of my head and put on a shower cap. Before sleeping (I keep henna on overnight), I put a towel on as well to ensure no leakage.

4. Mix in about 1-2 tablespoons ACV with about a cup and a half of water. Set aside.

5. Rinse, rinse, rinse out the henna. You might find it easier to fill a bucket with water and dunk your head in. I always rinse upside down, otherwise I get a headache.

6. Put some conditioner on and detangle with a wide-toothed comb. Detangle from the bottom up, as you would when you normally comb your hair.

7. Rinse out the conditioner and dunk your length into the ACV rinse. I let it sit for about 30 seconds before rinsing out.

8. If your hair feels a little dry, apply a bit of conditioner to the ends and rinse out. You may want to use a leave-in after this, but my hair is usually conditioned enough.

Never mind, I just saw the website in your post.  I also
have noted that some people say they shed a lot after hennaing?  Have you noticed this?  I can't afford to lose
any more hair!

Thanks Leia!  I'm really wanting to try henna, but I'm
going to wait a few months to make sure there's no
reaction with the dye I have now.  I've decided I want to
go back to darker, so henna would be a good choice.

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i actually wonder if one can really change radically the value with henna without the result looking "washed out" rather quickly. henna seems to be only decent on people with dark hair in the first place. i've seen pics of people who used henna and described the color as "auburn" ... it looked orange if you ask me.

Thanks Bikerbraid. 

Eak!! Orange hair!!  I like auburn color on me but I don't want to look like I stuck my head in a bag of Cheetos!!  Guess I've been lucky with my limited henna experiments so far ( my hair is pretty dark brown)

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well at least someone with dark hair in here seems to have good results so ... just try to get "real" henna (app a lot of stuff that is sold under that name isn't) and try it on collected hair from your brush or a strand behind your ears that doesn't show too much.

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What a good idea!  I never thought of that, I always just snipped a little from an inconspicuous spot and tried the hair color on that.

Well, I just mixed up my henna powder, and to be honest, it looks like elephant poop and doesn't smell much better. It looks like it's supposed to though, as far as I can tell. I'm letting it sit for a few hours while I go to church to let the dye release. If it's ready by the time I get home, I'll do a strand test; if not, it'll have to sit another five hours while I go to work. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. 

I've read various accounts of a post-rinse with lavendar or another essential oil effectively getting rid of the smell. I'd venture to guess a good scented shampoo or conditoner might do the trick too.

I've also read that adding cloves, cinnamon, tea tree or other essential oils to the henna mix will also help with the smell. If there were a smell, I don't think it'd stick for too long.

On its own, the henna I bought smells like a zoo. I don't know if that makes sense, but if you know what I mean....Rosemary EO and coffee didn't make any difference, but the clove gave it more of an earthy, holiday scent which is how my hair smells now, and I like it. But if you don't like that smell, I guess you'll just have to keep experimenting with different things until you find something you like. I rinsed my hair out with a vanilla-scented shampoo and citrus conditioner, & those didn't make a noticeable difference either.

As far as shedding...I lost a good bit of hair, but I think it's more from the stress of rubbing the gunk into your hair and then trying to rinse it out than the product itself.

As far as color...WOW. It's the same as my strand test, but on my whole head it looks a LOT redder, especially in the sunlight. It looks kind of unnatural, especially with my eyebrows which are still very brown. Still, it should tone down over the next few days, so I'm not too worried. Overall it's about what I expected, and I'm quite pleased with the results. 

As far as the process itself...if you're going to do it in the bathtub, do it sitting down, especially when rinsing out. It's probably not a problem if you have shorter hair, but I've got waist-length hair and my shower ended up coated in henna. I got some on the bathroom floor and the toilet as well - even in the toilet, somehow! You don't realize how much you splash water around in the shower until there's color to make it visible. Luckily it washes right off if you get it right away, but don't let it sit too long or it WILL stain.
I think ideally the best way to do this would be outside with a garden hose and a friend to help; however, in the dead of winter that doesn't really work. 

I'm going to shampoo and condition again tonight before going to bed; I didn't spend very long rinsing out before because my younger sister was in need of a ride to the library, and I think I could afford to wash it a little better. Hopefully that'll tune the color down a bit too before school tomorrow. My friends are going to freak out. Luckily it's only a three-day week, so I won't have to endure weird looks too long.
Next time I also think I'm going to try ordering some of the Lush henna that leia uses, since it comes in different shades; hopefully I'll be able to find something that comes out more brown and less red.

My hair's just about dry right now, and it feel sooo soft and thick. I love it!

Anyhoo, best of luck to styg and anyone else wanting to henna. I'm sure you'll find something that works for you. 

So many questions!  Well, it's been about five hours, and the smell is starting to fade a bit. I'd guess it'll be pretty much gone by morning, though I doubt it'll vanish altogether, at least not for a couple washes or so. I think the smell is also supposed to come back a bit stronger when wet.

Oddly, the towel I used to wrap my hair in smells more like coffee now than of henna, while I can't notice the coffee in my hair at all.  ???