Q&A for How to Naturally Darken Your Hair

Yes, especially if the hair has been recently lightened or if the toner is left on for a long time. To help reduce the chance of a toner making your hair too dark, condition your hair before toning it. You can even leave the conditioner in and rinse it out with the toner.

You cannot intentionally change the color of the hair growing out of your scalp. However, medical treatments, changes in hormones, and aging can change your natural color.

You can darken hair with many different stains and dyes. Tea, coffee, and even spices like cinnamon provide subtle darkening. For a more dramatic color change, try henna.

If your hair is black none of these methods will produce a significant change, though henna or tea may give it a subtle warm shimmer in sunlight.

Natural dyes will blend but not completely cover gray strands. Henna is the best option if you want to use a natural dye to cover grays, but still may not conceal them completely.

The coffee method should last a few weeks. Avoid washing your hair too often; two or three times a week will be plenty. When you do wash your hair, try to use cool water and shampoo/conditioner intended for color-treated hair.

If you do not like the results then you will have to go through a lightening process, cut it off, or shampoo more often to have it fade. The coffee leaves a "stain" in the hair so it will not just wash out with one wash.

Caffeine is actually good for your hair and hair growth which is why many hair-growth stimulating shampoos contain caffeine.

No. Unless you dye your hair using hair dye, it is very difficult to get hair so dark naturally in such a short time.

You may not get your hair as black as desired, but it will definitely be darker.

Yes, people with lighter hair often see results faster than those with dark hair.

It might, but if it's reddish, I recommend you try a purple shampoo, which is toner, it's great for removing orange or red tints from hair.

Soapnut powder (shika) is safe for washing hair. Homemade soapnut powders are even better, but they do not lather. Shika also takes more time to completely cover the hair for rinsing.

It should work for all hair, but the effects are more noticeable with lighter hair colors.

No, you will have to do these steps again when you feel like your color is washing out. Your hair will lighten slowly and return to its previous color as you wash it.

No.

It won't hide your split ends, but it will make them less noticeable. The lighter the hair color, the easier it is to see split ends.

My hair turned slightly reddish after just a few washes( 5-6). I felt henna/indigo was not worth the effort for hair color alone, but my hair was shinier after henna/indigo so maybe I would do it before an important event.

Chlorine may give hair a greenish appearance, although this tends to happen in blonde hair most often. The chlorine can also damage your hair and, as a bleach, can strip out the color and any darkening you have managed to obtain.

No, because brunette shampoo only aims to make hair more brown. Black hair is difficult to obtain without dye, but you can intensify your brown shade with the methods mentioned or search the internet for ways of making hair black without dye.

Any coffee will work. The article does not specify a brand you need to use. It suggests organic coffee because it's healthier for you and your hair, but non-organic will work just fine.

Henna would darken it that much almost immediately; however, most of the other methods probably wouldn't darken your hair that much.

A noticeably different hair color is generally the purpose of darkening or lightening your hair. If you only darken it very slightly, some people may not notice, but there's always a chance that someone who pays close attention will.

Yes, but it will take much longer, and the results will not be extremely noticeable.

Yes, this should work especially in lighter hair colors, as you will see results faster. Most or all of these methods stain color into your hair.

Use the coffee or black tea method. Put your hair up into a ponytail, the higher the better. Apply the coffee or tea to the top of your hair, then let it soak in for thirty minutes or so and wash it out.

Most likely it will not. It is intended to darken hair, not take out any color. Using purple hair toner is a good way to get orange or red tints out of hair, though.

Any of these options above will work. The henna worked fastest for me.

No, as it is dyed hair and almost all of these methods are for making your hair a darker brown/blonde.

It depends on the person. Cinnamon usually lightens, although you need several tries to get the desired result.