Q&A for How to Apply Henna to Hair

If you want henna to have a color effect on your hair, leave it on for several hours.

No, there's no need for that! Henna on hair works best if the strands are not too grimy or oily.

Henna takes between 2-6 hours to be absorbed properly into the hair and roots, so you can surely leave it on for 6 hours. In fact, the longer it is left on, the darker and more prominent the color becomes.

No, henna should be applied on clean hair only, so that the color will attach better on your roots.

You should apply it on dry hair as the oil can inhibit the Henna from actually sticking and working.

Lemon juice is better. Cranberries don't have as much acid as lemons.

It is better that it's as clean as possible and free from any residue from styling products before applying henna.

Yes. Coffee is a good acidic additive that will result in a dark-brown color.

You may use henna as often as you like. I became highly allergic to PPD in dye two years ago. My allergist said that I can never dye my hair again but that I can use henna as much as I want.

Yes. Coconut and olive oil are both alright to use this way.

No, henna only darkens hair. It would give you a reddish shine if your hair is black.

That depends on how long you leave it in for, and what you mix the henna with. If you leave it on for a short amount of time, you will get a tint. If you leave it on longer, you will get color. Just remember that henna won't lighten your hair, only darken it, so if you have dark brown hair, you will have even darker red.

This allows the coffee acid to release properly in the henna, and therefore allows the henna to act to its full potential.

Do not shampoo for at least 24 hours after hennaing your hair. You may use conditioner to help with the henna removal. But remember that henna is a natural conditioner.

You should probably apply after the cut -- you'll have less hair to color.

Yes, you can add oil to your hair. It will bring out more shine and condition it, but it will leave your hair a bit sticky and then you must give it a light shampoo and conditions it well.

Rejoice! The more variations in your natural/starting color, the more variations there will be to the henna results you achieve, which makes the color look natural. So, in other words, the light/white/silver/grey hair will all end up looking like highlights, lighter shades of red. Just make sure to coat those hairs/areas well, ensuring all surfaces of the hair are coated, so that no grey shows through. And lean toward the longer "leave-in" time, so that the henna penetrates the hair's keratin as deeply and thoroughly as possible.

Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of coffee into 1 glass of water. Boil this content before adding to henna powder

It's not recommended, as you hair is very fragile while wet. Try to use it when your hair is dry.

No. Don't use henna on your hair within six months of perming, relaxing or dying your hair with other dyes. Avoid using these products for six months after putting henna in your hair.

You can use henna for conditioning, not color, in which case you could typically leave it on overnight and wash in the morning. Anywhere from an hour to 12 hours should be fine.

It is advised to let the henna mixture sit for at least 12 hours before applying to your hair. The acid in the liquid you use to mix the powder helps release the color and needs time in a warm dark place for this reaction to occur.

Yes, you can mix egg whites or the whole egg with the Henna. It will soften your hair.

Yes, that's what you should do. You can use conditioner to help get out any stubborn henna, but that will affect the darkening of the color.

Yes, you can. It shouldn't cause any problems with your hair.

Put three tablespoons into a ceramic cereal bowl. Mix it with very hot tap water until it has the consistency of yogurt. Use a root touch-up brush to apply.

Yes, adding 1/4 cup of coffee to the henna will result in a darker color.

If it's pure henna (and not a mixture of henna and other coloring additives like indigo), then it will still be black with a red shine in the sunlight.

You definitely can, but you need to make sure that you wrap your hair in a towel in addition to the cellophane. (If you don't, your pillow case and sheets might get stained.)

Yes, henna covers gray hair, and you can keep it up by adding henna to the roots as shown in the article. Some gray may take longer to cover so you should probably experiment to find the exact length of time you need for your hair and the henna you buy.