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Who says that using henna on hair is all about covering greys and giving the locks a youthful makeover? Rather, the magical herb can do a lot more for your mane. Henna not only adds a beautiful reddish-brown tint to the hair but also makes it frizz-free, lively, and easy to manage. Though there are lots of hair care products in the market that promise to repair dry and damaged hair efficiently, henna is a much safer as well as cheaper alternative to all of those. This article will give you a kick-ass recipe to use henna for damaged and frizzy hair. Know how to turn your unmanageable hair into smooth, sleek, and glossy locks easily.
What Is Henna?
Henna, scientifically known as Lawsonia Inermis, is a middle-sized flowering shrub with elliptical and lanceolate leaves as well as small white, pinkish, or red flowers. It is native to North Africa and the Middle East where the climate mostly remains hot and dry. Thanks to its natural and highly effective coloring pigment, henna is known to be one of the oldest dyes in the world. Henna leaves are harvested, dried, and ground into a fine powder, which yields 100% natural color when mixed with water and turned into a smooth paste. It does not contain harmful chemicals like commercial chemical dyes and hence, is absolutely safe for use on hair, skin, nails, and even clothing. Henna tattooing is an age-old and well-practiced method of dying the skin temporarily. Henna flowers with a strong sweet smell are also used for making essential oils and perfumes (1).
Historically, henna was popular for its medicinal properties like reducing inflammation, easing pain, preventing spasms, and even decreasing the growth of tumors. The leaves of the plant were used to treat headache, amoebic dysentery, stomach ulcer, intestinal ulcer, enlarged spleen, jaundice, insomnia, and several skin conditions.
Why Is Henna Good For Hair?
In manufacturing, henna is used in a wide range of cosmetics, especially hair care products. But what makes henna such an excellent hair-friendly ingredient? Let us find out the truth.
1. Controls Sebum
Henna helps in regulating the secretion of the sebaceous glands present on the scalp. This keeps the production of sebum under control, thereby averting greasy scalp and oily hair.
2. Prevents Infection
The natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties of henna help in preventing as well as healing scalp infections. It also keeps several hair diseases away by treating dandruff and allergies.
Also Read – Why Should You Use Arnica Oil for Hair? With Application and Side Effects
3. Soothes Scalp
It has amazing calming and soothing effects, which cool down the aggravated and itchy scalp efficiently. As a result, the overall health of the scalp is improved to a great extent.
4. Nourishes Locks
Henna not only makes the hair follicles stronger but also nourishes the hair shafts intensely. It improves the elasticity of hair fibers, which is essential for putting a stop to hair breakage and frequent hair fall.
5. Promotes Growth
From boosting scalp health to strengthening hair follicles, everything about henna contributes to the growth of hair significantly. Moreover, it creates a natural UV filter on the scalp and locks, which prevents them from further damage.
6. Beautifies Hair
Regular use of henna not only adds a beautiful reddish-brown tint to the locks but also turns it softer, smoother, and silkier.
Young henna leaves do not produce intensive dyes. So, the henna plant needs to be at least 2-year old before harvesting the leaves for preparing dyes.
How Does Henna Fix Damaged And Frizzy Hair?
Now, the question is why should you use henna for your rough, damaged, and unruly hair? Well, it can reverse the damage caused by pollution, chemical treatments, heat treatments, or dehydration by taking great care of your dry and unhealthy hair. Here is how:
1. Prevents Breakage
Henna makes the hair strands stronger from the roots. It gets soaked into the hair follicles very easily and provides nourishment to the hair roots, thereby reducing the chances of breakage and making the hair more manageable.
2. Heals Hair Damage
It plays a key role in repairing the damaged hair cuticles (the hard surface layer that works as the protective cover for every single hair strand), which keeps the internal hair cells saved from harm. Hence, all hair shafts get healed efficiently.
3. Conditions Deeply
Being a natural hair conditioner, henna can induce lots of moisture in your locks and condition them to a great extent. As a result, your dry and frizzy hair becomes moisturized and extremely soft.
4. Maintains pH Balance
It can help us maintain the pH balance of both the scalp and the hair, which is essential for keeping the scalp hydrated, reducing dandruff, and averting the formation of split ends.
How To Use Henna For Damaged And Frizzy Hair?
Being a natural ingredient, henna can be used on the hair just by mixing with plain water. However, this basic application of henna is more effective in adding a beautiful dark brown color to the locks while covering all those unwanted greys. When it comes to fixing super dry hair that is also damaged and frizzy to some extent, the henna powder needs to be combined with other natural hair-friendly ingredients. Check out the henna recipe for achieving healthy, lustrous hair:
1. Ingredients Required
- Henna powder – 5 tablespoons or depending upon the length of your hair (try to use herbal or organic henna for the best results)
- Plain yogurt – 3 tablespoons
- Lemon – 1 large
- Egg – 1 whole
- Black tea – 1 cup
- Lukewarm water – as required
2. Method Of Preparation
- It is recommended that you prepare the henna mix in an iron bowl as it helps the herb release the maximum color. Otherwise, a glass or a plastic bowl will be alright. Pour the henna powder into it. Add yogurt and black tea to the powder and keep beating everything together until a thick paste is formed.
- Squeeze out the juice of the lemon into it and mix well. Then, let the entire concoction sit for 3 to 4 hours.
- Now, beat the egg nicely in a separate bowl. Add it to the previous mixture. Stir with a spoon so that it turns a bit slippery.
- Pour lukewarm water into the mixture and try to come up with a consistency that will make it drip off the spoon.
3. Method Of Application
- Put plastic gloves on both of your hands and start applying the henna mix to your hair. You can also make use of a dye brush for this purpose.
- Divide your hair into small sections and apply the paste thoroughly. Reach the tips of the hair gradually starting from the roots and make sure that every single hair strand is coated properly.
- Secure your hair into a bun on the top of your head and cover your entire head with a shower or plastic cap.
- After 3 to 4 hours, wash off with lukewarm water to find softer, smoother, and shinier hair.
Read Also – DIY- How To Make Henna Hair Oil For Hair Growth
Hair Benefits Offered By Other Ingredients
While the reasons for using henna are already stated above, here are the benefits offered by all those other ingredients used in the recipe:
1. Yogurt
Yogurt is rich in proteins, vitamins, and other vital nutrients that nourish our hair from within and condition it deeply, thereby repairing damages and eliminating frizzes.
2. Black Tea
Being loaded with polyphenols and vitamins, black tea can reverse hair damages and also protect it from further damages. It makes dry and frizzy hair softer, smoother, and shinier.
3. Egg
The protein-packed yolk of an egg offers deep moisturization to our locks while the white part keeps the scalp clean and healthy. As a result, the damaged hair gets its life back easily.
4. Lemon
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a great conditioner for our hair. So, including it in the mixture will help you enhance the damage-repairing qualities of henna.
5. Lukewarm Water
Using lukewarm water helps henna release its color beautifully in the mixture.
What Other Ingredients Can Be Used With Henna?
And now, here are some more tips to get the most out of your henna paste for softening and smoothening that damaged and unruly hair:
1. Nutmeg Powder
You can add 1 teaspoon of nutmeg powder to your henna mixture. The exotic spice can increase the flow of blood to your scalp and stimulate your hair follicles, which help in restoring the health and shine of damaged hair. However, always do a patch test before using nutmeg externally as it, being a ‘hot’ spice, can cause a burning sensation.
2. Lavender Essential Oil
Using 7-8 drops of lavender essential oil in your henna mixture will improve the health of your scalp, thereby treating several hair issues including dandruff, hair loss, etc. This will also condition your damaged and frizzy hair strands and promote their healthy growth.
3. Herbal Hair Oil
Adding your favorite herbal hair oil to your henna mixture will enhance its conditioning properties to a large extent, thereby giving your unruly hair a health boost.
Read Also – Here Is The Secret To Gorgeous Dark Brown Hair: DIY Henna And Coffee Hair Dye
Side Effects Of Henna
Though henna is generally safe to use topically on hair and skin, it can cause allergic reactions or inflammation of the skin in some people. Some serious side effects of henna include hives, itching, burning sensation, redness, swelling, broken skin, scaling, scarring, runny nose, wheezing, asthma, etc. Hence, it is always advised that you do a patch test before trying henna on your hair or skin for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Henna Suit All Hair Types?
Henna suits all types of hair irrespective of their textures. Whether you have straight, curly, or wavy hair, you can apply henna to it. However, people with fine hair admire henna more as it helps create more volume and fullness to their thinning locks.
Will It Damage Hair In The Long Run?
Not at all. Henna coats hair cuticles and hair shafts from the outer sides instead of penetrating deep into the cortex. Hence, the natural proteins and moisture of hair fibers remain intact. Most chemical hair care products do exactly the opposite, which leads to severe damage to hair in the long run.
Will This Recipe Dry Out My Hair?
If you follow the recipe as mentioned, you will not experience any dryness in your hair after the treatment. Rather, your hair will feel soft, smooth, and silky to touch. This exclusive recipe combines several other natural hair-conditioning ingredients with henna, which ensures that your locks are hydrated, moisturized, and conditioned profusely. However, you must not use henna on your hair too frequently as it can turn your hairdryer over time.
Also Read. – 10 Awe-Inspiring Hairstyles with Indian Traditional Outfits – Decoded!
References:
- “What Henna Is, And Where These Beautiful Tattoos Originated”, HuffingtonPost.in
