Henna is a great option for giving a new color to your hair or to hide your grey hair. It is better as it is made up of natural ingredients, it is made from the naturally available dried henna leaves, and that’s why it does not cause any damage to your hair.
The usage of henna for dyeing hair is common in India, but the question that confuses people is how much time henna should be kept on hair? It is necessary to know the answer to such crucial questions to have better results.
How many hours should henna stay on hair?
The period for which you should keep it on your head depends upon what you wish or how much coloring you want? If you want only light highlights, then the ideal time for keeping it on your head is approximately 1-3 hours, but if you wish to have a deeper color for hiding your grey hair, you need to keep it on your head for 3-4 hours.
Good dyeing results from it also relies on the procedure following which you have prepared the mixture. For good results, dissolve the henna powder in lukewarm water, prepare a paste, and let the mixture settle for a few hours before using it.
After getting to know about how long you need to keep it. The next important question to consider is why you are supposed to leave it for a certain period?
Why is it necessary to leave applied henna for a certain period?
It has a naturally occurring colorant known as lawsone which reacts with the hair’s keratin protein and provides a strong color to the hair.
A certain period is required for colorant lawsone to move into the keratin protein, get adsorbed properly, and generate a strong color on your hair.
As mentioned above, the required period for light coloring is 1-3 hours, and for a deeper color, you should keep it for 3-4 hours. The maximum time limit for keeping the mixture is 5 hours; keeping it for more than 5 hours can dry and irritate your scalp.
If you keep it for less time than required, it might not offer you the color you want. So, it’s advisable to keep it for a necessary period to get better coloring results and avoid harming the scalp.
The right way of applying henna
The first step is to get the hair prepared for dyeing with henna. So, you are supposed to shampoo and leave your hair for proper drying before using henna.
Then, apply the mixture you have prepared on your hair; accordingly I.e., you should apply it only in certain parts of the hair for lighter highlights and to the whole head for full coverage and tie your hair.
Let the applied mixture settle for a certain period, I.e., for 1-3 hours for lighter highlights and 3-4 hours if the deeper colour on your entire hair is what you have expected. You should also wear a bathing cap in the meantime to avoid spilling.
Then, the next step is to wash it out with clear water. However, you shouldn’t use any shampoo while rinsing it.
If needed, you can have a second layer of
henna for better results.
When to reapply henna?
Generally, henna is not likely to wear off until your hair strands fall off and new hair strands grow, so when to apply it again depends on the growing capacity of hair.
Though, it can be reapplied approximately after 3-4 weeks.
Advantages of using henna
After all that talk about applying and reapplying henna, it’s important to discuss its benefits. Why do you even require henna? What are those benefits that henna can provide you with?
Let’s discuss all those crucial points.
- So the first point that you can count as the benefits of henna is that it is a natural dye; it does not contain any harsh chemicals or harmful ingredients that could damage your hair.
- Moving further, apart from providing a good color to your hair, it also induces hair growth, helps strengthen your scalp, and provides your hair with a good amount of shine.
- Another benefit is, mostly it does not cause any allergic reaction as it does not have any harsh chemicals or ingredients like all other hair dyes.
- It offers a very natural-looking color to your hair, and even when the color starts to fade out, it appears very natural. It appears as a lighter shade of its color when fading out, but it does not make your hair look bad or unnatural.
- The last point in the benefits is, it is very affordable and is easily accessible. You can get it from your nearest store very easily and in no time.
When to shampoo after applying Henna
If you want better results from henna, then you shouldn’t wash your hair with shampoo for at least three days. As it is made up of natural leaves, it takes time to migrate into your hair and give out its color, and if you wash it before at least three days, it will get removed.
This is why washing your hair with shampoo when you are rinsing it after its application is a big no-no. You should never do that. When you have to wash it out, always use clear water to do it.
I hope this article has answered your question about how long to keep henna on your hair and will help you with your several queries about henna. I tried to give you a detailed answer to your question along with several other points about henna.
I expect you to consider all the points about henna and how it needs to be applied and managed. Do follow proper steps to prepare your henna mixture, then apply and leave for as much time as required.