HENNA APPLICATION

Am not a professional or a pro at henna and its application. I just do what works best for me and the health of my strands. You are welcome to ask any questions in the comment section.

Natural Henna from SHEA BUTTER COTTAGE

Mix in a rubber or plastic container (use nothing metallic).

Adding this is relative to the individual. I wanted my henna to release its dye and so i added a little bit to the mix. You may use lemon/lime juice or green tea as a substitute. The rationale behind this is that we need an acid base to activate the henna's dye. Skip this if you don't want the dye release. In place of this some people mix in conditioner, honey etc.
It is a mix and so have fun adding whatever you want as substitute

Hot water

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After mixing, i let it sit for twelve hours, ample time for the dye to release (you can skip this step and apply after it has cooled. Because of this there was no need to keep the henna in my hair for long before washing out.

When it comes to hair, doing everything (detangling, washing, deep conditioning etc) in sections has made my life easy.

This particular step is very essential unless you don't mind staining your hands a bright orange color.

 

First quadrant all done.

Half way through
 

Henna application entails work, time, patience, cautiousness. Be careful and meticulous or else you will stain almost everything henna gets onto.

Since i cant seem to find extra large shower caps to cover my large head, this polythene bag served a good purpose.

The poly bag traps the heat produced by the body which helps distribute the henna to all parts of your hair you may have missed.

Finally i covered the poly bag up with my scarf for beautification (lol). Who wants to walk around with a rubber bag on their heads...

I kept the henna in my hair for just a couple of hours (abt 3 hrs) before washing it out.

After washing out the henna as best as i could i was left with this. Depending on your mix (because some people add conditioner and honey to their henna mix and may skip this step), you will need to deep condition after every henna application. Henna on its own leaves the hair dry.

Beware: For some people henna loosens the curl pattern (this could be a pro or con ). For me it has considerably done so in addition to all the other benefits and i don't mind at all. It makes my hair a whole lot manageable.

A messy up-do after my henna application (no heat, i flat twisted just the front part of my hair the previous day and unraveled it for this style). Please note that depending on your mix, henna will deposit a bit of color onto your strands. I already had some color in my hair prior to the application but henna has given it a nicer tone.

One hair tie
2 bobby pins
one hair barrette
That is all i needed for this style. It took me under 5 minutes to achieve.