In an age where natural choices (organic food, drinks, materials, hair type, etc) are trumping synthetic options, the many benefits of henna for hair are fast becoming common knowledge.
Perhaps you know that henna in general is good for the hair (as well as skin), but do you know why it is so? Read on to find out the benefits of henna when applied to hair.
Benefits of henna for hair
- Henna makes hair shinier.
The ingredient in henna coats hair by the strand. By doing so, the cuticles lie down flatter than it normally does, and this results in a smoother, shinier hair for you with minimum tangling.
- Henna revives your hair.
Been subjecting your hair to a lot of stress lately? Trust henna to revive your hair’s health. By restoring the pH balance in your scalp, without making changes to the natural balance in your hair, henna can help repair damaged hair and turn them into hair that’s healthy, glossy and full of volume. Get the best out of henna for hair by applying a henna pack to your hair twice in a month.
- See marked improvements in dandruff-prone hair.
Owing to the fact that henna is naturally antifungal and antibacterial, expect henna to help you in your journey towards dandruff-free hair. Henna alleviates problems of dandruff and scaly scalps through its regular use.
- Have fine, limp hair? Henna can help you with that.
One great benefit of using henna treatments regularly is that it brings more volume to hair. People with fine hair can expect to see more body and bounce in their hair after being treated with henna. This is again, due to the henna coating. Regular coats to hair cause the hair structure to build up, thus leading to thicker hair strands.
- Henna can help coarse hair soften their curl pattern.
If you have heavily-textured hair and you wish to be able to soften your curls, henna can help you loosen your curl pattern and let them hand downwards instead of up. Another effect of henna on textured hair is that you may experience less shrinkage when your hair dries. Your hair could appear slightly longer than it normally does. But to be able to experience this, you will have to have been using henna treatments as much as 3-4 times within 3-8 weeks. The science behind this is that the heavy henna coatings will naturally add to the weight of the hair and effectively, be assisted by gravity!
- Henna can act like your expensive protein treatment for damaged hair.
Although the two aren’t quite the same, because henna is not a protein, henna does transfer certain benefits that are found in protein treatments. For example, henna makes hair stronger and resilient in the face of damage. By coating each hair shaft, a protective layer is built which safeguards your hair strands from potential damage. However, henna should not replace protein treatment if the latter is something you should be doing.
- Henna can condition some hair naturally.
If you have hair that has normal moisture levels, henna will be a good conditioner to you. Through its regular use, expect hair to become thicker and stronger. Henna helps you lock in moisture in your hair, giving it that extra strength and gloss.
- You get a chemical-free hair dye.
This point goes without saying, and is probably the #1 reason why anyone would dye their hair with henna. Applying pure henna to hair gives you color-rich tresses without compromising on your hair’s health like conventional dyes would. Henna does not contain harmful chemicals that deprive your hair of moisture that results in damaged, dull hair.
Word of caution
But before you deem henna as some sort of a miracle product of Mother Nature, be sure to first understand some of its ‘limitations’. You may find that, in spite of all its vast advantages, henna may not benefit you as much as it would another person.
Here are some things you should know about henna:
- Henna has a strong smell which many describe as being “earthy”. The smell will linger on even after you wash the henna off, but will disappear after a few washes.
- The final color you will achieve is never guaranteed. Henna being a natural product means that results obtained from the plant varies from one pack to the next as they depend on that particular harvest.
- If your hair is really dry, henna can make it worse. Henna is not an actual conditioner and so, when applied alone, should not be expected to make hair any less dry.
- Henna can permanently alter your hair. To some, the thickening of hair strands from the coatings is a disadvantage. You may lose your curl pattern. There will also be a demarcation line in your hair if you stop application, which becomes a point of weakness that could lead to breakage.
- Some people get blindsided by henna dyes that also contain other ingredients such as lead and metallic compounds. These are not natural and could potentially induce allergic reactions without your notice. To counter this, buy henna from a retailer or salon you trust.
The benefits of henna for hair, with all its limitations, are something that many people rave about. If you are keen on trying it out for the first time, don’t hold yourself back. Henna is normally applied to hair with other natural ingredient(s) to counter some of its downsides.
So the next time you reach out for a reddish-orange hair dye, consider getting natural henna instead and enjoy the advantageous qualities it has over conventional hair dye.
About Indus Salon & Boutique
Indus Salon & Boutique is a beauty salon in Fairfax, VA that professionally applies henna on your hair for you.
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Sources:
http://curly2kinky.com/hair-care/henna/
http://www.thefitindian.com/benefits-of-using-henna-for-a-healthy-hair/