Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care

Hola Chicas,

FYI--

The Henna for Hair forums have a new home! The site is much more interactive, and there is a board dedicated specifically to Relaxed and Natural hair. I hope to see you gals over there!

Later Gators,
Nik

p.s. Of course the very valuable archives are still located at-- Hennaforhair.com

Hola Chicas,

Sorry for leaving y'all hanging yesterday...

Henna Gloss Purpose: A henna gloss is used when you want subtle color change along with deep conditioning. It's easier to apply because of the wonderful slip provided by the conditioner, much easier to rinse, and leaves your hair smooth and soft, as opposed to crackily and dry after a straight or full strength henna treatment.

Yesterday I called it a mild henna, but I'd like to retract that. I started thinking... it would be considered a mild henna if I used less henna and more conditioner. My mix was 50/50... so I guess I did more of a Conditioning Henna Treatment! Remember that the property in henna that dyes the hair red, is the same one that conditions, strengthens, defizzes, and smooths. Mixing in 1 or 2 tablespoons of henna (into a cup or two of conditioner) will give you very little color change, but you'll also miss out on the full effects of henna's conditioning powers... so you'll have to make that call yourself. This would be a great option for two types of folks:

1. Those of you that want to see what the hype is about, without making the color commitment. Just be sure to strand test, and to modify my recipe. You should mix 1-2 tablespoons of henna directly into your conditioner (not allowing for dye release) and only leave-in for 20-30 minutes. Henna is strong, so ALWAYS strand test... the red will creep up on ya quick!

2. Faithful henna'ers that want to experience soft, smooth results upon rinsing. It's truly amazing! My 50/50 mix left me with similar dye release, color uptake (I was surprised), strengthening, and smoothing. I'm impressed.

What You'll Need:

• BAQ Henna (at least 100g)
• A light, protein free conditioner-- Many users across the web like the Generic Matrix Biolage Balm from Sallys.
  

*Optional: Honey, Unsweetened Yogurt (some people use Yogurt in place of the conditioner)


My Henna Gloss Instructions:

• Mix your henna as you would for a regular, full strength treatment. I added 100g of Jamila henna to 1.5 cups (I never measure... I just get it to the consistency of cake batter) of warm green tea. I usually use 2 or 3 tea bags.

• I sealed off the container and let it sit for a few hours... only because I was feeling lazy. In the future, I will probably go right into the next step.

• Mix in 1 cup of conditioner. I used Tresemme Naturals conditioner. Next time though, I will probably buy the Generic Biolage Balm conditioner because it is much thicker. Either that, or use less liquid to mix my henna. It was a little too runny for my liking.

• Apply to damp and detangled hair in sections. Then don a plastic baggy, cotton balls or tissue rolled up near your ears to catch drippies, and a scarf to cover the ugly mess, lol.

• Leave in for the desired amount of time. Remember, the shorter (15-30 minutes), the less dye uptake... so less red, but also less conditioning. I left mine in overnight, which is why I'm referring to it as a Conditioning Henna Treatment. I got the full benefits of henna with the added bonus of a moisturizing DT!

• Dunk your head in the tub to wash away most of the mix. Hop in the shower and rinse away the rest using a cheapy, slippery conditioner. It rinses very easily, and you could probably skip the tub dunking :)

• Apply a Deep Treatment

• Rinse, and style as usual. I did my typical Twist-n-Curl and flat twisted the roots. This new modification (the flat twisting) has done AMAZING things! My waves/curls are much more consistent.
  

There you have it folks! I hope this is helpful... the key things to remember are:

1. Modify my recipe and leave it in for less time if you want only a subtle color change. If you want the full benefits of color and henna's conditioning powers, leave in for at least 4 hours (I leave mine in overnight).

2. Use a cheapy conditioner free of protein, and preferably free of cones.

3. If you're trying my mix, use the least amount of tea possible... too much and you'll have an annoying runny mess.


Later Gators,
Nik

If so--

-Describe your hair type (4abc/3abc or wavy, coily, fine, coarse, etc.)

-Share your results (de-frizzing, curl loosening, curl defining, color, thickness, etc.)

If not--

-What's the biggest deterrent?


**For my results and more info about henna, click HERE.

A curlynikki.com reader writes:
"...your hair looks like it is jet black, is that all from henna? I'd love to get that dark shiny look."

I know it sounds weird, but the color changes depending on the setting. It's sort of like a rinse...a transparent copper-y rinse. Imagine drawing with an orange crayon on black construction paper- under most indoor lighting, the paper still looks black (albeit shinier), but if held under the light, just right, you'll catch a glimpse of orange. Outdoors, in sunlight, my hair glows auburn, so much so that my sis and hubby call me 'red head', but indoors it's a rich black. There are some instances (back lighting, etc.) where you can really see the red indoors, but I can never really catch it on camera.

With that said, if your hair is lighter than mine naturally (sandy brown, etc) the henna red will be very evident--your hair may appear auburn in most lighting conditions.

Many women use a two step indigo treatment to cover stubborn grays and dye the hair a rich, shiny, blue-black. I've never used indigo and don't plan to, but the results I've seen look gorgeous. Hope this helps!

Later Gator,
Nik

Please leave your henna/indigo mix experiences below!

Today, we witnessed the wondrous specimen that is FrizzCurls' hair...an excellent example of the benefits of regular henna treatments. Serita, a long time CN.com reader and curly friend submitted her most recent hair pics as well. She also hennas regularly:

Hey Nik,
I was on your website today and saw the "Henna" postings so I decided to submit some of my recent henna pics. I have been hennaing with Punjabi Prime for over a year now. I henna every two weeks. Henna has definitely made my hair shiny, strong, and healthy. See for yourself!
Serita

Share your experience with henna...are you liking the color? Have you reaped the de-frizzing and shiny hair benefits?

Hello Nikki! Here are the pics you requested along with the Henna/Indigo mix I used and step by step instructions.

I used:

• 50 grams of Jamilla 2008 Crop
• 50 grams of Amla powder (to prevent my curl pattern from loosening) mixed with a tea made from Distilled Water infused with Chamomile Leaf, Nettles, Horsetail, and Marshmallow.
  

I let the Henna mix sit for about 12 hours. I washed my hair with Kalpi Tone and Shikakai powders. Right before applying the henna, I added organic honey. I left the mix on my hair for 4 hours and rinsed with Nature's Gate Aloe Conditioner.

Then, I mixed Indigo powder with warm water and a teaspoon of salt and applied it to my hair. I wrapped my hair with plastic wrap and then a towel and let that sit for an hour. I rinsed the Indigo with warm water (which took forever!) and deep conditioned with Aubrey Organics White Camilla Conditioner and Kokum butter. I then rinsed the conditioner out with an herbal rinse made from distilled water infused with Rosemary, Irish Moss, Nettles, Hibiscus, and Horsetail. Then followed that up with an ACV rinse.

I moisturize with my own herbal spritz mixed with aloe vera juice, glycerin, and panthenol. Add some whipped shea (or whatever butter I have whipped) and seal with Jojoba oil. I love the dark color from the Indigo. I almost gave up on Henna but after I contacted Catherine she suggested using Henna and Amla in a 50:50 mix because I had alot of curls loosening on prior Henna treatments. I love jet black hair but refused to use chemical dye. Overall, Im happy with the results!

Thanks!
MochaTai

I'm sure by now, you all know that pure, Body Art Quality Henna is the only way to go. But, just in case you need more proof, check out this article- http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesNews/Story?id=7401149&page=6. It was submitted by Marie, a CN.com reader.

Do you remember that nuclear green henna I referred to last week? I asked Catherine, the henna guru about it, and she shed some light on a few things:

Here's links to relevant info on henna: http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/60xintro.html . The more chunky and full of junk the henna ........ the harder it will be to get out of kinky/curly hair. and the more likely it is that there will be breakage as you try to get it in and out. Like this ..... full of sand, dye and hunks: http://www.mehandi.com/closeup/Ayur%202.html and here's the crap that makes cheap Indian store henna green: http://www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/processing/greendye.html and yes ... if you are sensitive to chemicals, you may have a head full of sad from that green dye.

Also, I've been fielding questions about the difference between Mehandi's Personal Stash Jamila, Punjabi Prime, and Henna for African Hair. I've only tried Jamila, and I'm not in the position (at this time) to make a direct comparison. So, I asked Catherine this question as well. Find her response below:

In terms of factors for analysis, variables affecting henna are:
1) what were the climate conditions and soil during growth (this is highly variable! makes all the difference between a poor crop and great crop)
2) what were the climate conditions at harvest? (if the monsoon comes too soon or too late ... the crop can be ruined.)
3) what were the conditions during milling (Rainy? Humid? Dry? Sand storms?)
4) what were the conditions during shipping (Did it sit on a loading dock in the heat or rain)
5) what were the conditions during storage (is storage dark, cool, so the henna didn't come into contact with light and was it kept at a constant cool temperature)
6) how finely was the henna milled and sifted (this makes a lot of difference for fragile hair)

So ... this is why different crops have different characteristics, and no two resellers will have exactly identical henna.
The difference between 2008 Jamila, Punjabi Prime, and henna for African hair is a matter of which crop it came from. The fundamental dye content and sift are pretty much identical. If you dye with the three hennas .... you'll see a difference, but not a lot of difference. People have their favorites, and I think that's what matters most .... no henna is exactly the same on two different people.

PP came out of an early summer crop from Pakistan ... very creamy texture when mixed up, very easy to get in and out of the hair. The undertones are deep cherry to rose.

The Jamila 2008 I have is almost identical, but PP costs a bit less. I got a good deal on
Punjabi Prime because I ordered five metric tons, and am passing the savings along. Other people's Jamila may be a bit different .... people certainly report seeing a difference. Once a harvest comes in, I'm not surprised that there's some variation in batches, just as there's variation in wines, orange juice, strawberries and any other agricultural product.

Henna for African hair is from a DIFFERENT crop, same region, same processor as Jamila and Punjabi Prime. It has amber undertones. The mix isn't quite as creamy (probably has a lower moisture content) but you can adjust that with a little sugar if you like. Again, it is very easy to get in and out of hair because the sift is amazing. I think the amber tones sit a bit better on darker hair than Punjabi Prime.

Catherine

So there you have it folks. Thoughts, opinions?

Who's the new Site Admin/Moderator at Hennaforhair.com you ask?!

I'll give you 2 guesses...

2 words...sounds like...

If you have pressing henna questions and post them on the Hennaforhair.com forum, rest assured that they'll be answered by...muah :-)

I'm so excited! I love my henna, and look forward to dispelling myths, spreading knowledge, and helping my fellow divas achieve big, beautiful, red-tinted hair, lol!

Later Gators,
Nik

When you do your henna treatment, do you clarify your hair first? I co-wash twice a week, and I believe the ones (condish) have some cones in them. Is it necessary to clarify or poo first before you do a henna treatment?

Many women on the hennaforhair.com forum poo before henna'ing, especially if they're trying to cover grays (less gunk for the dye to have to penetrate through). During my last 2 treatments I poo'ed (haha) with Giovanni Tea Tree prior to henna'ing and didn't notice much of a difference. Maybe you should do the same- try it both ways. Shampooing never hurts, just be sure to DT with a very VERY moisturizing conditioner afterward...a clarifying poo, plus the stripping action from the henna can lead to hay stack city. Proceed with caution.

Is Dulhan replacing your Personal Stash Jamila from hennaforhair.com?

Hells no :) However, when I'm broke and have time to rinse fifty 'leven times, I'm all for Dulhan. I'll be using Dulhan to supplement my stash...to stretch my Jamila further.

Some important henna links to check out:

http://www.curlynikki.com/2008/12/henna-pictorial.html

http://www.hennaforhair.com/forum/index.php?module=phpwsbb&PHPWSBB_MAN_OP=view&PHPWS_MAN_ITEMS[]=2934

http://www.hennaforhair.com/forum/index.php?module=phpwsbb&PHPWSBB_MAN_OP=view&PHPWS_MAN_ITEMS[]=8402

http://www.hennaforhair.com/faq/index.html

http://www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/index.html

If you know of an informative article or thread, please post the link below!

Later Gators,
Nik

Hey Nikki, How long did it take for your hair to notice the conditioning results of henna?

I believe I noticed the 'baby doll hair' effect after about 3 treatments. Prior to that, I could only see a color difference (on the previously highlighted strands), and a bit of the strengthening. When I say 'baby doll hair', I mean, strong, shiny, smooth strands. After your third or fourth treatment, you'll see your hair change before your eyes...for the better. My hair became heavier and much thicker. It also barely splits anymore...unless I pull out the 'ole Denman ;-) Not even henna can save me from it's wrath.

I would like to henna my hair, but not sleep in it.. I have a twa, is it possible? how long should I keep it in?

In order to reap the color and conditioning benefits of henna, you only need to leave it in for 4 hours. I sleep in it because I'm lazy. Something important to note is that the longer you leave it in, the darker/richer the red. Therefore, if you have gray roots, a 2 hour session may yield copper results- 4-6 hours may be more appropriate to achieve a burgundy tone. When I do a short session, I let the henna sit for longer, and I use my micro heat cap for half of the time to move things along.

Later Gators!
Nik

It's Monday already. Sad. I seriously live for the weekend.

I really enjoyed focusing on one topic for the' Hair Tip of the Day' last week (thanks Libra08!). So let's keep it going...this time, with HENNA.

Submit your questions below, and I'll do my best to answer them. Henna week will include all things mud, including cassia, indigo, and amla.
____________________________________________

While browsing Hennaforhair.com the other day, I ran across a thread about a woman who wants to use henna for conditioning purposes, but avoid the 'loosening' effect and red color. She wants to keep her dark shiny hair. Many of you have asked me this question as well.

Carrie, the resident of expert over at Hennaforhair, responded with what I thought was the best answer:

Adding a little amla (about 1/4 of your mix or less) instead of lemon or other acid (amla is plenty acidic) to the henna powder before dye release helps maintain curl. After 2-3 hours of henna, then you rinse and apply indigo paste for 1 hour for a true rich black.

If it's conditioning you want, Cassia is also an option. The effects are shorter lived (compared to henna), but it does impart shine, and strength. Curlies with gray hair should be careful because Cassia, if mixed with acid, will leave behind a yellow tint. Like henna, it's transparent, and while your color may remain unchanged indoors, it will be visible in the sun. For naturally dark haired curlies, cassia will not affect your color at all. For more information on Cassia, check out this post from a couple of weeks ago.

Later Gators,
Nik

Hey Nikki!
I know you are a Henna girl, but I saw your comment for one of your pictures, and you mentioned using Cassia. I'm curious about henna but there are a few things that have me nervous about taking the plunge to try it, one of them is the coloring affects. I know Cassia is supposed to be similar without altering hair color...if you don't mind, can you share your experience with Cassia?

Thanks a bunch!

I tried cassia about 4 times before moving on to henna. Initially, like you, I was afraid of the red color, especially since I had a considerable amount of brown highlights throughout- I didn't want to look like a fire truck!

Again, henna red is translucent. I liken it to coloring on a black (or brown) sheet of construction paper with a reddish-orange crayon. In most lighting, the paper sill looks black, just shinier. However, if you hold it just right under the light, or step outside, you can see the hint of color. It's the same with my hair. Indoors, the hair is a shiny, rich, black, but outside it looks as if I did an auburn rinse. For my brown haired curlies, your hair will appear auburn, no matter the lighting! So, if you're still reluctant about that red tint, Cassia may be the answer.

Cassia is similar to henna...although it's a different plant altogether, it has some of the same conditioning effects, sans color. Like henna, cassia strengthens the hair shaft, improves overall health, and adds lots of shine. It doesn't, however, reduce shrinkage or drastically thicken the hair up. It's effects are far more fleeting- lasting at the most 1-2 weeks. The mixing, application, and rinsing process is a bit less taxing as well. For starters, you don't have to wear gloves! Also, you only have to leave it in for 30 minutes to get the conditioning effects. Since you're not worried about dye release, you can mix in everything but the kitchen sink- I used to mix in oils, conditioner, and honey. Some blonds and gray haired ladies use Cassia for the slight yellow tint that it gives off. If you have dark hair, you don't have to worry about this effect.

I left cassia for henna for one reason- I wanted bigger hair. I didn't, and still don't mind the red. You're going to get improved hair health with both cassia and henna, but henna's effects will last upwards of 3-4 weeks, depending on how often you wash.

Good luck!
Nik

Every few months, I look back over my pictures to assess progress and to foster happy feelings!! I recommend that each and every one of you incorporate this simple act into your own healthy hair routine! As a curly girl, progress can be hard to measure- pictures truly help you see just how far you've come. Unlike many, my goals are for fullness, not length (although with length comes volume).

Wash&Gos during my pre-henna days...late '06 through Oct. 2007. The 2nd pic is after my first cassia experiment. Wash&Gos kept my fine strands from growing past my shoulders :-( Those highlights fried my hair.



Submit your Walking Down Memory Lane story...if applicable, be sure to illustrate how particular techniques or products have aided in length retention and/or overall health. As always, send submissions to nikki@curlynikki.com

Tamika, a very gracious CurlyNikki reader, is donating 400g of Punjabi Prime henna to us! Although I considered keeping it for myself, I thought it would be much more noble, and less selfish of me to put it up for grabs, lol!

All you have to do is tell me whether you self-style and take care of all your hair needs (trims, coloring, straightening, etc), or if you see a stylist, and why?

Leave your comment below (be sure to post your name as well) before 7pm on March 8,2009. The two winners will be chosen randomly from a hat by muah :-D Each curly winner will receive 200g- enough for one treatment (for most).

Later Gators,
Nik

THANKS TAMIKA!!!!!

Nik,

Why do you henna overnight? what is the shortest time you have henna'ed and still gotten the same/similar results as an overnight henna?

I henna overnight out of convenience and laziness. According to the experts over at Hennaforhair, 4 hours is adequate time to reap the conditioning and coloring benefits. I've done several successful 4 hour treatments. I just couldn't get with the mixing, applying, rinsing, DTing, and styling all in one day. Drove me nuts...and I was in and out of the shower like 5 times!

If you opt for the 4 hour treatment, you might want to let the mix sit for half a day prior to applying. I get away with mixing and immediately applying because I'm letting it sit in my hair upwards of 12 hours. Although some of the dye releases immediately, the rest of it releases while it's on my head, overnight. So, if you opt for a 4 hour treatment, please mix it up earlier in the day to achieve optimal results, and consider sitting under a heating cap or bonnet for part of that time.

Later Gators,
Nik

Let's keep it movin' :-)

As you gorgeous gals know, I'm blogging bedside today due to a minor snow storm in Carolina (YAY!!). However, I feel like I need to get dressed and at least go the grocery store so that this GREAT HAIR DAY is not wasted, lol. But alas, I can share it with you guys! As promised, here are the pictures from my most recent henna treatment. If you remember, I didn't use my beloved Jamila, I experimented with a cheapie brand, Dulhan from my local Indian Grocer. I payed a whopping 1.99 for 100g!!!

Here's my review from yesterday:http://www.curlynikki.com/2009/03/cheapie-henna-review-dulhan.html

Almost forgot to add:

I used my holy grail routine:

-DevaCare One Condition+ Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment as a leave-in, twisted
-Sealed wet ends with DevaCurl Set it Free, rolled the ends
-In the morning, I sealed each end with a bit of Shea butter

p.s. If you're having issues with breaking, splitting, or knotting ends, try the twist-n-curl for a few weeks and see where that gets you. This style as well as curlformer sets, saved my ends. My fine strands, especially the ends, do better in a 'straighter' style.

Hola Chicas!

First of all...I'm watching Kanye on VH1 StoryTellers....HOTTNESS!!! He's a friggin genius. Period.

As I sit here typing, I have a head full of deep conditioner, in the form of Aussie Moist+Aubrey Honey Suckle Rose. In order to accurately judge the quality of Dulhan henna for you gorgeous curlies, I did an overnight treatment with Dulhan only...no Jamila. In the past, I've been very disappointed after wasting my energy and time on poor quality henna. It takes a lot of time to mix, apply, and rinse that ish...and to not get the conditioning effects after allllll of that effort...not cool.

I mixed up two boxes of Dulhan, with a little less than 2 cups of green tea, and a bit of honey. Unlike Rainbow brand at Whole Foods, it doesn't have twigs, dirt, and leaf bits in it. I was pleased with the smell, color, and overall look. Like Jamila, the dye released immediately. I showered, detangled and applied around midnight this morning. The consistency of the paste after adding the honey was slightly grittier than Jamila, and not as easy to apply. I rinsed around 11:30am and that was no easy task. There was definitely still henna in my hair as I applied the DT. I'll try to get it all out when I rinse in a few hours. All in all, I give it two thumbs up. It'll definitely be incorporated into my routine. As it stands, I have two options:

Option 1:

• Henna bi-weekly or monthly depending on my mood
  
• Mix to include 100g Jamila+ 100g Dulhan

Option 2

• Henna bi-weekly or monthly depending on my mood
• Mix alternates between 200g of Jamila and 200g of Dulhan

Both options help me to supplement my Holy Grail of hennas, Jamila.

Bottom Line: For $1.99 Dulhan definitely holds it's own. I will definitely re-purchase and use it to help my more expensive Jamila go farther. Although it's harder to apply and rinse, the conditioning effects are on par. I likey :)

Later Gators,
Nik