Permanently changing hair color has limited options. You can either use standard permanent dye from the drugstore or salon or henna, and we are seeing more women in the natural hair community opting for the latter for obvious reasons. Henna is natural and less damaging to your hair than using chemical dyes. It is much cheaper than traditional hair dye. That does not mean it will never cause havoc, which can happen if you are not fully knowledgeable on what henna does and is. Carol.Robins inquired about a mishap she had using henna in our Curly Q&A that many may or have encountered when coloring with henna.
I have been using henna with great results, this time my hair turned orange. How do I fix this? I’m 54 with bright orange clown looking hair, what will tone this down? I used henna, coffee, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, molasses, and coconut oil. Not sure why it is so brassy this time.
The short answer is to go over your hair with indigo to darken the orange henna dyed your hair and it will be dark brown or black. If you are okay with that then you are good to go. You also many need to wait a few days for the oxidation process and the orange may subside to red. Here are some explanations on what henna and indigo are, and what may have caused your hair to turn orange.
Henna or Lawsonia inermis is a flowering plant that contains a very effective coloring pigment, Lawsone. A reddish-orange dye releases as the leaves are crushed. The pigment is maximized by the drying, milling, and sifting the henna leaves into a fine powder. Used since antiquity to dye fingernails, skin, hair, leather, and wool, the henna plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions in Africa, northern Australia, and southern Asia. 100% natural henna will only dye orange-reddish tones despite seeing some commercial brands claiming several henna colors.
Indigo or Indigofera tinctoria produces a dark blue almost purplish dye that is among the oldest dyes used for textile and printing. Sometimes called black henna, Indigo will color the hair brown to black tones and will make existing dark hair colors even darker.
Henna oxidises over 2 to 7 days, darkening and deepening in colour. What looked like brassy orange immediately after washing out the dye may calm down to auburn or copper after it has oxidised.
What type of henna should you purchase?
As stated above, 100% natural henna will only dye hair a reddish-orange and any brands that claim it will dye it other colors is using other ingredients with their henna. There is no guarantee what you may end up with or how it will affect your strands.
Why go over the henna with indigo?
Indigo is alkaline and reacts with henna, which is acidic to turn henna dyed hair from brown or red to black. They work quite well together and are often used to dye grays naturally.
Common Henna Issues and How to FIX Them! (orange roots, no color pay off?)
FAQ
How long does it take for henna to go from orange to brown?
How do you get the best color out of henna?
What if my henna looks orange?
If your hair looks more orange-y than you’d like, take a wait-and-see approach. While you can diminish the results of your henna mishap by covering olive or coconut oil-soaked hair in plastic and sleeping in it (read here for full instructions), this is a very slow process.
What are the side effects of eating oranges during periods?
Consuming citrus fruits during the menstrual cycle can be helpful to decrease the overall inflammation in the body, and provide fiber to the diet, which is helpful in eliminating excess estrogen in the body that may cause more pain during the cycle.
Why does my hair turn orange if Henna is too dark?
In general when a hair dye has gone too red (hair turned orange) because of too much henna, putting a brown or black natural hair dye on top should counteract the red tone. This is because the darker dyes contain indigo, which is a bluish-black colour that darkens the red/orange colour of the henna, making it go dark brown.
Why is orange henna so brassy?
Not sure why it is so brassy this time. The short answer is to go over your hair with indigo to darken the orange henna dyed your hair and it will be dark brown or black. If you are okay with that then you are good to go. You also many need to wait a few days for the oxidation process and the orange may subside to red.