Mix the henna powder: Henna comes in a powdered form, and you must mix this
with water before you can apply it to your hair. Mix ½ cup of henna with ¼ cup of
warm water. Stir to combine. Stir in more water by the tablespoon (15 ml) as
necessary, until the henna paste becomes the consistency of mashed potatoes. Once you’ve mixed the powder and water, cover the bowl with
plastic and let it develop at room temperature for about 12 hours. When you're ready to apply the dye, mix in a
bit more water until you have a thick but spreadable consistency.
Dry
your hair: Before applying henna, you'll want to start with clean hair.
In the bath, wash your hair with your regular shampoo to remove dirt, oil, and
styling products.
Applying
the Henna Paste: Starting with the top
most layer of hair, grab a thin 2-inch-wide (5-cm-wide) section of hair from the
middle back of your head. Comb this section away from the rest of your hair.
With a large tint brush or your fingers, apply 1 to 2 teaspoons (2 to 4 g) of
henna to the roots of your hair. Spread the henna toward the tips, adding more
paste if necessary.
· When you’ve fully covered the first section of hair, twist it
a few times and then wrap it into a bun on top of your head. The henna paste is
quite sticky, so the coil of hair will just sit there.
· Apply paste to the next section. Working
with the same topmost layer of hair, take a fresh 2-inch (5-cm) section of hair
from beside the original section. Apply henna paste to the roots with your
fingers or a tint brush. Work the paste toward the tip, adding more paste if
necessary, until the entire section is saturated with henna paste.
· Twist and wrap the section over the
original bun. Twist the
dyed section of hair a few times. Wrap it around the original bun that you created
with the first section of hair. Because the henna is so sticky, the coil will
stay, but you can pin it in place.
· Touch up around the hairline. When every
section of hair has been covered and twisted into the bun, go around your
hairline and add more paste to areas where the henna looks sparse or more
coverage is needed. Pay particular attention to the hairline line and roots.
· Keep the henna warm and let it set. Henna
generally takes between two and four hours to set. Rinse
with conditioner. When the henna has had enough time to set, put your
gloves back Continue conditioning and rinsing until the water runs clear
and there's no paste left in your hair.
·
Wait a few days for the color to
develop. Henna takes
about 48 hours to develop properly. When your hair first dries, it will look very
bright and orange. Over the next couple of days, the color will deepen and
become less orange
