Haircare tips: Here’s how to use henna to dye and nourish your hair

For quite some time, hair dressers have been frowning upon the use of henna for dyeing the hair and pushing forward the use of chemical dyes, where they would go as far as to say that it is perfectly safe but studies have shown that henna is much more nourishing, effective, healthier and long lasting for hair compared to the chemical laden hair dyes. According to medical experts too, harsh chemicals is the prime cause for all kinds of hair troubles that we face in our day-to-day life hence, henna is the perfect alternative.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Vatsal Panwar, Cosmetologist at Gurugram’s Medharbour Hospital, shared “Chemicals are the biggest reason for all sort of hair related problems like scalp allergy, dandruff, hair fall etc. Using a shampoo and other hair products with no harsh chemicals makes a lot of difference. Also, it makes sense that henna, which is void of toxins, is included in the daily haircare regimen, otherwise your scalp will absorb chemicals along with nutrients.”

Undoubtedly, henna is the perfect alternative when you wish to dye your hair and don’t want the harmful impact of harsh chemicals. With easy to apply applicators, the henna paste, easily available on e-commerce portals nowadays is a hassle-free way to apply henna and colour your hair from the comfort of your home and is perfect for those who don’t want to rely on the salons and want to color their hair, naturally.

Clelia Cecilia Angelon, Founder and CEO of Surya Brasil, gave some tips on how to apply henna. She said, “The day you plan to apply henna, make sure to wash your hair with shampoo before the application because it will allow the scalp to absorb the nutrients from the henna and increase the performance of the coloring on the strands. Rely on products that mix natural and certified organic ingredients such as Amla, Chamomile, Malva, Jaborandi, Babaçu Oil, Copaíba, Guaraná, Cumaru, Açaí, Olive and Coconut Powder Oil, found in the Amazon rainforest and India, which nourishes from root to tips.”

According to her, one thing that must be kept in mind before using henna is to always have a clean and oil free scalp. The oil interferes with the absorption of color and nutrients. However, a hot oil massage post washing away of henna ensures that all the pores are open and nutrients are absorbed better.

Talking about the harsh treatment meted out to hair, Dr Vatsal suggested, “Avoid using heating procedures to straighten, curl or treat your hair on a regular basis. It leads to long term damage. Henna can be the cooling agent for hair but it cannot undo the damage. So, you have been using chemical free products, nourishing your hair with organic and vegan ingredients but the itch on the scalp refuses to go or the hair fall doesn’t seem to stop? Immediately seek an expert to rule out any other underlying problem like hormonal changes or an illness.” According to him, going the organic way is the best solution as henna does not fade with time, like chemical hair dyes and does not need special shampoo after application. All you will need to do is touch up the roots once in 20 days to ensure long lasting results.