It has been a long lived tradition to use Henna aka Mehndi as a hair dying agent in India and other Eastern parts of the world (Egypt, Middle East, North Africa). It is a plant with Lawsonia Inermis as its botanical name. You can find the reference of the plant in Ayurvedic texts as Madayantika. It is described as having a great cooling and pitta and kapha pacifying properties.
These days, henna is popularily used for covering premature grey hair. While it gives a light to dark reddish brown tinge to the hair strands, it can also be used to improve hair growth, thickness & shine. Applying a simple paste of henna powder prepared with cooled black tea (tea boiled with water), can be used on a regular basis to keep the hair from becoming grey.
Preparation #1. How To Use Henna & Indigo Powder For Grey Hair
- Take about 100gms of Natural Henna Powder in an Iron Kadhai (Or any other iron utensil). You can increase the quantity based on the length of your hair.
- Add about 1.5 to 2 fistfuls of Indigo Powder (Indigofera Tinctoria).
- In another saucepan, boil some water and add 2 tsp of tea and 1/2 tsp of instant coffee. Boil for 5 mins on medium flame and turn off the heat. Cool it down completely.
- Strain the tea and coffee mixture and add the liquid part to the henna mixture slowly to make a thick paste. Don’t add too much liquid else, it will be runny and difficult to apply.
- Leave it overnight (12 hours minimum) and apply like a hair pack the next morning.
- Keep it on for 3 hours and wash it off. Don’t apply shampoo while washing. You can shampoo the next day.
Note: Some bloggers mention adding a pinch of salt in Indigo powder to increase its colour. This is false information and Ayurveda does not recommend applying salt of hair as it increases greying of hair.
Preparation #2: How to Use For Growth & Hair Loss
- Take about 100gms of Natural Henna Powder in an Iron Utensil or a glass bowl.
- Add 2 tsps of amla powder.
- Mix with normal water to form a thick consistency.
- Leave it for overnight or latest 12 hours.
- Add 1 whole egg white and mix well. Apply thoroughly on hair.
- Keep it on for 3 hours and wash it off. Don’t apply shampoo while washing. You can shampoo the next day.
In case if you are suffering from dandruff, you can remove the egg and add 2tbsp of curd or 1 tsp of lemon juice (either of these 2 ingredients, not both).
Some more common natural Ingredients that you can add with Henna for increasing hair growth and scalp health.
- Neeli / Indigo Powder (Indigofera Tinctora): Gives darkish black colour to hair.
- Kalasaka (Curry Leaves): Known to increase hair growth and darkens colour.
- Japa / Gudhal (Hibiscus)
- Bhringraj (Eclipta Alba)
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry) / Amla Decoction
- Curd
- Egg white
- Lemon Juice
Some people also add a pinch of sugar in the mixture at the final stage to intensify the colour or henna.
Pros And Cons Of Henna For Hair
Pros: Benefits Of Henna Leaf
- Reduces split ends and prevents the creation of new ones.
- Improves hair growth and strength. Hair grow faster, thicker and become healthier and shinier. Brings lustre & improves hair texture.
- Conditions the hair strands.
- Cools the head and calms pitta down.
- Balances the pH and oil production in scalp.
- Due to its antifungal and antimicrobial effect it controls scalp diseases like dandruff, itching, eczema, scabies & fungal infections.
- Calms down overactive sebaceous glands (oil secretion gland) and reduces over oil production.
Cons / Disadvantages Of Henna For Hair
- If your hair is already of dry nature, it can increase the dryness.
- Henna has a distinct smell that is not likeable to some people.
- It is said that the colour cannot be removed once it is applied. If you want to change your hair colour afterwards, you have to cut out the old coloured hair and wait for them to grow back.
- The application process can be tedious and take about 30 minutes to fully cover your hair if they are long.
Possible Side Effects & Precautions
- Be careful to use completely organic henna. Popular brands available in the market (won’t name them), are full of chemicals mixed with henna to intensify the color. Usually products like ‘Kali Mehendi’ (black henna) that you commonly see in the market have a percentage of PPD (paraphenylenediamine) which is a synthetic permanent dye which can be harmful to scalp health. It can cause intense allergic reactions to scalp skin. These hennas are cheaper and give quick results by making hair much darker or sort of black in colour, but should not be used at any cost.
- When used on skin, it can cause skin irritations for sensitive skin people. Its better to do a patch test before use.
- Over application can cause of built up on the scalp. It is better to use to once or twice a month depending on the level of dying you need.
Buying Availability
You can buy 100% natural organic henna directly from me. Order from here.
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Swati , from last few days I am suffering from swelling under my right chest. It is ver painful. Can you please suggest some remedy for this
Hi Jasbir,
I would recommend you meet an Ayurvedic physician. It is better to get a proper diagnosis first and then decide on the course of treatment for you. The remedies in the blog are for general knowledge sharing and I would not be able to recommend any medical advise.
Regards,
Swati