Hair dye and henna

[motherigloo]

Ok, I have got to do something about my hair. I'm barely 30 and my greys are getting me down.

The problem is, I'm anxious about hair dye. I have health anxiety, which I have under good control and have become much better at managing. But I worry about allergic reactions. I've read so many scary stories about reactions to hair dye, that the box I bought months ago is still untouched.

I have dyed my hair a few times in the past but it has made me feel itchy/funny before. It could all be psychosomatic, but nevertheless I'm worried about dyeing my hair and having a horrid reaction. I do have very sensitive skin so I haven't been surprised when my skin itched with the dye on.

So, I wondered if the solution to my anxiety and my grey hair might be to use henna? I was looking today at the stuff in Lush and wondering if it might work. Or is henna just as likely to cause an adverse reaction??

Any words of wisdom?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

There's an ongoing Henna/Lush thread mother I'll bump it for you.

Lush henna is amazing, I used box dyes for years and felt my hair was really suffering (cut every 5-6 weeks, dyed by me every 3 weeks, highlights every 3 months or so)

I bit the bullet, had it cropped (it was short anyway) and hennaed it on Easter Saturday, then a second application last week.

Henna is a natural product yes, but potentially you could still have allergies.
And I'd definately recommend a strand test, it is difficult to predict the colour.

Your best bet would be to ask them for a sample (it;'s £10 for 6 blocks in a bar. I use 2 blocks on my short hair).
Some Lush stores are better than others, go when it's quieter.
Good Luck, (I'll find and bump)

[motherigloo]

Thanks 70! Have seen the thread. I've hear rumours that it was good so that's positive. Maybe it'll be even better than commercial hair dye.

From my research it would seem that reactions are rare and certainly not of the scary level that some of the high street dyes get. Don't really fancy risking anaphylactic shock thanks v much!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Try a patch test on the inside of your elbow (wrap clingfilm over the top) and a strand test on hair (my strand test was nowhere near as dramatic as my real hair)

My before/after is on Page 6 .
My second henna was a darker mix and I really like it, and my hair is really soft. (Brun/Noir)

I found my scalp was a bit itchy the first day with brun/noir but I didn't rinse it properly before bed , though you can leave it overnight so it shouldn't have been a problem. No issue after though.

It is messy though, but lots of application advice on the Lush Henna thread.