To be angry it wasn’t pointed out that Henna can cause hair loss!

[MrsAllsorts]

I am really posting this here as a warning to raise awareness so that others don’t make the same mistake that I have just made.

Having seen some great success with hair re growth by using supplements, a laser cap, gentle shampoo and not colouring my hair, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to go grey after all. I decided I would colour my hair again, and finally go back to the hair dresser, and ditch a hat that I have mostly been wearing.

However, I decided that I wanted to try a very gentle hair colourant, and so finally settled on henna. The company website sells a reputable brand, and also explains how henna is preferred by some people seeking hair growth. I believed all this, purchased it and did a strand test to check there were no interactions with the current dye residue on my hair. It was fine, so I proceeded to used the henna on my head, and leave it in for a couple of hours as directed.

When it came to washing out the dye, I noticed I shed A LOT of hair! My hair feels a little dry, though my hair is not usually dry and I use a very good conditioner.

I didn’t want to blame the henna, but after researching on the internet, I have discovered that hair loss as a result of using in henna is actually quite common!

I am so upset and angry! There was no warning of this possibility on the website. The strand test was just a small amount, so didn’t highlight the problem.

Here is a link confirming the problem (I did not purchase from this site):

https://hennablogspot.com/henna-and-shedding-whats-going-on/

There is plenty more info out there confirming this! In short if you are concerned about hair loss, think carefully and do your research before using henna!

I will be complaining to the company.

My understanding was that it might accelerate shedding because of the mechanical action of washing it out, but it evens out over a few days. e.g. if you usually shed 100 hairs in a day then you might shed 500 when you wash out your henna, but after a week you have still only lost 700 in total.

Baffled as to why you thought any hair treatment that alters the chemical composition of your hair wouldn’t potentially do damage.

really YABU. Get a grip

I’ve been using henna for many years. Pure henna coats the hair shaft and doesn’t cause harm; if anything, henna is good for hair. As a pp has suggested, if you tug your hair or shampoo it quite vigorously to wash put the henna, you may well get more hair shedding than usual. I find using plenty of conditioner and working it through the hair gently helps loosen the henna and clean the hair without pulling any out.

You didn't even bother to read the link you posted OP. The shedding is caused by the mechanical action of washing harder, not the substance itself.

Okay, that website sells henna. I was not rough with my hair far from it.

There are plenty of comments sharing personal experiences on the web sharing similar problems. I don’t want to litter the the thread with them, but here is another example:

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=137340

Furthermore, there were no warnings either about this possible issue from the company I purchased from. If application method could be a problem, I think the company should say so.

Maybe it's just me but my hair reacts differently to different products. It's not particularly sensitive either - my hairdresser says it's healthy. I think some things just don't agree. I just Googled a few major brands e.g. Pantene, L'Oreal and for all of them there are forum posts with people complaining about hair loss.

Surely you just stop using it? Unless, you have, and it's still happening?

I won’t use it again. I placed that post to raise awareness, that is all, because I have seen there are other people on MN with hair loss issues. If like me, they make progress growing their hair back, and they then decide to try a natural henna product, they may get a surprise if they find they shed hair, especially when the seller claims that henna is good for hair growth.

As for being rough with my hair whilst colouring it, the opposite is true. I don’t even blow dry my hair.

But maybe I should have posted the thread elsewhere on MN. Not sure if I am able to move it now, but will check.

All hair products, whatever the manufacturers claim, have uncertain effects on a particular individual's hair. You have found hair loss threads, because that is what you searched for. But there are also threads from people who found it great!

It's not a medical drug that has to meet stringent rules on side effects. Safety for human use, yes, but no guarantees as to the impact on your hair.

I don't think people need to be particularly on guard with henna. This can happen with any product. The Body Shop shampoo caused my hair to fall when even the cheapest of supermarket shampoo didn't. No idea why.

wow that's super nasty - do you talk to people like that in your normal life?

Perhaps a little perspective is needed here. Some hair came out when you washed it. That's it.
There's another thread running now where OP really is losing her hair. Have a read and count your blessings.

it's really misleading to say henna causes hair fall out when you didn't use henna, you used a henna product - totally different
most people commenting on henna related hair loss have never used pure henna as it is not easily available outside South Asia (I have never been able to find it in the uk myself despite searching).

in Bangladesh, we pick the leaves directly from the tree, crush them and put in our hair, sometimes along with yoghurt and lime or raw egg. it's amazing. hair is glossy and gorgeous after wards. People having issues with hair regularly use it.

You can buy organic dried Lawsonia powder (henna) on line. Body art quality is very safe. Some hair colourants claiming to be ‘natural’ have a lot of chemicals added to them. Henna colours red - it’s a transparent coating on your hair, so whatever your natural hair colour is will dictate the result you get. Products claiming to be henna but dye the hair any colour but red are not pure henna. If you want a darker colour you can use indigo over henna.

Yabu.

Like any hair product (natural or lab-created), people will experience different results.

It is up to you to research a product, its ingredients and the ingredients you are unfamiliar with. As a pp said, henna is a leaf crushed into a powder. Could be natural shedding or a possible allergy.

What product did you use? Many products now have the common name for plants and the latin name. Was there more in the product then just henna?

It honestly sounds like you have used some dodgy henna.

I've been henna-ing my hair for many years (about 30), with a break using chemical dyes - I returned to henna because I suspected they were worsening hair loss. I have very fine hair.

My hair appears much thicker in the couple of weeks after henna-ing, and certainly NEVER feels dry - it really conditions hair well. It should come out feeling very soft and looking shiny.

As others have said, it sounds like you used a 'henna product', not henna. I used pure henna powder for many years and it made my hair really glossy, well conditioned and healthy, not dry at all. I didn't notice any shedding.

I read some of the posts in your second link and most are saying the same as the first link - that the shedding occurs only when rinsing out the henna. You do have to be fairly vigorous when rinsing out henna.

Henna is a fantastic product if you are using the genuine thing. It's a powdered leaf. Black Henna used for body art contains other added products and may not be natural.
I mix in few henna powder with tea water overnight, mix in some lemon juice and apply on dry hair in the morning, leave on for a few hours and then wash off when it's fully dried on. Henna itself gives my grey hair a red-brown colour. Depends on your body temperature how dark the color gets. Tea water enhances the brown. Lemon activates the Henna and makes the colour darker. I only use a little shampoo after washing off all the Henna. Henna acts as a natural conditioner.

@MagazineQueen me and my friend both used henna back in the day, and we used either tea or coffee to slightly enhance the colour. She had very dark hair so got auburn lights, I had mousy hair so got full henna redness.

Yes this