How to transition from henna on hair?

[Selenium]

I'm late 40s and been using henna based products for around 10 years to cover greys (have naturally mid to dark brown hair). I love the condition of my hair with these natural dyes but reckon I'm now about 50% grey and it just doesn't look good anymore when the roots start to show (so quickly) and generally it looks too dark and harsh now. I'd like to start using something lighter in colour that blends the greys better so roots are less obvious. Are there any products anyone can recommend to help me move away from henna both short term and long term, please? I feel really stuck with it now as I know hairdressers can't dye over henna! I don't think I'm ready to embrace the grey quite yet.

What kind of products? What result are you after, as you know that dye can't be used over henna, I am not sure what you are looking for? You may have to grow out the henna if you want to transition to dying it.

Thank you for your reply. I guess I'm hoping there's something I can use on the roots as I grow the henna out that I can transition over to. If I just started using a lighter coloured semi-permanent dye just on the regrowth, for example, would that be a complete disaster?

How long does henna last?

Henna is permanent so I think it's a case of growing it all out.

Ummm I'm not sure how you would manage that and make sure no dye went on the rest of your hair - I think that would be a tricky thing to achieve.

So, I had this issue years ago, and from what I remember, I let the roots grow out a bit and started using a semi permanent box dye just on my roots to try and match with the colour and had to basically let the Henna grow out over time.

However I had been using the pure Henna and Indigo powders at the time, so no metallic salts or whatever, which might be easier to dye over.

Over time I started using slightly lighter and lighter base colour, and then transitioned to getting highlights at the salon. I know it that it took a while but I'm now blonde, and I don't remember having green hair or any disasters.

Thanks very much for your reply. I'm wondering if that might be a good strategy to grow it out gradually like you say, using semi permanent box dye on the roots during the transition. I assume that won't do much if it gets on the hair that has henna on it - like turn it a weird colour?! Interesting you've now gone blonde - thinking the same thing as must be so much more forgiving to blend in the greys!

I'd ask a hairdresser. I got one to dye over henna (same as you, I'd done it for YEARS), she did a patch test first. I was fed up with spending such a long time on the henna and it gave me a bit of a headache to keep it on for hours.

I wanted bayalage style highlights on a base the same colour as my natural hair (darkish brown). She warned the highlights would come out quite warm which I was OK with (we looked at pics on pinterest) and the patch test looked fine. It took about 4 hours to do the highlights though and base colour and I decided no way did I want to waste that much time at a hairdresser! So I then started to use esalon which was great as I could request the shade. I still use it to get a natural slightly warm toned brown (which suits me) and I just mix half the pack to do the roots so it's not too expensive. I also realised I don't have enough grey to blend in with a blonder colour very well at the roots as the rest of my hair is pretty dark. Happy to send a pic if you want to see the colour that it turned out after the hairdresser.

Or you could just do a box dye and mix up a small amount to do a strand test underneath. I felt better that the hairdresser did it the first time.

Thanks so much for your reply. So did the hairdresser manage to make highlights work over the top of the henna? That's good you've managed to find a way to do it yourself now - thanks for the useful tips.

I will speak to my hairdresser, tho like you I don't want to spend too many hours (plus lots of money) getting my hair done. I think my hairdresser already thinks I'm a bit strange for using henna!

Yes the highlights worked fine but were quite warm toned not ashy but I was happy with that as have warm toned skin. It was handy for them to test so I could see what to expect. I've just remembered she actually cut a bit of my hair from the back underneath and then highlighted it so she could see how it would react and how gingery it'd be.

Hair dressers always seem a bit baffled by henna! The trainee who did my base colour said he was told at college that it's really tricky to deal with and steer clear of it basically.