Henna for awkward hair?

[SDurden]

As the title suggests, I need some advice for my PITA hair! I’ve started perimenopause (very happy about that part), but my hair can’t decide what it’s doing and I’m confused over how to deal with it as a result.

It’s always been mostly straight, with the odd curl when wet. I could get away with just washing and leaving it, which was great as I’m a pretty low maintenance tomboy and don’t enjoy messing about with my appearance too much. Now it seems to be growing out wavy (unless I remember to dry it flat after washing it) and looks frizzy if I follow my normal routine.

Secondly, I have natural brunette hair with a silver mallen streak near the front since my teens, which I’ve always plucked/dyed. I’m starting to get the odd random grey hair elsewhere, but not enough for the streak to blend in yet. But the dyes I’ve used in the past are making the texture worse now. So I’m considering henna instead. But I’ve heard very mixed reviews.

I honestly don’t know what to do with it (I’m tempted to do a Britney and shave the lot and just buy a wig! 🤣 ) I was blonde in my 20s, but went darker in my 30s as it seemed to cover the streak better (it’s silver, not blonde, so doesn’t match when I dye the rest lighter). But I’m not sure I can pull off the goth look any more at 40.

I haven’t really changed my routine since college, but probably need to rethink things. I want something low maintenance, as I’m a roll out of bed and start work type of person. I’d love my hair to just pick a lane and stick with it, but in the meantime does anyone have any ideas? Is henna any better than regular dye? Does it have any effect on the texture?

If you use Henna be careful, it can be a pain to use other dyes afterwards!

Do you still wash and leave it? Some hair textures benefit from blow drying, air drying can make you hair rougher looking and more frizzy because of way having wet hair for longer works with the follicles (my hairdresser explained this to me and honestly even a rough blowdry improves the texture massively for me!).

I don’t typically blow dry it, as I find it a massive chore to stand there for 20-30 mins wasting time (although I might have to learn)! At the moment I’ve started pinning/tying it back flat while it’s still wet so that it dries straighter. But people have advised me that isn’t great for my hair.

It take it you can’t combine henna with regular dye/hair mascara then? Or does it depend how long you leave it on?

@SDurden I would perhaps give it a go if you can? Do you have massively thick hair? I have a really good hair dryer and even when my hair was down to the bottom of my back it only took 15m to roughly blow dry.

I think the issue was with henna being permanent, it meant in the future the hairdresser would have to be carefully when planning to dye over it. I also didn’t want red undertones which apparently is common with henna. Saying that I think lots of people do manage to use it successfully!

I have used henna to colour my hair for over 10 years. The condition of my hair is lovely and it has also had the effect of reducing the natural wave so my hair is straighter.
pluses - very even coverage, minimal fading, consistent colour, conditioning effect
minuses - genuinely permanent - if you don't like it, you're stuck with it, can't dye over the top and it won't fade. Messy to apply and wash out, a several hours job in total with developing time.

Ok, thank you all. I might have a friend do a strand test when she next does her own hair and I'll experiment a bit to see what happens. It's 'normal' thickness, I guess? That hasn't changed much over the years, just the texture and colour. Reducing the wave in it would be a definite bonus.