Yes, you can absolutely get brown henna hair dye! Henna comes in a variety of colors, including brown shades ranging from light brown to dark brown. Brown henna is a great way to enhance your natural hair color or achieve subtle, natural-looking highlights without using chemical dyes.
What is Henna?
Henna is a plant-based dye that has been used for centuries to color hair, skin, and nails. The henna plant has the scientific name Lawsonia inermis, and it grows in hot, dry climates.
The leaves of the henna plant are dried and ground into a fine powder. This powder is then mixed with liquids like water, lemon juice, or essential oils to create a paste. When applied to the hair, nails, or skin, the lawsone molecule in henna bonds with the keratin and permanently dyes it a reddish-brown color.
Unlike chemical hair dyes, henna does not damage hair. In fact, the conditioning and sealing properties of henna can strengthen hair strands and leave hair looking shiny and healthy.
Advantages of Brown Henna for Hair
Here are some of the top advantages of using brown henna hair dye:
– Natural ingredient – Henna contains no ammonia, peroxides, or PPD like chemical hair dyes. It won’t irritate skin or damage hair the way chemical dyes can.
– Conditions hair – Henna coats each strand, seals in moisture, and gives hair a protective layer. This can make hair appear thicker, shinier, and smoother.
– Subtle, natural color – Brown henna produces a soft, natural-looking color as opposed to the flat, fake look of chemical dyes. The color develops gradually over several days.
– Long-lasting – Henna dye will remain in your hair until it grows out. Touch-ups are only needed as new growth comes in.
– Covers gray hairs – The rich pigments in henna can blend away and camouflage gray hairs nicely.
– Safe for pregnant/nursing moms – Since it’s all natural, henna is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding unlike chemical dyes.
Different Shades of Brown Henna
Brown henna powders are created by aging the henna leaves for different lengths of time. As the leaves oxidize, the dye molecules change and create different shades of brown:
– Light brown – Gets its color from young henna leaves aged up to 4 weeks. Great for subtle highlights.
– Medium brown – Uses henna leaves aged 1-2 months. Provides a rich nutty brown shade.
– Dark brown – Made from very mature henna leaves aged 3-4 months. Deepest brown with intense staining power.
You can further customize your brown henna color by adding other natural ingredients like coffee, indigo, cassia, or tea to the paste. Mixing in shikakai or amla powder will also deepen brown tones.
Best Hair Types for Brown Henna
Brown henna works beautifully on most hair colors and types. However, it shows up best on lighter shades of blonde or brown hair. Very coarse or tightly curled hair can also be too resistant to accept the dye well.
Here are some hair colors and textures that take to brown henna especially nicely:
– Light blonde hair – Brown henna adds subtle dimension and highlights without going brassy.
– Dark blonde hair – Makes hair look beautifully sun-kissed.
– Light brown hair – Enhances natural color richness and warmth.
– Gray hair – Blends away grays for seamless color.
– Straight hair – Allows the dye to penetrate most evenly from roots to ends.
– Medium or thick hair – Henna shows up better on thicker strands. Fine hair may not absorb enough pigment.
How to Dye Hair Brown with Henna
If you want to dye your hair a lush brown shade using henna, follow these simple steps:
1. Purchase brown henna powder – Select a shade based on your natural color and how dramatic you want the results.
2. Mix the dye – In a glass or plastic bowl, gradually mix the henna with warm water, lemon juice, and your choice of oils until a thick, spreadable paste forms. Let it sit for at least 4 hours so the dye can release.
3. Section your hair – Pull hair back in four sections – front, sides, and back. Use hair clips to keep sections separated as you work.
4. Apply the paste – Wearing gloves, scoop paste from edges of bowl and coat every strand, starting closest to your scalp.
5. Let it sit – Cover hair with a shower cap and let the henna sit for 2-4 hours. Reapply paste to any areas that feel dry.
6. Rinse thoroughly – Lean over a tub, remove shower cap, and rinse until water runs clear. Shampoo after if needed.
7. Style as usual – Let your hair air dry, then style it as normal. Enjoy your natural-looking brown locks!
Caring for Henna-Dyed Hair
To keep your brown henna hair color looking its best:
– Use sulfate-free shampoos – Sulfates strip color faster. Opt for gentler cleansers.
– Shampoo less often – Only lather up 2-3 times per week to prevent fading.
– Rinse with cool water – Hot water opens the cuticle causing color to escape.
– Limit pool/saltwater – Chlorine and salt can oxidize the henna pigments.
– Add gloss treatments – Use henna glosses between full dye jobs for vibrant color.
– Avoid heat styling – Cut back on hot tools that degrade the dye molecules. Let hair air dry.
How Long Does Brown Henna Last?
One of the biggest perks of henna is that it creates a long-lasting stain on the hair strands. You can expect the brown color from henna to last:
– On hair tips – 4 to 6 weeks
– On roots – 6 to 8 weeks
This is significantly longer than chemical dyes that begin fading within 1 to 2 weeks. The variation depends on your natural hair color and rate of growth. Those with lighter hair and fast growth will need to reapply more often.
Plan to re-henna your roots every 6 to 8 weeks to maintain the regrowth line. And treat hair to an all-over application every 2 to 3 months to keep color looking rich.
Can You Mix Brown Henna with Chemical Dye?
It’s not recommended to mix henna – which is pure plant pigments – with chemical dyes containing peroxide developers, ammonia, or PPD. When these two compounds interact, it often has unfavorable results like:
– Unpredictable new color – Chemicals can react with lawsone and form a weird hybrid shade.
– Fading – The lightening peroxides may strip away some of the henna dye.
– Damage – Chemical processing after henna coats strands can weaken and dry out hair.
If you already have henna in your hair and want to go darker, try adding indigo or coffee to your next henna mix instead of chemical dye. Or have a professional stylist help you transition colors safely.
Conclusion
Brown henna offers a safer, healthier way to enhance your natural hair color without using harsh chemical dyes. It leaves hair looking gorgeously glossy and multi-dimensional. From light brown natural highlights to deep espresso brown, you can find a brown henna shade to suit your needs. Mix up a henna paste, let your hair soak in the conditioning treatment, and rinse to reveal beautiful brown locks that will turn heads!
