Última atualização em 21 de novembro de 2021 por Chauncey Morgan

Como alguém que gosta de pintar meu cabelo várias vezes, descobrir a cor natural do cabelo sem produtos químicos chamada henna foi uma mudança de vida para mim! Eu imediatamente quis experimentá-lo, mas havia algumas perguntas que me incomodavam quando se tratava de como usá-lo. Um deles foi quanto tempo deixar henna no meu cabelo para obter o máximo de resultados de cor.

Depois de meses pesquisando tudo sobre henna e até mesmo testando no meu cabelo, posso dizer com certeza que dominei esse tipo de cor de cabelo e agora estou preparada para contar tudo para vocês. Espero que, depois de ler este guia, você saiba como usar a henna e por quanto tempo mantê-la no cabelo antes de lavá-la.

Henna is a natural hair color option that won’t damage your hair like chemical-based hair dyes on the market. It even has nourishing properties as it is rich in protein and antioxidants like Vitamin E.

As a coloring agent, it is quite forgiving. Even if you make some mistakes, it is easy to correct them without any problems. Do give henna a try so you can see how cool it is, but first, read on to learn more!

What Is Henna?

Henna is a type of dye that you can use to color your hair or to make temporary tattoos on your skin. The dye is made from plants, so it is completely natural and safe to use. The only problem when it comes to using henna to dye your hair is that it only lasts a few weeks – it is not permanent.

Another thing you need to know about henna is that there is not a huge color palette to choose from. You can essentially choose between varying shades of red, brown, and black henna dye. But even though its color options are a bit limiting, henna is still a great way to color your hair if you want to steer clear of hair dyes full of chemicals. You can dye your hair again and again with henna, and your hair will even thank you for it!

 

How Long to Leave Henna in Your Hair

The process of coloring hair with henna is very simple. You only need to wash and dry your hair, mix the henna with lukewarm water until it turns into a thick paste, and then apply the paste to your hair. But what happens after you apply the paste – how long should you keep it in your hair?

Depending on what part of your hair or how much of your hair you are planning on coloring, you will need to wait for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. Let’s talk about this in more detail below!

Coloring Your Roots with Henna

If you are wondering whether you can color just your roots with henna, you certainly can! Henna is great for gray coverage, and it is also one of the best ways to do a root shadow once your hair starts to grow out.

Once you start applying the henna paste to your hair, make sure you saturate all of the hair at the roots thoroughly. When you’re satisfied with the coverage, allow the color to process for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the area you’re covering and the thickness of your hair. You can check it periodically to determine if it needs more time to sit on your hair.

After you are done waiting, simply rinse your hair, condition, and check if any re-touching is needed!

Making Highlights with Henna

Henna highlights are a great way to add texture and volume to your hair. You can even use the darker henna dyes to make lowlights in a simple, completely chemical-free and damage-free way! For the best hair coloring results, I recommend that you divide your hair into small sections and then go over some strands with the henna.

Once you are done applying the highlights according to your personal preference, you should wait anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. The waiting time will depend on the amount of coloring you have done as well as the thickness and length of your hair. Basically, the longer and thicker your hair is, the longer you will need to wait.

Another thing to keep in mind is the desired intensity of the color – if you want your highlights to be very intense, keep the color on for longer. If you want them to be barely noticeable but still there, you should only keep the henna on your hair for an hour. Again, you can check the color every 20 minutes or so to determine if it’s processed to your liking.

When you’re happy with the color result, you should rinse and condition your hair to finish the process. Your highlights should be stunning even after one round of henna!

Full Coverage Color with Henna

Of course, there is also the option to color your entire head of hair using nothing but henna. I always recommend this type of hair color because it is completely natural, easy to maintain, and you do not have to wait long between colorings.

When coloring your entire hair using henna, you will need to wait for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours for the color to fully work its way into the hair cuticle. If your hair is shorter and thinner, you can keep the henna on for 3 hours and then rinse it out. However, if you have very long and thick hair, you can keep the henna on for 4 hours and maybe even a bit more.

Avoid Overprocessing with Henna

One more thing, I would like to point out that while henna is a great natural coloring option, you should not keep it in your hair for longer than 5 hours. That means no overnight coloring!

If you leave henna in your hair for more than 5 hours, it will not exactly damage the hair but drain the scalp from all its natural oils. Your scalp will become very itchy and uncomfortable as a result. If this happens to you, you can use water and vinegar on the scalp to soothe it.

An even better thing to do is do a patch test before coloring your entire hair or your roots. Apply a small amount of the henna to a small patch of your hair towards the back of your head, keep it on for a couple of hours, and then rinse it out. If your scalp becomes irritated from the color, you should reconsider coloring your hair, as some people can be sensitive or allergic to henna.

FAQs on Coloring with Henna

Now that you know how many hours the henna should stay in your hair when coloring it, you’re probably eager to get started with the coloring process. However, you may have a few remaining questions about henna and how it works. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about dying hair with henna.

What are the side effects of henna?

Henna should be perfectly safe for most people, but some people might be allergic to certain ingredients in this type of dye. If you’re allergic to henna, the side effects you might notice are redness, irritation, blisters, burning, scarring, and swelling of the skin.

If your hair or skin is having a bad reaction to the henna, you should immediately rinse the dye out and use some antibacterial soap to scrub it off of your skin. For more serious infections, you may need to see a dermatologist for further advice, but these severe reactions are quite rare.

To avoid these side effects, it’s a good idea to do a test patch first before dying large portions of your hair.

Can henna cause hair loss?

It is highly unlikely that using henna as a hair dye will lead to hair loss because it is a natural product. However, if you use the dye too often, are allergic to it, or you purchase a henna dye that has chemicals in it, you might experience slight hair damage and hair loss. Thankfully, this type of reaction is also very rare.

Can I apply henna on oily hair?

For most hair coloring processes, I would recommend that you go in once your hair is already a bit oily, such as a day or two after the last time you washed your hair. This is because your hair’s natural oils protect it from too much damage, since most regular hair dyes contain a lot of harsh chemicals.

However, coloring oily hair with henna is not something that I would recommend because the henna will have a harder time getting into the hair follicle if it is oily. You should always wash and dry your hair immediately before going in with the henna. The only recommendation I would make here is to put the conditioning part on hold until after you’ve dyed your hair and are ready to rinse it out.

How Long to Keep Henna on Hair = Solved!

Depois de ler este guia, espero que agora você tenha uma ideia melhor do que fazer e do que evitar ao pintar o cabelo com henna. Lembre-se de manter a cor por menos de 5 horas se quiser evitar coceira no couro cabeludo e sempre faça um teste primeiro para determinar se você é sensível ou alérgico a qualquer um dos ingredientes da henna.

Obrigado por ficar comigo através deste guia. Deixe-me saber se você achou meu conselho útil ou se conhece outras dicas que eu deveria ter incluído. Mal posso esperar para ler seus comentários e feedback!