Successful henna removal. Yes, you are reading this correctly.

[Mairéad]

Note: This does not appear to work for everyone. Furthermore, many notice that their henna darkens again after a few weeks. Like most henna removal methods, individual success varies greatly, so proceed accordingly.

REMOVED. Not lightened or bleached in any way. I have my virgin hair. I used a method that a member here with the handle, jojo, has also had success with, and I would like to share my part of the story.

I by no means have any of the scientific facts to make of these claims but if I had to GUESS the factors that could affect the level of success in this method:
1. Age of henna (how long you’ve had hennaed hair).
2. Layers of henna applied.
3. Lawson content.

Now, the process:
I did this four times over a period of time I was comfortable moving forward with. It is gradual, time consuming, and a bit labor intensive but if you REALLY want to remove henna you may just want to do this.

1. I used Color Oops Extra Strength (Color B4 in UK) and instead of leaving it on for the directed 20 minutes I left it on for 3 hours under the cap provided, another shower cap, and a towel. (Jojo used a heated cap).

2. Next I rinsed for 30 minutes. This is key. Color Oops works by shrinking the dye molecules so rinsing them away is necessary and the longer the better. I broke the rinsing in “two parts.” I rinsed for 15 minutes, then I shampooed, then I rinsed for 15 more minutes.

Now, if this amount of time sounds crazy (it is); here is what I recommend.

-Shave. Shave everything you normally shave. (while keeping your head in the stream of the shower of course).

-bring in 30 minutes worth of music or a radio and belt it out in the shower.

-if you have trouble standing for that long in the shower due to physical needs or sheer boredom I recommend a shower stool. I sat in the shower on a stool, pondered life, and sang some tunes.

3. Condition with a no-cone conditioner. Jojo reported re-darkening when using -cone conditioner. This is no problem for me since I avoid –cones like the plague anyway. But for –cone heads I would pick up a very hydrating no-cone conditioner such as Garnier Fructise Triple Nutrition of Tresseme Naturals Aloe and Avocado to use after the treatment and for a few days after as well. Then you may return to –cones to your heart’s content. The rinsing will dry your hair out considerably so give your hair a nice deep conditioner soak and rinse.

4. Do a honey treatment. This will further pull some of the color out but it help re-condition your hair, too. The dilutions can be found in the honey thread and I also recommend using cinnamon as a booster in it as this will not only help with more lifting but also help to cover up a little of the egg smell from the Color Oops even if just temporarily.

-Cons:
I doubt it will work for everyone
Your scalp will probably hate you for awhile
It stinks…for a month…

Now, to the photos!

BEFORE:


AFTER:


Don't get me wrong. I love myself with red hair and I think it really suited me . I'm just ridiculously low maintenance and root touch ups are not something I'm willing to do. Besides, I find the golden (with a hint of strawberry) color I have to be quite cute.