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Have you ever wanted to change your hair color but been nervous about the chemicals in hair dyes? You can relax. There is an alternative to chemical hair dyes that can give you the hair color results you have been looking for. Organic hair color can offer a range of different shades and tones while making your hair look and feel smoother and healthier in the process.
Women have traditionally used henna, the same plant that is used to create temporary tattoos on hands and feet, for thousands of years. It was used not only as a way to change hair color but as a beauty treatment since it made hair softer and more manageable. It also could be used to leave a red color behind depending on the concentrations and the mixture that was used.
The way that henna makes hair more manageable is the same way it colors the hair. Each of the hair strands is coated in a layer of henna that changes its color and makes it look smoother and healthier. If it is combined with other plant dyes such as alma, coffee, indigo and cassia, users can make their hair black or brown. It cannot be used to lighten hair, since this requires peroxide and henna does not contain any peroxide.
You can choose to research your own recipes online or buy commercially prepared mixtures. These are often available in a range of shades from bright red, to burgundy, reddish brown, dark brown and black. Depending on where you live it may be more difficult to find the commercial mixes and you may need to go to a health food store or order them over the internet. These mixes often have instructions about how to prepare your hair before dying it and how long to leave the dye on the hair.
Because the dye sits on the outside of the hair shaft, it will wash off in time. If you shampoo your hair frequently, this can accelerate the rate at which the color fades. If the color is very dark, you may notice roots although since the dye washes away over time, they will become less noticeable than they would with chemical dyes. Henna can be safely used on hair that has been chemically treated or dyed using chemical dyes. This can be a great asset to women who want to have their hair texture changed and then be able to dye it a different color in a short period of time. Because there are no chemicals, it is gently enough to use on very fragile or damaged hair.
However, although you can use henna over other chemicals, you cannot use chemicals over the henna. You also should be cautious about using plant based dyes if you have ever had a negative reaction to henna tattoos or if you suffer from hay fever or plant based allergies. You should always perform an allergy test with any kind of hair dye and organic hair color is no exception to this rule.
If you use the products as instructed you may find that organic hair color can be an amazing chemical free way to color your hair.