Why I stopped Using Henna on My Hair- Know The Risks

I used henna for years after going natural and loved how it colored those pesky gray hairs around my hairline.  I should say that I used henna mixed with indigo, which gave me a beautiful black color.  I used henna to condition and color my entire head on a few occasions, however approximately every 4-6 weeks, I used henna just to add color to the front portions of my hair.  It was much easier to apply it to the section that needed it, rather than on my entire head.

Unfortunately, after years of use I really began to notice the loosening effects of henna on my hair.  The front portion that I colored more frequently began to stretch out and it stopped shrinking up the way that the rest of my hair did.  I might have enjoyed this effect briefly, had it not been for the obvious difference in length that was apparent with any wash and go style. Basically I stopped using henna because it loosened my curl pattern over time.  In the picture above you can see that on the left, the front portion of my hair is visibly lacking its natural curl pattern.  I'm stretching out my tightly curled hair to show how you have to pull the back section of hair, with natural shrinkage to see that same length. It became more difficult to do wash-and-go's, which left me with no choice but to do braid outs to get a more even appearance in my hair styles.

In spite of henna's conditioning properties, over time my hair began to feel rough, as if my hair wasn't absorbing oil the same way.  I'm sure someone that's super technical could explain exactly what happened.  I just know that my hair had changed.  This was one of the main reasons that I did a second big chop in 2013.  I believe occasional heat also added to my damage as well.  Every one's hair is different, so I've read that some people never have any loosening effects after long term use of henna.  I'm also aware that many people continue to enjoy henna's conditioning properties after applying a good conditioner after their treatments.  I always deep conditioned.  Maybe this has something to do with porosity.  Honestly, I still don't have the patience to fully research porosity and after all these years I still don't fully know what that means.  I may need to bite the bullet and research porosity soon.  

Be aware of the risks of curl loosening over time if you decide to use henna.  There are pros and cons to everything.

Did anyone else stop using henna because it loosened your curl pattern or caused changes in the way that your hair absorbed conditioners, oils, and butters?