Henna has been traditionally used during weddings and auspicious occasions to create beautiful patterns on hand. It is symbolic of a married woman’s wedded bliss, a girl’s happiness and festivity in Indian traditions. Traditionally, people with grey hair have used henna to colour their hair. But henna has also been used to nourish hair, to condition them, leaving you with lustrous and shiny hair. Somewhere in between, chemical- based hair dyes became prevalent as alternative to henna. They were a tad bit expensive but gave quicker results, which was much needed for this past generation. One could also choose from an array of colours like black, brown, copper, blonde etc. However, with time, users and hair care experts discovered the side effects of chemical laden hair dyes. They contained ammonia and its by products like ethalonamine, diethalonamine and triethalonamine, which led to scalp allergy, dry and brittle hair and cancer in some cases.
Slowly users have started going back to good old henna for dyeing their hair. Henna packed with herbs from Amazon rainforests and Ayurvedic herbs have come up as the best alternative to chemical laden hair dyes. And there are many benefits of henna that are being rediscovered. Here’s how and why henna is amazing for hair growth and health, as suggested by Clelia Cecilia Angelon, Founder & CEO of Surya Brasil.
Traditionally, using henna is economical. This might be the first and foremost reason why henna is still used by people across all economical sections, as the poorest of poor can also afford it. Compared to hair dyes, it can be applied easily at home, instead of going to a salon. The traditional home-based henna paste can be made by plucking henna leaves, grinding them into a fine paste and then applying it. However, nowadays ready-to use premium henna cream with easy to apply applicators is available in the market. It is a boon for the younger generation that does not like messy things, nor do they have too much time in hand. Henna does not need any sort of expensive after care products unlike hair dyes that need expensive upkeep with shampoos and colour fixers.
Using natural, organic and vegan henna ensures that your scalp gets only natural products, and no unwanted, chemical by products. By adding natural ingredients like pomegranate peels, indigo, beetroot etc you can get colours ranging from deep black, brown and copper instead of that orangish tint which is not much liked. Moreover, the natural properties of henna not just covers the greys but also helps in preventing pre mature greying.
Henna is a Natural Conditioner. It also provides Vitamin E and tannin that softens the hair, naturally. Applying oil a day after applying henna helps in getting naturally conditioned, and softer hair. A hot oil massage can do wonders in ensuring that the henna colour stays on for a longer time.
Henna also makes roots stronger by nourishing the scalp. It balances the pH of the scalp and calms down the overactive sebaceous glands that produce oil in the hair. Thus it also helps oily scalp in controlling the oil. If the problem still persists, mix fuller’s earth or Multani mitti with henna and leave on for 3-4 hours, and voila all your oily problems will be gone.
Henna leaves are rich in proteins and antioxidants that lead to a calm scalp, and stronger roots, that means it also helps in lessening hairfall. The natural antifungal and antimicrobial properties of henna calms the irritation of the scalp, which leads to less itching and ultimately helps in dandruff prevention and also return of dandruff.
Overall henna is the perfect solution when it comes to all sorts of hair and scalp related problems. When combined with right ingredients, it can give incomparable results. So what’s stopping you from reaping these amazing benefits?
