Henna Hair Dyes- Health Benefits

-Henna For Hair As A Dye and Conditioner-

Henna hair dyes are traditionally most commonly used for covering gray hair, as they work best on lightly colored hair and are extremely healthy for your hair, but can be used on any color of hair to add depth to the color.  Henna hair dyes come in red, blond/neutral or black kits and have very little health risks as they are traditionally 100% natural products. They contain no PPD or chemicals and have an extremely healthy effect on hair, acting as a conditioner and leaving it softer and shinier than before, rather than the harsh effects that chemical based hair dyes are likely to have.

Because henna contains hennatannic acid, it coats and seals the hair shaft rather than forcing it open to allow chemicals in. The conditioning effect of this treatment can boost your hair’s health for as much as a month before it wears off. Think of it as a moisturizing face mask for your hair.  It doesn’t just color your hair, it protects it from oil, heat and dryness.

Modern henna hair dyes still come in the four color groups that were marketed decades ago, but with the information we now have it is possible to know exactly what goes into the henna hair dyes that we use. Here is what you will find in most henna hair dye kits:

• Black Henna hair dye is actually a mix of indigo and other plant products. Some black henna hair dye kits include a first step of doing a full true henna treatment before a full indigo treatment.

• Blond and neutral hennas contain no henna at all, but are made of Cassia auriculata.

• Red Henna is actually true henna. The plant name for this is “Lawsone,” while the term “henna” is more appropriately used for a body art technique. It may look very orange at first, but will become a red auburn after a little while.

• Brown henna is a  mix of the true red henna and several other plant products including arnica montana, amla and indigo.

Negatives of “Normal” Hair Dyes

What we can avoid by using natural hair coloring agents-

Chemical based hair dyes can do a lot of damage to your hair and body. They alter the chemical structure of your hair in order to force the hair to accept the coloring agents, which causes your hair to dry out and break more easily.  It also contains ingredients like PPD, which can cause severe allergic reactions and has been closely linked to several types of cancer.  Semi permenant dyes even include a coal product that you must test on your skin before trying to color your hair, as it can also cause negative reactions, and can cause blindness if you get it in your eyes.

Here are some ingredients commonly used in chemical hair dyes, and the negative effects they can have:

P-Phenylenediamine- (PPD)

(Has been banned in several European countries due to health risks)

• Most common side effect is dermatitis of the eyes, ears, scalp and face, meaning rash, swelling, burning and irritation.
• Can be absorbed through the skin of face and eyelids,  causing blurred visions and even blindness.
• Has been linked to multiple types of cancers.
• Can cause asthma attacks.
• Fatal reactions can cause anaphyactic shock.

Hydrogen peroxide:

• Skin burns
• Dermatitis
• Eye burns
• Organ toxicity hazards

Isopropyl alcohol

• Skin irritant

Hexylene glycol

• Skin irritant
• Lung irritant
• Eye irritant

EDTA

• Neurotoxicity Hazard
• Eye irritant

While these are just a few of the chemicals used in hair dyes,  there are many others with potential comfort and health hazards. While reactions to hair dye are somewhat rare, and the hair dye industry is working to create safer products, the less chemical based products that we force our bodies to deal with, the healthier we will be.

Can Henna Be Dangerous?

Henna itself is not dangers, but many henna products contain “extra” ingredients including metallic materials, or even PPD, that can cause your hair to turn the wrong color or be burnt. Be very careful to do your research and purchase only completely natural products so that you don’t make this mistake! But, unnecessary additives aside, the purely natural product of henna is so safe that the FDA has made it exempt of regulations.