Benefits Of Using Henna For Hair
Henna has always been used in Indian culture on auspicious occasions. Henna adorned hands are synonymous with the happiness of a newly wedded bride. Women love to apply it on major festivals like Teej, rakhi, Karvachauth, as well as on weddings. It has also been used by men and women alike on hair, to color the grey hair, especially by elder women and men, before the chemical hair dyes loaded with harsh chemicals paved its way into households.
When experts and users saw that harsh chemical in the dyes, especially ammonia and its byproducts, apart from being carcinogens, were leading to allergies, hair loss and most importantly degraded hair quality over the years, they went back to their roots - henna. Earlier people just used henna to color the grey hair. Today as the many benefits of it are known, there is an understanding that henna can be used to help in overcoming hair related problems as well.
Among the many benefits, nourishing the hair is the biggest one. Rich in proteins and anti oxidants, henna nourishes the scalp, making it stronger, leading to repair of split ends as well as strengthening of roots. It leads to lesser hair fall, resulting in a thicker and healthier mane. Henna is beneficial to the scalp as well. When the paste is applied it soothes itchy scalp and helps to prevent dandruff. The anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of henna ensure an allergy free scalp. Henna also nourishes the hair to make them soft, as it acts as a conditioner. While, regular use of henna is great for oily scalp, people with dry hair can mix oil in the paste and then apply it. Thus, it is the perfect conditioner too.
When used as a standalone, henna can provide many benefits, but when mixed with different herbs, henna can be the perfect reply to any sort of hair problem. Henna mixed with banana and a tsp of honey is the remedy for dry hair, especially the one that suffered after repeated chemical treatments. Herbs found in Amazonia’s rainforests like Jaborandi, Copaíba, Guarana, Cumaru, Açaí and Powder Oils of Olive and Coconut are for proper nourishment and for dealing with hair loss.
Some might find it cumbersome to make a paste and then keep it for 2 hours. Henna creams are readily available nowadays, that come with easy to apply applicators. Once you rinse the henna mask off, massage hair with hot mustard oil to lock in the nutrition and further condition and soften the hair. The process colors the hair from root tip to the end, and this color does not fade off like chemical hair dyes but only outgrows as the hair grow longer.
Gone are the days when henna led to just one color. Today organic, vegan and 100% natural brands produce henna mixed with herbs that can result in colors like black, golden brown, dark brown, etc. Perfect for fashionistas as well as plain janes, henna is the future of hair color.
