By Masooma M Lotia

Henna is  a beautiful & traditional form of dyeing hair. It not only gives a rich color to your locks but also nourishes them. Although it is quite safe to apply henna to your hair, it is essential to take a few steps before you gor for the actual thing. One such step is the harvest test. A harvest test permits you to see the perfect color results. It will assure that you can safely use a henna product on your hair without any adverse effects. Also, it will give you an idea how your hair behaves with this naturally dyeing agent.

Harvest Hair Test:

Using hair from a comb or a brush, apply heena paste to it and leave it for 3-4 hours. The result of the harvest hair test on the hair obtained from the brush will be exactly what will occur on your hair. This method prevents any mishaps in case your hair takes the color too strongly for your taste.

How to apply henna to your hair:

Always use protective plastic gloves as the color will discolor your hands. The paste will also discolor your towel, clothing etc., so take necessary precautions. Allow the henna paste to settle on your hair for a couple of haours. The duration of the time necessary for coloring is dependant upon your hair type. If your hair tends to take up color very fast, it will take about 40 minutes. In some cases, it can take upto 8 hours. When the paste has been on your hair for the desired length of  time, rise it carefully, rinsing until the water is clear. Repeat rinses will ensure an added shine.

Henna Mixtures from the Kitchen:

There are a number of things from your kitchen which can use from the kitchen counter & your fridge. Coffee, Zaffron, Eggs, Olive Oil, Almod Oil & even tea bags or brewed tea & coffee harmonize well with henna to bring an added shine & color along with noursihment.