After applying henna to your hair to add color, should you wash your hair using shampoo and conditioner?
Even though what you choose to do after adding henna to your hair can greatly depend on what your hair usually likes or needs, namely the replacement of lost moisture and getting the hair to feel soft.
Is it a good idea to wash out henna using shampoo and conditioner, or are other methods like co-washing or adding hair oils preferable?
Do I Shampoo and Condition After Henna?
After applying henna to your hair, it’s usually best to be as gentle as possible when washing out the henna color treatment. Typically rinsing your hair with cold water is enough. However, if your hair is dry after rinsing. You may choose to use conditioner or hair oils to reintroduce moisture.
Should I Always Use Conditioner After Henna?
Whether or not you use conditioner after applying henna can depend on what your hair needs after rinsing.
It’s usually best to allow the color to settle for up to 48 hours before washing with a shampoo or conditioner. As they can strip the color before its had time to be fully absorbed by your hair.
However, if your hair is dry and needs moisture after applying and rinsing out henna. It’s a good idea to reintroduce moisture to your hair to stop it from drying out by using moisturizing conditioners or hair oils.
Many people believe that using conditioners or hair oils after henna is a vital step, but this is usually because henna hair dyes tend to draw moisture from your hair and scalp, making your hair look dry or dried out.
So depending on the henna dye you use, your hair type, and how your hair is reacting after application. It’s recommended to be prepared to re-add moisture back into your hair after using henna dyes.
Most henna dyes come with recommendations on what products should be used alongside them to reintroduce moisture and maintain the color.
Also Read: How Long Does Henna Hair Dye Last?
So it’s worth doing your research on the henna product you have chosen, and ensuring anything that you use alongside the henna hair dye (conditioner, shampoo, hair oils) is suitable for your hair.
What to Do After Applying Henna?
What you do after applying henna hair dye can fully depend on what your hair needs. Depending on the dye you use, the application, and what your hair is like after rinsing and drying. You may need to allow the henna time to settle or reintroduce moisture to your hair if it looks and feels dry.
In most cases, after applying henna all over your hair. You can use a plastic wrap or shower cap to cover your hair. This will help the henna to set and be absorbed by your hair, and keep it warm and moist without drying out.
When the time comes to rinse it out, usually after approximately 3-4 hours. You should use cold water to avoid stripping the color and avoid rubbing your hair by letting the water loosen up the dye.
Once the henna is rinsed out, it’s time to dry your hair and inspect its condition and color. Most of the time, you will need to allow the dye to settle and next wash your hair after 2-3 days.
However, if your hair looks particularly dry or feels rough to the touch. You may need to re-introduce moisture.
If your hair is dry and needs moisture. Consider using a conditioner or hair oil that’s suitable for your chosen henna hair dye and color.
Usually, a moisturizing conditioner that doesn’t contain protein is a good choice. Using a protein conditioner will result in your hair feeling very rough, or perhaps even drier.
So a protein-free conditioner is what many people tend to use alongside henna to re-introduce moisture to their hair and get it to feel soft and nourished.
How Do You Take Care of Your Hair After Henna?
After applying henna to your hair, you should thoroughly rinse your hair using cold water until it runs clear a no excess dye remains. Doing this helps to ensure you don’t get a dry or itchy scalp and that your hair doesn’t continue to dry out.
Henna is a permanent hair dye that is well known for drawing moisture from the hair and scalp. So it’s important to re-introduce moisture to your hair after rinsing and drying if it’s needed.
Also, do not leave the henna dye in your hair for too long as it will continue to dry out your hair and scalp and could cause irritation or dryness if left on your skin for long periods.
Also Read: How Long Should You Leave Henna on Your Hair?
Many people tend to use co-washing as a way to maintain their henna hair color and keep it looking soft, clean, and moisturized.
Co-washing means that you’re replacing your regular shampoos with just one product (normally a conditioner) that will be used to wash, condition, cleanse, and nourish your hair to keep it from being dry or brittle.
Ideally, anything that you choose to use on your hair should be suitable for the henna permanent hair dye you are using. You should avoid anything that removes moisture from your hair, and focus on keeping your hair soft, clean, and moisturized.
When Can I Shampoo My Hair After Henna?
You can return to washing your hair with shampoo around 2-3 days after application. This allows the henna color time to settle in your hair, but you can re-introduce moisture using hair oils right after or rinse with a suitable conditioner if your hair is particularly dry.
Once you have completed the dyeing process using henna. It’s not normally a good idea to use shampoo straight after when rinsing your hair because it can affect how the henna colors your hair.
Instead, you should focus on ensuring your hair remains moisturized and the henna color has time to settle in your hair.
Shampoos containing sulfates, detergents, or protein can strip henna color from your hair. They can also dry out your hair further due to removing natural oils in your hair and scalp.
So when you are planning to use shampoo after applying henna to your hair. It’s a good idea to allow around 2-3 days before washing your hair using shampoo.
When Can I Oil My Hair After Henna?
After rinsing out henna, you can apply essential oils or any suitable hair oils right after. Henna can make your hair dry or feel rough so it’s important to re-introduce moisture to your hair. You can apply oil to your hair and leave it in overnight.
For many people who apply henna to their hair. Hair oiling is considered to be a vital step as it’s a great way to re-introduce lost moisture and can be used alongside hair combing.
After the application of the henna color treatment, you can apply any essential oil or hair oil of your choice right after your hair has been rinsed out and dried.
How Do You Keep Your Hair from Drying out After Henna?
You can add hair oils to the henna paste to help retain natural moisture when applying. Keep the mixture or recipe at room temperature for a couple of hours, then apply. Leave it in your hair for 3-4 hours, then rinse thoroughly with water. Do not use shampoo, as this may dry your hair out further.
Keeping your hair from drying out after using henna can greatly depend on the henna dye or mixture you have chosen to use on your hair. Some henna and herbal hair treatments are better at retaining moisture than others.
Your hair type and condition can also play a big role in how much henna will dry out your hair. So it’s best to ensure your hair is in the best possible condition before using henna hair treatments and color.
If you have used henna before and know your hair is sensitive to drying, it’s a good idea to formulate a henna recipe with more natural moisture.
This can involve adding hair oils, or essential oils to the henna paste. Which often helps you to ensure moisture is retained in your hair during application.
Can I Mix Conditioner with Henna?
You can mix henna with conditioner if you aim to nourish your hair, and not allow for dye release. Mixing henna with conditioner will result in soft, smooth, and conditioned hair. It’s not recommended to mix conditioner and henna if your end goal is to color or dye your hair using henna.
You will want the henna paste or mixture to be thick and provide good application and coverage if you aim to change your hair color.
Adding henna to a conditioner also affects how the color pigments in the henna are released, known as dye release. It will provide a much more subtle color change upon application, but rinses out a lot more easily.
So for conditioning your hair. Mixing henna and conditioner is fine providing you are only trying to moisturize and nourish your hair.
Can I Use Purple Shampoo After Henna?
Even though you should avoid washing your hair using shampoo straight after a henna application. Purple shampoo dispenses purple pigment into your hair, which means it’s not likely to do anything after henna as the orange color pigment of the henna will be too strong.
While it does depend on the color or shade of the henna, and the mixture or paste you are using for application. Purple shampoos are intended to even out or eliminate tones in your hair, something they are unlikely to do on a strong color such as orange henna.
2-3 days after application, and once the henna has had time to settle in your hair. You can still use purple shampoo if you feel some of the shades, colors, or tones in your hair need to be evened out.
However, most of the time using purple shampoo after henna won’t have much more of an effect than using regular shampoos.
Final Thoughts On “Do I Shampoo And Condition After Henna?”
So should I shampoo and condition my hair after using henna?
You can use hair oils and conditioners after applying henna if your hair is especially dry to re-introduce moisture. But you should avoid using shampoo for 2-3 days after application to allow the henna color time to settle in your hair.
Henna can dry out your hair and scalp as it dyes and bonds with your hair. So it’s important to be prepared to re-add moisture back into your hair using hair oils, essential oils, or a suitable conditioner to avoid it drying out.