Using Henna and Indigo to Dye Hair
How to Henndigo Hair for Natural Auburn, Dark Brown and Black Shades
Jul 19, 2009
Used alone, henna dyes hair from fiery orange to mahogany-tinted, depending on the natural colour of the hair. Indigo by itself is a blue-black dye; unlike henna, its colour result does not depend on the hair’s initial colour.
Why Combine Henna and Indigo for Hair Dyeing?
Henna alone dyes hair orange-red, depending on the original colour. Generally lighter hair turns a vivid orange, while darker hair may turn auburn or mahogany; black hair may only show a subtle reddish sheen in sunlight.
While repeated applications of henna will turn the red darker, this can take a very long time, For people who want instantly dark red tones with a hint of brown, henndigo (henna and indigo) is the way to go. By upping the indigo-to-henna ratio, darker shades of brown, mahogany and “cherry black” can be obtained.
By itself, indigo dyes hair a blue-black colour. Adding henna warms the colour to reddish rather than blueish undertones. As henna is a more permanent dye than indigo, henndigoed hair may lighten and appear redder after a few weeks. Some people like to reapply indigo more frequently than henna to prevent the red peeking through; other enjoy the variation in colour.
Indigo is a much less stable dye than henna. Freezing the paste or powder causes it to lose its dyeing properties, whereas henna can be frozen in both forms. Indigo also dye-releases much more quickly than henna, begging to degrade after only 20-25 minutes. For this reason, the henna paste is mixed up hours before dyeing in order to let the dye release, and the indigo paste is mixed just before applying to the hair.
How to Henndigo With the One-Step Process
For this method, you’ll need to plan ahead. Six hours or so before you plan to apply the paste, mix your henna with any liquids and additions you desire and leave to sit. When dye release has occurred, mix the indigo with water in a separate bowl and then combine the two mixtures. Leave for a few minutes for the indigo dye to release, then apply the paste to your head. Cover the mixture with a plastic bag to prevent it drying out; leave for as long as desired (a longer time makes a darker colour) and rinse out thoroughly.
Henndigoing Using the Two-Step Process
In this process, henna is applied and washed off by itself; the indigo is applied separately. The two-step process tends to produce a very dark result, so is not recommended for those wanting medium-brown hair.
To apply henndigo this way, mix up your henna paste, wait for dye release and apply it to your hair, leaving for a few hours or as long as desired. Just before hopping in the shower to rinse it off, mix up the indigo paste. By the time the henna is out of your hair the indigo will be ready. Apply to your hair the same way you applied the henna, leave for as long as desired and then rinse out.
As this whole process is somewhat time-consuming, the indigo step can be performed a few days later – bearing in mind that your hair will be red/orange in the meantime!
Warnings About Using Henna and Indigo
- Henna in particular is a very, very permanent dye. Oil treatments can be used to remove the dye to a slight extent, but in general the colour is there for good. Indigo is somewhat less tenacious, but should be treated as permanent.
- Bleaching over indigo can result in green hair
- As indigo is a blue-based dye, it may turn grey, white or platinum blonde hairs blue if used without henna.
- Henndigo oxidises over a few days. This darkens the final colour. If hair seems too bright or pale upon emerging from the shower, wait for a few days to see the final result before reapplying henndigo.
- Always perform a strand test to see how henndigo will respond to your individual hair colour. Try doing a few strand tests at the same time with different ratios of henna to indigo, to give you an idea of the colour possibilities available.
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