Hi,
I have used henna for thirty years on my hair and I love it. My problem is I bought a pack of henna sachets from the internet, which were supposed to be chestnut in color, but turned out black!
I have tried everything to get it out naturally but nothing is touching it. The trouble is, I'm in my mid sixties and this looks awful! I am too embarrassed to go out.
Could you possibly advise me on what I could use to rid the henna from my hair, and what won't be too harsh as my hair is quite thin at the front.
Thank you, Carol, UK
Henna is a wonderful natural hair colour, used for thousands of years it is the gentlest permanent dye we have to hand. However over the years people have developed different shades of henna that contain PPD to impart a hue other than reddish copper. These 'black' or 'chestnut' hennas have got the same chemical ingredients as regular hair dyes plus the henna.
This means that they are going to be very difficult to remove and it may even be impossible. I once, many years ago, used black henna on my own hair and then a couple of months later attempted to lighten it. My hair went swamp creature green and I needed to chop it all off.
I suggest going to a competent colour specialist to see if they would take a test piece of your hair. They will be able to try and see if your hair will lighten properly.