Happy Friday!

If you use chemical dyes on your hair, this is a must read. If you know someone who uses chemical dyes, please make sure they read this post or do their own research on the dangers of chemical hair dyes and the natural options available. As far as I know, and I have researched this topic extensively, there are two non-chemical, non-cancer causing options for dealing with grey hair – 1) embrace the grey (a great option) or 2) use henna to color hair.

can chemical hair dyes cause cancer?

The harsh reality is that chemical dyes are toxic and dangerous to your health. If you google, “does chemical hair dye cause cancer” you will find at least one statement in common throughout the various articles from numerous organizations (both those supported by chemical manufacturers and those undoubtably against those manufacturers) and that statement is – studies have shown that chemical hair dyes (especially permanent hair dyes) cause a”borderline increase” in the risk of blood-related cancers, which include leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Those organizations in favor of the chemicals industry will follow up that statement with, “the link was ‘too weak to represent a major public health concern.'” Not only are people who chemically color their hair at risk, but also barbers, colorists and stylists who are exposed to large amounts of hair dyes, both permanent and semi-permanent, on a daily basis are at serious risk. There is little dispute that individuals in those industries have an increased risk of bladder cancer.  I may not work in a salon but having used hair dye directly on my scalp at least once a month for over a decade, I think I have a reason to be concerned. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Andrew Weil’s article, Can Hair Dyes Cause Cancer, “In general, I discourage use of hair dyes containing artificial coloring agents, which to my mind are as suspect in cosmetic products as they are in food. More than 5,000 different chemicals – some of them carcinogenic in animals – are used in hair dyes; these can be absorbed through the scalp, with its rich blood supply and be carried throughout the body.” Check out Dr. Mercola’s article, Can Hair Dyles Give You Cancer, which lists the typical chemicals in hair dyes including para-phenylenediamine, tetrahydro-6-nitroquinoxaline, coal tar, formaldehyde, DMDM Hydantion, and Eugenol. In the end, only you can decide what’s best for you and your body but there is certainly enough evidence that chemical hair dyes can cause serious health issues. The good news is that there is an alternative!

henna covers grey! 

I started seeing a grey hair or two in my early 20s and began coloring my hair probably closer to the age of 30. If you color your hair, you know, it’s a major strain on your time, your patience, your finances and most importantly, your health. Once I left my office job at the law firm, I decided I was either going to rock the platinum locks or find a natural way to cover my greys. No more toxins! There are many types of henna on the market and even more methods of application. It took a significant amount of time, research and experimentation but I can report from my own experience that henna does cover grey! Is it an overnight solution? Unfortunately, no. I hope to make it easier for you though by telling my henna journey.

I tried henna many years ago and gave up after one failed start. I began my most recent henna experiment on December 23, 2016. Today is March 31, 2017. I have not used chemical dyes in three and a half months. That is huge after spending the last 15 years dying my hair every 3 and then every 2, weeks. HUGE. I am happy to report, after months of working out most of the kinks, I love using henna to cover grey. Dumping chemicals into (yes into) my head was not the healthy solution. Especially for someone who writes a blog with health and beauty tips. Before I talk about my most recent, positive henna experience, I’ll tell you about my henna nightmare.

my first (short-lived) bizarre, henna experiment 10 years ago

Maybe I do not need to tell this story but I cannot not tell it either. I first tried the packaged henna to color hair – the kind you buy at a store like Whole Foods. It was disaster. I had read that henna could be messy so I put on a flimsy, stained, shrunken, pajama-type ‘moo moo’ aka ‘house pajama.’ I applied the henna, wrapped my head in plastic (the kind you use for leftovers) and set the timer.  As I was waiting for my hair to transform into a beautiful shade of medium brown, I took a magnesium pill with some cold green tea. My throat closed up entirely. The combination gave me a serious allergic reaction. So as I am panicking my nearly exposed as$ off, I pictured the scene – I would be discovered dead in a flimsy, stained nightgown with green mud-like henna caked all over my head. Hells no, I was NOT going down like that. I remember hearing that panicking only makes the muscles constrict. I started to calm down and imagined my throat muscles loosening up. Eventually, I was able to get a little cough out, sip some water and then coughed my head off for a good long while. I had a sore throat for a couple days at least. The henna never changed the color of my hair and the whole experience was, well, just bad. By the way, I did some research to see if magnesium and green tea were a generally dangerous combination and found nothing on the subject so it must have been a reaction unique to my body and chemical make up. In any case, I vowed never to wash down a magnesium pill with green tea, gave up on henna and went back to the chemical dyes. Eventually, I found better options such as Aveda and Inoa dyes. However, even those contain harmful cancer-causing chemicals. Once I quit my job at the law firm, I started researching non-chemical options again. I knew there had to be another solution. Maybe it was to go grey gracefully and I was prepared to do that. After much searching, I came across a blog written by a woman with gorgeous thick, dark hair, and realized my henna story was not over after all.

henna experiment TAKE TWO

Rozalia is a Romanian-born woman living in Italy. Like, me, she was mostly grey and tired of using chemicals to color her hair. She found great success with henna to cover grey and started writing about it. Once I found Rozalia and her blog –  www.beautyfoodtips.com, it was ON. Again. It turns out, the pre-packaged henna is not pure. Also, many henna users suggest adding things like coffee grinds or lemon to the henna and to let it sit for hours before applying. Rozalia’s approach is different – she recommends a blend of 3 types of pure henna – Lawsonia (red henna- covers grey); Indigo or Katam (dark shade); and Cassia (a neutral color)- mixed with warm water and applied right away.

Use Henna to Color Hair

I purchased the henna from Rozalia and over the Christmas holiday in Massachusetts, my niece Emily and I got to work on my roots. Once applied, my newly henna’d head was wrapped in plastic wrap and covered with a wool cap to keep it warm. The waiting time is about 4 hours. Yes, I know, stay with me. There is a good ending to this story. It took 3 experiments over the course of 10 days and different henna combinations before we saw any grey coverage but eventually, it covered. Holistic approaches are rarely quick fixes but with a little faith and a lot of patience, they work. Henna costs about $8 per home application and that’s even considering the shipping from Italy. That’s quite a savings if you consider the cost of chemical dyes.

Once I got back to Miami, I kept experimenting. Future henna experiences included orange roots for me and fuchsia for my friend Anne. Not the look we were going for. With each experiment, the results got better and better. I almost blogged about the wonders of henna to color hair in January but I still had more experimenting to do. See aren’t you glad I’m doing all the experimenting for you?! Here I am three and half months later, henna’d and happy. Henna works for me and I’m sticking with it until I decide to rock the grey locks. You should always consider going au natural. My friend Sheri beautifully embraces her gorgeous, curly silver/grey locks. Some people have the face and the guts to rock the grey. Eventually that will be me. Until that day, I will continue to use henna and share my trials and tribulations with you. This will not be the last blog post on the subject. For now, I will offer you some henna dos and don’ts.

beauty tips and tricks for using henna

• If it’s not wool cap wearing weather where you are, wear a baseball hat or beach hat. I usually only dye the roots so I can keep a ponytail out. That way, no one is aware of the alchemy taking place underneath.
• Do not give up.  Even now after many experiments, my roots, which are dark after I wash out the henna, turn a light brown/dark blonde color once the final oxidation process has completed (about three days). Also, the hair just next to the roots remains dark, which creates a contrast. The nice thing about henna is that if you do not get the desired results you want, you can henna over it the next day or two and it’s easy enough to do from home. You can always wear a scarf headband like my friend Anne did after I dyed her roots bright pink and she had to go to work. She came to see me for a redo the next day. While I have yet to achieve my dream color, the grey is covered and I have received many compliments on my hair. For sure, my hair is thicker and healthier than ever before. I’m also taking a biotin supplement so that could at least be partially responsible or thickness. I’m hennaing every two weeks, which seems like a lot but I was chemically dying my hair every two weeks towards the end anyway. I’m overall happy with my results and will keep blogging about my experiences.
• Keep a journal. You will want to document the combinations and the dates so you can finally achieve your desired results. Rozalia never said this would be easy or a quick fix. I am currently using a 30% lawsonia, 55% katam and 15% cassia. Everyone’s hair is different and will take the color differently. Proceed to the next tip.
• ALWAYS do a strand test first. Don’t make the same mistakes we did unless it’s close to Halloween and you want to make an entrance.
• Do your research. I highly recommend you visit Rosalia’s blog www.beautyfoodtips.com and consider purchasing henna from her. You will find many videos featuring Rozalia, who is about 80% grey like me and colors her hair with henna exclusively. She knows everything there is to know about henna. By the way, I receive absolutely no discounts or kickbacks for this promotion. I am just so very thankful that I found a chemical-free method through this amazing woman. I am happy to share this not-so-secret secret with anyone who will listen.
• Avoid the hassle and go to the salon for the application. After applying henna myself or having a friend apply it for me several times, I decided that the best solution was to have my super, awesome, beautiful, fabulous hair stylist, Manuela, apply the mix at her salon, Red Carpet Salon. The salon just opened last month in Coral Gables. Manuela used to apply henna (henné in French) for her clients in Paris before she came to Miami. Make an appointment with Manuela (again no kickbacks, I just love her!) or ask your salon to carry and apply henna. I went to see Manuela for my last henna application a couple of weeks ago and am thrilled with the results. Manuela applied the henna and saran-wrapped me. I put on my hat and was ready to go to a dinner party at a friend’s house. After 4 hours, I was itching – literally – to wash it out but what’s a little pain when there is so much to gain? A salon application is the way to go if you need a full-head roots application, not just a front touch up, which is easy enough to do yourself.

Nota bene: I have read that henna will not cover grey for blondes and is best for people with red, brown or black hair. However, based on my own roots results, I think blondes with a significant amount of grey hair could achieve a light brown color. We are all different. Experimentation is the only way to find out what works for our unique, bad-as$ selves. Also, a note for blondes, I understand from my research that the dye used on blonde hair is much less toxic than the dye used on dark hair. The darker the shade, the more dangerous the dye is on health. Also semi-permanent dyes have less chemicals so are a healthier choice.

Happy henna-ing! If you use henna or try henna for the first time, please keep in touch about your experiences – especially for henna covering greys. Together we are stronger!

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