Re: Indigo vs Indigo/Henna Mix

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Posted by hannahl on July 14, 2004 at 23:06:23:

In reply to: Indigo vs Indigo/Henna Mix posted by Debra on July 14, 2004 at 22:47:23:

: I stuck a 5 day old hennaed hair test into pure indigo about 30
: minutes after mixing it with hot water (the dye release was pretty
: fast). I only left it in about 15 minutes and the strand went from
: coppery red auburn with lighter highlights to almost completely black.
:
: I have been studing Kim from MI's mix and multiple hennas since my
: hair color and cool skin problems are similar. Since I just hennaed
: for the first time last week and the red was a bit too much, I thought
: I'd go right to her 50/50 henna indigo mix on my head and take the
: risk it might just be black. I left it on for about 5 hours and
: rinsed. The red from fresh henna and darker hues from the indigo
: seemed to have colored hair separately. I am pretty happy with the
: pre-oxidation look so far. darker and cooler.
:
: My question:
: The two step process -straight indigo(with water) after 5 day old
: henna made my test strand all black very fast.
:
: The one step mixed henna/indigo after 5 hours has given it a
: predominately hennaed look with dark burgandy color with still bright
: highlights and lighter redish greys. Seems like some hairs are red and
: some are more blackish. The lighter hair didn't absorb the indigo
: like it did in my pure indigo strand test.
:
: Does henna dominate over indigo? Can hair only accept one or the
: other when mixed?
:
: Does indigo have a shorter life after dye release, it did sit around
: for 90 minutes before I mixed it with the henna mix and applied?
: Could the indigo have gotten weaker as the henna got stronger in the 5
: hours? Could the acid in the henna mix weaken the indigo dye when
: they combine?
:
: It just suprises me that something that would make my hennaed hair
: pure black after 15 minutes, would still show tones of highlights and
: shades of burgandy/red when mixed with henna and left on for 5 hours.
: A pleasant surprise, I hope it is repeatable.
:
: Anyone else experience this phenomenon? There must be some scientific
: explanation.
:
: I have pre and henna 1 photos of my head. Will take henna/indigo mix
: photo once the oxidation runs its course.

Just now dried my hair after treating with equal parts indigo and cassia on 8 day old
henna--used a heat cap for even consistent heat and left it on for only 20 minutes. Like
Debra, I find that the lighter hairs didn't grab the dye as well (especially around the roots
and hairline even though I scrubbed it in with a basting brush as suggested by Pam F.) and
I still have a lot of red. No scientific explanation comes to me. I'm not troubled by it
though the effect is much cooler and the red is not too much. maybe I need to leave it on
longer--I was afraid to make it too dark. I tried a hair test too and it didn't come out
black but definitely showed a color change which encouraged me. I need to take new
pictures after oxidation and will post with the mixes site.

Perhaps the cassia adds to the problem of getting the indigo to take on the light hairs.
Indigo may work best by itself. My intention was to dilute the color so it didn't come out
too dark--it may be a better to mix the cassia with the henna and then re-dye with
indigo. More experiments necessary--but for now, I'm satisfied--at least until my next
full treatment. I intend to use the henna leftovers I froze because I'd hate to waste it so I
wonder if I can add the cassia right to the old mix. I'd like to add the indigo too, to do it
all at once, but it may be more effective by itself as a separate process. I didn't try to gel
the indigo because I was too eager to put it on and see what it would do. so far so good--
We'll see how welll it stays.

Follow Ups

Re: Indigo vs Indigo/Henna Mix Debra 00:01:48 7/15/2004 (1)
- Re: Indigo vs Indigo/Henna Mix hannahl 14:41:42 7/15/2004 (0)

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: : I stuck a 5 day old hennaed hair test into pure indigo about 30 : : minutes after mixing it with hot water (the dye release was pretty : : fast). I only left it in about 15 minutes and the strand went from : : coppery red auburn with lighter highlights to almost completely black. : : : : I have been studing Kim from MI's mix and multiple hennas since my : : hair color and cool skin problems are similar. Since I just hennaed : : for the first time last week and the red was a bit too much, I thought : : I'd go right to her 50/50 henna indigo mix on my head and take the : : risk it might just be black. I left it on for about 5 hours and : : rinsed. The red from fresh henna and darker hues from the indigo : : seemed to have colored hair separately. I am pretty happy with the : : pre-oxidation look so far. darker and cooler. : : : : My question: : : The two step process -straight indigo(with water) after 5 day old : : henna made my test strand all black very fast. : : : : The one step mixed henna/indigo after 5 hours has given it a : : predominately hennaed look with dark burgandy color with still bright : : highlights and lighter redish greys. Seems like some hairs are red and : : some are more blackish. The lighter hair didn't absorb the indigo : : like it did in my pure indigo strand test. : : : : Does henna dominate over indigo? Can hair only accept one or the : : other when mixed? : : : : Does indigo have a shorter life after dye release, it did sit around : : for 90 minutes before I mixed it with the henna mix and applied? : : Could the indigo have gotten weaker as the henna got stronger in the 5 : : hours? Could the acid in the henna mix weaken the indigo dye when : : they combine? : : : : It just suprises me that something that would make my hennaed hair : : pure black after 15 minutes, would still show tones of highlights and : : shades of burgandy/red when mixed with henna and left on for 5 hours. : : A pleasant surprise, I hope it is repeatable. : : : : Anyone else experience this phenomenon? There must be some scientific : : explanation. : : : : I have pre and henna 1 photos of my head. Will take henna/indigo mix : : photo once the oxidation runs its course. : : Just now dried my hair after treating with equal parts indigo and cassia on 8 day old : henna--used a heat cap for even consistent heat and left it on for only 20 minutes. Like : Debra, I find that the lighter hairs didn't grab the dye as well (especially around the roots : and hairline even though I scrubbed it in with a basting brush as suggested by Pam F.) and : I still have a lot of red. No scientific explanation comes to me. I'm not troubled by it : though the effect is much cooler and the red is not too much. maybe I need to leave it on : longer--I was afraid to make it too dark. I tried a hair test too and it didn't come out : black but definitely showed a color change which encouraged me. I need to take new : pictures after oxidation and will post with the mixes site. : : Perhaps the cassia adds to the problem of getting the indigo to take on the light hairs. : Indigo may work best by itself. My intention was to dilute the color so it didn't come out : too dark--it may be a better to mix the cassia with the henna and then re-dye with : indigo. More experiments necessary--but for now, I'm satisfied--at least until my next : full treatment. I intend to use the henna leftovers I froze because I'd hate to waste it so I : wonder if I can add the cassia right to the old mix. I'd like to add the indigo too, to do it : all at once, but it may be more effective by itself as a separate process. I didn't try to gel : the indigo because I was too eager to put it on and see what it would do. so far so good-- : We'll see how welll it stays.
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