Henna to Platinum Blonde Journey

I've been growing my curly hair for over 5 years now. Back in May of 2017 I had short platinum blonde hair (basically a pixie) and had struggled to get my hair past shoulder length for several years. My 3B curls have always been difficult to manage and I would always end up frustrated and chop my hair off.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_do...ew?usp=sharing


Around Christmas of 2017 I had three inches of root growth and decided to go completely natural and cut off all the blonde, leaving myself with 3 inches of hair. I was devastated, but I knew if I wanted long hair I had to stop bleaching it.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_bU...ew?usp=sharing


Fast forward to 2022, and my hair is now WL with the goal of TBL. I went to three salons trying to brighten up my hair since my very long, ashy light brown hair started to seem boring to me after all these years. Each visit resulted in me being more and more frustrated, however, when the stylists were not listening to what I wanted. I ended up with a balayage and tone that I didn't like, and I started doing some research on henna.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_up...ew?usp=sharing


I loved everything I heard about it but was scared of how permanent it is believed to be. I also had never tried red or warm colors on my hair because I have a cool complexion, but I shoved my fear away and ordered Khadi's copper hair color and applied it all over my head. And it was amazing. I got so many compliments! It perfectly blended the bad balayage and I was turning heads everywhere I went.


In direct sunlight:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_vr...ew?usp=sharing


I did a second application two weeks later, because I didn't get the roots good enough and I wanted to darken the blonde parts a bit more.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wH...ew?usp=sharing


This worked great for a little bit until I realized henna actually requires serious upkeep. My initial belief was that because henna is so permanent that it doesn't fade, but I couldn't be more wrong. The initial vibrant color faded out after a week or two of regular washing, and when my ashy/grey roots started to come in I was mortified. The idea of having to sit there again and put more of the henna mud on my head and do it over and over, every month for the rest of my life, really overwhelmed me. I didn't like how I couldn't part my hair in the middle and wear braids without my roots loudly announcing that I was not a natural redhead. During this time I have been dealing with a circulation issue of unknown origin and it leaves my skin quite blueish-pink at times, and other times extremely pale. My lips are naturally blueish without lipstick and my eyes are bright blue. I started to dislike the red (which had now faded to an orangish color) against my skin tone. Even though I still got compliments daily on my hair color, I wasn't truly happy and didn't feel like myself. I have always been blonde, at least a dirty blonde, and while I was happy to step out of my comfort zone and try henna, it quickly lost it's appeal and I decided I wanted to do the impossible and go back to platinum blonde. Can I do it? I think I can.


The first step I have taken to go platinum blonde is to stop coloring with henna. Its a very simple first step. I returned my unopened boxes of henna and bought some supplies to try to fade the color. I want to keep the length of my hair as much as possible, but I am open to a significant trim if needed because I've had the experience of really long hair and I am ok with change if necessary. Here are two images of my hair in different lighting and showing how much it had faded after about a month of not using henna and using a Dove's charcoal and clay shampoo with each wash (this shampoo has really helped to fade it.)


In direct sunlight:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a7D...ew?usp=sharing


In the shade:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a8z...ew?usp=sharing


Don't be fooled by the camera though, my natural roots are actually still vibrant reddish orange at this stage!


I then watched countless videos on Youtube and poured through the information here at LHC and discovered several ways people have faded their henna with success. My first fading treatment consisted of mixing Head & Shoulders dandruff shampoo with equal parts baking soda and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I basically just did a mixture I was comfortable with and with every treatment I'm going to mention, I did a test strand on an inconspicuous piece of hair to make sure there wouldn't be any kind of surprise chemical reaction. While Khadi does not put metallic salts in their products, I am extra cautious about my hair and making sure to not lose length if at all possible due to an unforeseen reaction. Also a note is that the Khadi Copper color I used does contain indigo, and in certain lighting I can definitely see the blueish tint of the indigo. So with all these treatments I was monitoring closely for any green to show up. Getting the "green" light to go ahead, I put the Head & Shoulders solution all over my head and left it on about 20 minutes. When I washed it out, my hair was quite sticky and felt really weird, pretty dry too, but it did fade the henna a bit. More of my blonde started to show through and it toned down the roots a bit. But it wasn't anything anyone would notice, (which is why I didn't take a picture), and I would not do this treatment again. I decided to do a different treatment on the same day. I had read in several places online that people have had success fading henna with Indian Aztec Healing bentonite clay, which works by trapping toxins and molecules that are not natural hair. It's been known to entirely strip out normal hair dye from bleached hair so I thought it would at least put a dent in the henna. I mixed the clay with a 1:1 ratio of clay powder and water, and then again half as much apple cider vinegar as water. It began to bubble as it neutralized and after a test strand I applied it all over my head and left it about 30 minutes. Then I rinsed and checked the results and was quite pleased. The combination of the Head & Shoulders treatment followed by the bentonite clay definitely faded and lightened the henna. Again though, it wasn't noticeable enough to merit a picture from me, but the blonde was definitely showing through much more and my roots had toned down as well.


At this point I knew I would eventually need to use chemicals to fully get rid of the henna and bleach to get platinum. I can completely respect anyone who is willing to have two toned hair for five years while it grows out, but that isn't a journey I wish to be on or know what that is like. I've had great patience just growing my hair for 5 years and I'm not doing it again with orange on my head. With this decision in place, I researched Color Oops extensively and decided to do a test strand. And it worked amazing! I left the Color Oops on the test strand for exactly 2 hours, checking every 15 minutes and applying heat with the blow dryer, keeping it wrapped in plastic. When I analyzed it after, nearly every trace of the henna had been removed. I also applied bentonite clay to the test strand after rinsing for only 5 minutes, because I had a suspicion it would not reoxidize if the bentonite trapped the henna molecules while they were small and removed them from the hair. It definitely worked, I was left with a strand that was completely blonde and had my natural color at the roots with just a slight golden cast over the entire thing that is the remaining henna. (Continued in comments)

Some details about this test strand for people with curly hair: this strand was extremely frizzy and quite dry, but not so dry that I was concerned for the integrity of my hair. I also normally use silicones on my hair to keep it moisturized and keep the frizz down, and I had heard that silicones can make the henna reoxidize so I was initially trying to not use my normal go-to conditioner that has been amazing for my curls (Bioterra's Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner, Sally's). I eventually broke down and just used it, and it didn't seem to make the henna come back at all so that was a relief, and it helped to restore the moisture in the strand and the frizz calmed down.


The next day I did Color Oops all over my head. Based on the results I had with the test strand, I would not need to leave the Color Oops on the blonde parts of my hair as long as my roots. I went ahead and applied the remover to all of my natural hair first, saving the blonde parts for the end. Then I wrapped my hair in plastic and went out in the sun to give it some heat. I checked my hair every 15 minutes or so to make sure nothing was melting off, and it was fine. After 2 hours I began the long and tedious process of rinsing my hair. I knelt in the tub and ran the water over my head, setting a timer. After 15 minutes of rinsing I started to notice my hair had more gold tones reemerging that were not present while the Color Oops was on my head. I've heard other people experiencing this too. Right before I began the rinsing process I could see my natural hair completely...my ashy dark blonde roots and the bright blonde parts that had been bleached. There was no red or golden tones on my natural hair before I started rinsing, but the bleached parts were very yellow. So it's kind of baffling to me as to why I couldn't get the stuff rinsed off before these tones came back, but it's also very motivating for me because I got to see my natural hair color again! That means its possible. Also a point to mention, I rinsed my hair in cold water both with the strand test and with the full head application. My reasoning behind this is because when I made my henna mixture I used hot water as directed by the Khadi company. The hot water activates the henna and kick starts the oxidation process. So for me that means if I use hot water during the Color Oops rinse, there is more of a chance that the red tones will pop back up.

After 15 minutes of rinsing I shampooed with Bioterra's Color Protecting shampoo, mostly because my hair was soooo dry during the rinsing it felt like straw, and I know this shampoo is gentle and moisturizing and adds slip to the hair. Yes it has silicones in it, and yes I probably "should" have used the charcoal and clay shampoo to further strip the hair but honestly, this is a long term goal for me with the biggest priority being the integrity of my hair. I wanted to get my hair moisturized and back to health asap to avoid breakage. I can always do another treatment later on. I rinsed for another 15 minutes and did a deep conditioning treatment, Cantu's deep conditioning mask (silicone free), and left it on for about 45 minutes. Then I rinsed and followed with my usual Bioterra Conditioner with silicones to bring my hair back to life. After I rinsed, I combed my hair and let it air dry and here are the results.

The first picture is in direct sunlight and it definitely still shows a lot of gold and brass, but it really is all in the lighting because wow was my hair blonde! Yes its bright yellow and orange shades of blonde, but I can see my natural hair color all through my hair where I had streaks, and there is definite contrast now.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aH0...ew?usp=sharing


And in some lighting it really does look very blonde and close to what I had to begin with.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aIf...ew?usp=sharing


Next day in indoor lighting (no reoxidation yet!)


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aM_...ew?usp=sharing


The second and third pictures are honestly what it looks like more right now, but the remaining henna still reflects very much in the summer afternoon sun. But it is livable. I am feeling more like myself than I have since I started using henna and I am extremely optimistic. I am 100% certain I will successfully be able to go platinum with one or two more Color Oops sessions and a bleach/tone at the salon. My plan right now is to wait a week (maybe less if my hair shows me it's ready) and then Color Oops again for another two hours and see where I am at. The more henna I can remove with this process the better my bleaching experience will be, and the better the results. I don't want platinum hair that has an orange sheen in the sun so I will definitely be removing all of the henna before bleaching.


One thing to note is that with my full head application of Color Oops I did not apply the bentonite clay after...and that may have been why more gold and orange tones showed back up after rinsing. I wanted to, but my hair was so dry and I know bentonite clay can be drying as well. But I plan on doing a bentonite treatment maybe later today or tomorrow (I did the Color Oops yesterday) and hopefully it will still grab some of those molecules and remove them. Ultimately, this is going to be a slow process and that's ok. I like a challenge and I have good patience. I won't be running out and frantically bleaching my hair, I will be taking my time and doing it right and respecting my hair in the process.

I will continue to post pictures in the future on this thread as I do more treatments and eventually go platinum, to prove that it is possible and to give other people hope that may be stuck with a henna color they are unhappy with. I realize I only had two layers of henna on relatively light hair, so anyone else's success will be a unique situation based on many factors. But I suspect with enough patience and care of the hair, it is definitely possible to significantly lighten or remove henna with Color Oops. It may be with some people that it has to be done over and over to cut through each individual layer of henna...so someone who has been hennaing their hair monthly for years would have to expect that they won't see any lightening for several uses because the remaining layers will still be quite dark. I recommend for anyone looking to lighten henna to research all the factors that I did before making any decisions: What kind of henna did you use, and does it have metallic salts? What is your long-term goal and what realistic timeframe can you give yourself to achieve it? How important to you is the length and condition of your hair? And always, always, always do a test strand before committing to a whole head application of anything

A quick update after my first color oops treatment. I noticed significant reoxidizing after washing my hair in hot water a couple days later, and I also think I should have shampooed several times after the treatment and rinsed longer. My hair is lighter but the orange is back. I'm still optimistic because I did see my natural color completely after the color oops had processed for two hours, so I will do another treatment in a few days and keep doing it until the results are permanent!

Doing a quick update here... I did two color oops total and saw such reoxidizing weeks later that I decided it wasn't worth the time, hassle, and smell to bother doing. If it lasted yeah, but it wasn't working long term and my life has become much busier lately. I'm including a few images of what it looked like after the 2nd color oops and then what it looked like three weeks later.

After the 2nd color oops:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wT7...w?usp=drivesdk

Three weeks and a haircut later:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wMj...w?usp=drivesdk

My hair wasn't damaged or anything I was just sick of having long hair and I definitely felt better after a huge cut. I ended up taking 14+ inches off in total from my last post until now.

So what actually DID work for fading henna (not color oops) was using Redken hair cleansing cream shampoo. I finally found a hairstylist willing to tackle the henna in my hair, and she initially did a ten minute treatment with this shampoo and it looked noticably lighter after, so I bought some and used it every time I shampooed for about six weeks until I could get in for an appointment with her. She had done a bleach test strand and my hair felt perfectly healthy after, but there was a slight coral/orange tint remaining. She used redken bleach and 20 volume developer and left it on for 40-45 mins I think. It wasn't perfect, but we both thought it was worth trying and it seemed as though my hair could handle two bleach sessions.

By the time my appointment came around I had cut my hair to shoulder length and it was feeling a lot better for me at that length. The henna felt so "gummy" on my hair and heavy that it started to hurt my scalp having long hair, and I had long hair for over 4 years and it was time for a serious change.

This is what my hair looked like when I arrived at the salon:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wCE...w?usp=drivesdk

It was very, very vibrant still and strangely enough I was still getting compliments on it daily even though I didn't want it anymore. My roots were so grey and ashy next to the henna that it really impacted my self confidence and during this process I had to detach from my hair and my reflection (which is why I cut my hair, I no longer cared about it.) The hairstylist tried a "toning" test strand on the single piece we bleached before to see if it was possible to tone out the orange. She used a level 8 toner with a purple and blue base, and it did come out ashy but it was too dark, also it didn't last after I shampooed, so we agreed we should focus only on bleaching and not on toning. I could have done an all over bleaching (I really should have but I was nervous) but we decided to try a heavy highlight and see how it goes. That would break up the henna visually and give me back the blonde I wanted without risking my hair being fried. She used very thin sections and foils and did the weaving technique for the highlights. The bleach was on the back of my head for a good couple hours while she finished the sides and top, and honestly it probably could have come off sooner but my hair is thick and she had a lot going on, so the back is a bit on the dry side but the rest seems completely fine. She said she left it on until the orange was gone and then we rinsed. In total I think I spent 4.5 hours at the salon. It worked WAY better than the last time, the highlights are completely platinum without any orange henna remaining and my hair isn't breaking or fried.

Here are the after photos from my highlight:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wET...w?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w9E...w?usp=drivesdk

I'm going back in two weeks to have her weave through the rest of my hair and get out the remaining henna. It is still quite obvious which hairs have henna on them in the sun, and its definitely a warm golden blonde overall but its so much better than it was and its livable now. My roots are much more blended with the highlights. My hairstylist was so thrilled to have such success with henna, she had never worked with it before but she considered it a science project and was curious whether she could do it or not.

Some key things that I learned about henna and color oops:

*Henna seems to begin reoxidizing immediately while rinsing the color oops off, there is no way I've found to get my hair rinsed before it comes back.

*My hair smelled like death for a month. If it had worked permanently, it would have been worth it. But no.

*Washing my hair in cold water "prolongs" the success of color oops, but as soon as I use hot water it comes back with a fury.

*Using silicone-free conditioners may have contributed to a longer success with color oops, but honestly it wasn't noticeable if it had any effect.

*A longer-term approach to fading the henna is necessary before bleaching. I have no doubt that using the redken shampoo for a month made the difference between orange and platinum highlights, and I had been fading the henna for 3 months before even attempting to bleach. My thoughts are that the shampoo over time loosens and breaks up the henna and allows the bleach to get in there better instead of sitting on the surface.

*Patience is necessary, this is not a quick or easy transformation!

What didn't work for me:
*lemon juice
*baking soda
*dandruff shampoo
*bentonite clay (definitely some fading but left my hair feeling muddy even after rinsing for days)
*vinegar of any kind
*color oops in general- just a temporary fix imo
*hot water (makes the henna "fire up" definitely dont recommend for fading)

I will post pics after my next session in a couple weeks, and here's to hoping my hair will be platinum ✌��