Hey everyone! Just got my Yemeni henna in the mail and already mixed up a little bit with lime juice and water for a strand test. So question 1: I used a black bowl, so how will I tell when the dye is released and it's ok to put on my strand?
And 2, any tips for arranging a large, chaotic hairball into a strand suited for testing so I can really scrutinize the color?
Visible dye release (ie when the paste changes color) is often kind of tricky...a lot of people miss it and end up letting their henna demise before they put it on. Since you used an acidic liquid (which slows the whole process of dye release and demise) I'd advise that about 5 hrs. after mixing, you test a dot on your skin. If it stains yellow or orange after being applied for a minute or two and rinsed off, it's ready to go. The heat of your head will increase the dye release once you apply the paste.
That's if the liquids you mixed with were cool or room temperature.....the warmer or hotter they were, the quicker the dye will release (and demise). If you used hot liquid, apply right now, no time to waste. If you used warm, test it on your skin now.
As to query 2, let me know if you find a way. I've never been able to. For that reason, I've always ended up cutting a small piece from my nape hair and taping one end of it instead of using a hairball.
Make sure you keep your strand test warm to get accurate results. I saran-wrap it and tuck it inside my bra.
Last edited by Velouria; October 6th, 2009 at 12:25 PM.
Thanks for your reply. I noticed that when I rinsed the spoon I was using to mix the henna after a couple hours, it stained the water amber so I went ahead and went for it. I had been soaking it in lukewarm-to-a-bit-hot for a little while since my apartment is so cold. That's a fantastic idea per your bra, for now I have it in a tight plastic baggie squished down, wrapped in a hot-moist towel and put over the heater vent.
I managed to get a strand by gently working the Ball of Doom into a sort of oblong shape, and taping as little as possible around one end, just enough to provide a "handle" and keep it all (for the most part) in place. Worked fine!
I'm afraid I have to update this with a SQUEEEE! It's so gorgeous and rich after rinsing. It's going to be so horribly hard to wait a couple of days to see if I like the color still... or is it a fairly good indication that it'll look good on me if I like it immediately? I can't wait.
Hope this reply isn't too late, but I'd advise to wait. It could very easily look considerably darker and more cool-toned after oxidation, and if that's not what you want, you'd get better results leaving it on less time.
Strand test/dye release questions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks