Henna is a natural hair coloring product made from the extracts of the Mehendior Hena plant. Its vibrant color lasts for 4 to 6 weeks. It is not suitable for weekly use, as the Virtual Hair Care website recommends that it be used only 4 or 5 times a year.
Function
Henna colors and conditions hair. The color lasts for several weeks but, like other coloring products, it fades gradually. It can be reapplied several times a year to care for gradual color fading and new hair growth.
Color Intensity
Repeated henna applications result in a deeper and more vibrant color. Using henna too often may result in the color being too intense.
Considerations
According to the Virtual Hair Care website, metallic salts are sometimes added to henna and, because of mislabeling, it is difficult to establish if the henna is pure. Using henna on a weekly basis could damage your hair if the product contains such additives.
Versatility
The Beauty Advices website notes that the henna plant has been "used to dye skin, fingernails, leather, silk, wool and even to dye hair and has been used for centuries." Henna is widely used by Indian women to dye hair, skin and nails, as well as for body art. According to the Henna Page website, artifacts and written records dating from the Bronze Age reveal that Mediterranean women put henna on their hands, as part of a springtime ritual to secure fertility.