This was of course going to be very tricky and I knew it. That's why I did a lot of research beforehand because I was afraid of what would happen to my hair. The main problem was that a henna dye is much harder to strip from the hair, and using bleach on a henna-processed hair can be very dangerous and result in a disaster. I was also worried that lifting my hair color, no matter how gently, would definitely wreak havoc on my already fragile locks. But I was so determined to be a brunette again that I was ready to do it all costs.
After a rigorous online research about ways and methods to lighten my henna-dyed hair as gently as possible, I decided to give the volume peroxide (30 or 40 developer) + baking soda method a go.
It worked. Of course I was scared to death and I did strand test first to make sure I don't end up bald or something like that. I ended up with blotchy orange hair with infinite shades and colors ranging from darkest brown to brightest copper. Obviously the root were a lot lighten than the rest of the hair as well. Afterward it was a long jourrney of box-dye experiments and I was applying shade of shade of brown and even blonde to achieve that light brown color I'm after to no avail. I've always been left with more damage and brassiness. I let my hair recover for a few months and then I dyed it a medium brown which came out jet black but faded to a very dark brown within few weeks. This fixed the brassiness temporarily and also evened out the color. Only then, having achieved a decent color, have I decided to stop the dye madness and fix the damage. Here are the few things I did to completely recover the health of my hair which will work for anyone:
- First and most importantly, you have to just cut off the extremely damaged hair. Just get rid of it. Give it a good trim and preferably have a professional do it for you. Don't worry about the length, you'll have to be a little patient but there are some ways to grow it back fast.
- Stop or at leat minimize heat exposure. Luckily for me it was summer and I didn't really have to straighten my hair so that really helped as well.I just left it alone. No dye, no heat.
- Use a good deep conditioner. I simply apply a weekly mask of egg yolk, honey, and olive oil and leave it on my hair for at least one hour then wash and condition as usual.
- Limit hair washing. Just don't watch unless you really have to. This might sound gross but it's really important. Too much shampoo is as bad for your hair as dye or heat. If you can wash it with conditioner only like I do then it's even better.
- Finally, just give it time. If you really have to dye your hair then don't do it more than once a month. Don't leave the dye on for too long. Use a good brand and not cheap one. And if you can, just go to a professional and don't do it yourself. It might be a lot more exspensive but it's totally worth it.