Henna!

[Avozilla]

So I found a thread a while back about henna for your hair, and it got me interested. Now I have a bunch of questions for the ladies who do it.

First, I wanna henna my hair red. I'm also growing my hair out.

So, Where do I get henna that doesn't have any additives?
Is it safe enough for me to be able to do it while still growing out my hair? How often should I do it?
Does it damage at all?
How do I mix it and apply it?
What do you ladies put in it (I've heard lemon juice and olive oil, as well as coffee and tea bags x_x)?
What does putting what you put in it achieve?
I live in a low humidity area, and my hair is harder to keep moisture because of it. What things should I add to help with that, and what things should I avoid adding to keep from drying it out?
How long do I keep it in for?
How quickly does it fade?

I think that's about it.XD Input is greatly appreciated!

 

[mysteryflavored]

So, Where do I get henna that doesn't have any additives? Mehandi.com, or search amazon.com for Jamila henna. Some Indian grocers have it. You want to make sure the henna you're getting is Body Art Quality (BAQ).
Is it safe enough for me to be able to do it while still growing out my hair? Henna is absolutely safe.
How often should I do it? Depends on how rich you want the color to be and how quickly your roots grow out.
Does it damage at all? Absolutely not! Henna is actually a conditioning treatment. Cassia is actually colorless henna that you can use just for the conditioning effects.
How do I mix it and apply it? There is an e-book on hennaforhair.com, explaining everything.
What do you ladies put in it (I've heard lemon juice and olive oil, as well as coffee and tea bags x_x)? I just use tap water and a bit of honey (to help it rinse out more easily). I let it sit overnight at room temp before applying it to my hair.
What does putting what you put in it achieve? All the additives just affect the pH of your henna, which needs to be acidic to release dye. Tap water is usually fine, but you could add a few squirts of lemon juice to be safe. Adding alma powder to your henna will make the color less red, more neutral-brown.
I live in a low humidity area, and my hair is harder to keep moisture because of it. What things should I add to help with that, and what things should I avoid adding to keep from drying it out? Henna won't dry your hair out long-term (maybe for the first couple days), but deep treatments are always nice. Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner is a fantastic deep conditioner.
How long do I keep it in for? I let it sit for about 4 hours, taking care to spend a little time outside so the sun can heat it up, but I've heard times between 1 hour and overnight. Depends on how much color you want.
How quickly does it fade? Henna doesn't fade! The dye molecule (lawsone) binds permanently to your hair.

 

[Avozilla]

Wow! Awesome! Thanks!