Henna Brows: Does It Work and Should You Try It?
August 02, 2021If you're reading up on henna brows, then we're sure you've heard of tinted brows. All henna brows are a different form of eyebrow tint. They both have their pros and cons, and both deliver roughly the same result—darkened brows.
We suggest doing your research into both options before committing to either. Neither will break the bank or last longer than a few weeks, so there isn't too much of a commitment behind your final decision.
Still, we think that anything you put on your hair, skin, and face should have a good amount of research behind it. With so many harsh chemicals in so many products nowadays, you can never be too careful.
Here at TatBrow, we think keeping things cruelty-free and free from harsh chemicals is so important. We pride ourselves on the quality of our products, so we always want to offer you guys the best and safest ways to get your brows looking on point.
What Is Henna?
Before we get into if you should get your brows tinted with henna, let's first talk about what it is exactly.
Henna is one of the only all-natural hair dyes that can produce the results that they do. Henna is a plant ("Lawsonia inermis") known to grow in hot or dry climates.
Henna is made by harvesting the plant's leaves, drying them out, crushing them into a fine powder, and turning that powder into a thick paste. This paste is traditionally used for henna tattoos and is also used for hair dye and fingernail paint.
Is Henna Better for Your Brows?
Henna is better for your hair than traditional hair dye. Hair dye is packed full of tons of harsh chemicals and ingredients. Considering henna is completely natural, it is a much healthier and safer alternative.
Some hairstylists actually claim that using henna as hair dye results in a healthier and fuller head of hair. This is because the natural dye conditions and strengthens the hair follicles without damaging them, opposed to all other hair dyes.
Unless added, all henna dyes are free from ammonia and peroxides, which is a great thing! Both of those ingredients are known for stripping the hair of its natural color and causing that dry, brittle, and damaged look to your beautiful head of hair.
Of course, when you're just dying your brows, it's not necessarily as big of a deal as when you're dying your whole head of hair, but that's not to say you still shouldn't be mindful of what you're putting on your body.
Henna Brows vs. Traditional Tint
Brow tinting is what most people think of when they get a brow tint. Brow tint is a semi-permanent vegetable dye with a peroxide activator. It's completely safe to use on your face and eyes, and you should expect the dye to last about four to six weeks.
Brow tint isn't as powerful as henna and will not dye the skin; it just dyes the eyebrow hairs. The tint is lowkey and is best if you're just looking to add a small pop of color and body to the brow.
Tinting is a great option for your eyebrows if you aren't someone who wears tons of makeup or doesn't like to fill in their brows.
On the other hand, Henna is a more powerful formula, and you can expect it to stay on your brows for upwards of six to eight weeks. Henna tint lasts longer than traditional tint because the henna will dye the skin behind the brow hairs, which causes the dye to last an extra one to two weeks.
Henna is a natural substance, so you don't have to worry about damaging your brow hairs. Since it is free of ammonia and peroxide, it won't penetrate to the root and cause any issues. Henna has been around for thousands of years and is a natural and safe hair dye.
Some people think henna only comes in one color, and that's red. Henna comes in tons of different tones that can match almost anyone's hair color.
Henna Dying Process
If you've ever had your brows waxed, microbladed, or tinted, you have a good idea of what to expect for a henna tinting process. But if not, no worries—we're going to explain it to you.
Your brow technician is going to clean your brows very well. You don't want to have excess oil or dirt on your brows, as that could mess with the dying process.
Before the dye is applied, the brows will be measured and shaped, so you'll get a nice sneak peek as to what the finished brows will look like.
After they are shaped, a thick white paste will be applied around the brows. This paste is applied so the dye doesn't leak into any unwanted areas.
Once the paste is applied to all the right places, then it's time for the henna! This part is somewhat time-consuming as we're sure your technician wants your brows to turn out perfectly. Henna takes a bit more precision and time than tint as it needs to be pushed onto the skin to ensure it gets into an extra little spot.
The henna will sit on your brows for 10 to 20 minutes and is gently wiped away. Once your brows are dyed and wiped clean, they will be tweezed, waxed, or threaded to complete the look. Almost anywhere you go will have the option for all three. If you aren't sure which one to pick, you could always read up on each hair removal process to see which one would work best for you.
How Often Will You Get Them Redone?
The only downside to doing any kind of semi-permanent dye treatment is that they aren't, well, permanent. Yes, it's nice that you can try something without committing to something 100% permanent, but it can be a hassle if you have to go back and forth to the salon.
How long your henna dye stays on your brows mostly depends on how often you wash your face, what kind of face wash you use, and how often you exfoliate. Some technicians claim that henna can last up to six weeks. Still, others claim it will only last that long if you skip your eyebrows while you're washing your face.
Some technicians claim that henna dye isn't good if you have more dry skin and won't last as long.
Cons of Using Henna Dye
Some technicians claim that henna dye has a few more issues than others are leading on to. Henna can be tough as it is very reliant on skin texture. If you don't have close to perfect skin, it can be very difficult for the henna to turn out even.
Henna is also known to change color slightly as it fades so that it might lead to discoloration for the late half of your dye process.
Pros of Using Henna Dye
Yes, the henna dye might not be perfect, but no brow tint option is. While there are cons to using henna dye, there are benefits as well. It just all depends on what exactly matters to you.
The main benefit to using henna dye is that it is in an all-natural substance. Nowadays, it's genuinely quite difficult to find any kind of natural hair dye or hair dye that isn't super damaging to your hair.
Even though henna can fade easily and doesn't offer a dramatic color change, it's a good option if you want a subtle base shape that you can follow when you fill in your brows. There's no shame in needing a little help here and there, especially when it comes to filling in your brows.
If you're someone suffering from hair loss in the brow area, then henna may be a great option for you as it actually dyes the skin and not just the brow hairs. Suffering from eyebrow hair loss totally sucks, and besides microblading, which is permanent and expensive, there really aren't too many options for you. Thankfully henna could serve you well in this case scenario.
Not only is henna a better, more safe hair dye to use on your hair, but it can also actually make it healthier. Henna has natural anti-fungal properties, so using henna as a hair dye can benefit people who suffer from dandruff or hair loss issues.
Henna is rich in tannins which means it can always prevent you from getting premature grey hairs. Nobody wants to deal with grey brows!
Your hair needs a few things to look and feel healthy, like proteins, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet is the first step to achieving all those things, but henna is jam-packed with vitamin E and tons of proteins and antioxidants. This is why so many people report that henna has left their hair healthier than ever.
Even though it’s weird to think we should hold our eyebrows to the same standards that we hold the rest of our head of hair, it doesn’t make any sense to neglect them. Your brows need to be taken care of too. Just like the hair on your head, your brows can get damaged.
Alternative Options to Henna
There are pros and cons to doing henna dye for your brows, and if you feel the bad outweighs the good, we want to make sure you have a few alternatives to choose from.
Even though going somewhere to get your brows permanently or semi-permanently dyed is popular, we think there is no shame in filling in your brows all on your own. We think it's totally fun and gives you the freedom to switch it up as often as you'd like.
When you fill in your brows at home, you never have to worry about some rando messing up your precious eyebrows.
Some people find it difficult to get their brows looking as natural as their technicians can. Suppose you're getting your brows tinted by a professional. In that case, they're going to turn out very good and natural, but that's not to say you can't achieve that on your own too.
Here at TatBrow , we make our products, especially so they're usable for anyone at any level of makeup application. Makeup isn't always easy; that's why our products are formulated to make the process as stress-free as possible.
If you struggle with getting your brows looking natural after filling them in, we suggest using our Micro Precision Pen or our Microblade Pen . They are perfect for beginnings and will leave your brows looking naturally full and gorgeous.
In Conclusion
Henna eyebrows are yet another eyebrow dye trend. With new trends constantly emerging, it can be difficult to keep up, we know! But that’s why we take the time to do all the hard research for you. Having on-point brows is a must, and if knowing whether to do henna brows or not is going to make or break your brow game, we say to read up as much as you can.
Sources:
What Exactly Is Henna Hair Dye Made Of? | Huffpost
Henna Benefits for Hair: How to Get Rich Auburn Locks | Healthline