Henna, popularly known as Mehandi is a hair coloring dimension from hundreds of years. It is a symbol of modern fashion to many women and men. Mehndi or heena, is widely used in India specially on auspicious occasions like weddings, religious ceremonies etc. Mehndi is widely used in India by girls to make tattoos on her hands and feet.

Mehendi is also be used as important health benefits that includes its ability to relieve headaches, detoxify the body, improve nails, protect the skin, boost hair health, cool the body, reduce inflammation, and speed healing. As the sole species in the Lawsonia genus, henna has many different names across the globe, including hina and Egyptian privet, but they are all describing the same remarkable plant, which has the scientific name Lawonia inermis. You can identify a henna plant by its small white or pink flowers, as well as the small fruit it bears. Henna can be used in a wide variety of ways, including its dye form, as well as in aqueous extracts, tinctures, and salves, composed of the bark, seeds, or leaves. heenna also used for the tattoo or mehendi for hand decoration.

Benefits of Mehndi for Health:

• Mehndi / Henna Improved Nail Quality

  To maintaining healthy nails, we need to make sure that the cuticles and space under the nails are prime locations for infection and bacterial presence; therefore, treating your nails with henna is a wise choice. Drinking the water in which leaves have been steeped helps to prevent nails from cracking and also reduce inflammation. Applying a poultice directly to the nail beds can clear up irritation, pain, and infection in the nail beds.

• Anti-aging Properties of Heena/Mehndi  

  Although the antioxidant capacity of henna has not been widely studied, the oil has been proven to be an astringent, which has led some people to use henna juice and oil on the skin to reduce the signs of aging and wrinkles, as well as the unsightly appearance of scars and other blemishes. This is complemented by the antiviral and antibacterial effects that can protect the body’s largest organ – the skin!

• Mehendi helps in Wound Healing

  Mehendi is also used for protecting the skin against infections and eliminating inflammation. Henna (mehendi) has been applied to burns, wounds, and scrapes for generations as it can add a protective layer against foreign pathogens and substances along with it has natural cooling abilities that literally suck the heat from the skin. This makes it very useful for sunburns, in a similar capacity as aloe gel.

• Mehendi helps in Fever Cure

  Mehndi is also used to bring down fevers. According to Ayurvedic traditions people who are suffering from very high fevers should be treated by cooling the body temperature as it can be dangerous for organ function and metabolic processes. Bringing the overall temperature of the body down is essential, and henna can accomplish this by either inducing sweating and effectively “breaking” the fever, or simply cooling the body and providing some relief.

• Mehendi helps as a Headache Reliever

  The juice of the henna plant is not always praised as being particularly beneficial, but in fact, the juice of the plant can be directly applied to the skin for fast relief from headaches. The anti-inflammatory effects of the compounds found in henna help it reduce that tension and promote healthy blood flow in the capillaries, which is a common cause of headaches and migraines.

• Mehendi consider as Anti-inflammatory Capacity

  In a similar vein as the headache solution outlined above, henna oil is used topically for arthritic and rheumatic pains. As we age, our joints become more painful as cartilage and muscle deteriorate. This can result in painful inflammation in many different parts of the body. By applying henna oil to the inflamed or affected areas, you can guarantee a healthier and broader range of motion to maintain an active and happy life.

• Mehendi helps in Reduced Sleep Issues

  Henna oil has been directly linked to alleviating certain sleep disorders, so if you are suffering from insomnia or chronic restlessness, adding a bit of henna oil to your herbal regimen can get you back into a regular, restful schedule of sleep by soothing the body and mind, easing it into a relaxed state before sleep.

• Mehendi helps in Detoxification

  By soaking the bark or leaves of the henna plant in water and then consuming the consequent liquid has been connected to improved spleen and liver health. The liver is a crucial level of protection for the body, and helps to eliminate the toxins that accrue in the body. By optimizing its function and ensuring its health, you can prevent a wide range of other health conditions.

• Mehendi helps to Regulated Blood Pressure

  One of the most important and undervalued effects of henna is as a heart healthy herb. If you consume henna water or seeds, you can enjoy a hypotensive effect that relieves stress on the cardiovascular system and effectively lowers blood pressure. This can help prevent the plaque and platelet build-up in the heart and arteries, preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Henna Side Effects And Precautions

Overall it is crucial that we should ensure that the mehndi dry powder that we are using should be 100% organic. As this is because most henna(mehendi) powders available on the market include harsh chemicals such as PPD (Paraphenylenediamine) to improve the color results. These chemicals can cause the following problems / side effects of Mehendi/heena:

Paraphenylenediamine is an allergen that can cause adverse reactions upon contact with skin. You might not have a reaction from the first couple of uses, but the more your skin comes in contact with the chemical, the more likely you are to have an allergic reaction.

The chemicals added to henna powders can also be extremely drying. The chemicals may end up overprocessing your hair, causing it to become rough, dry, and unmanageable. This leads to issues like breakage, bad hair texture, and extremely unmanageable hair.

If henna comes in contact with your eyes, it can cause redness, irritation, watery eyes, and itching. If this happens to you, rinse your eyes with cold water immediately. If problems persist, visit an eye specialist as soon as possible.

Among the most commonly known benefits of henna for hair is that it is a natural hair colouring agent and conditioner that helps to grow your hair. Mehndi is a natural herbal powder which is not only used for coloring hair, but also helps to prevent dandruff and scalp itching.

Benefits of Mehndi (Mehendi or Heena) is for both hair and health:

Benefit of Heena (Mehendi /Mehndi) for Hairs:

Mehndi a natural hair color: If we are reluctant to use chemicals on our scalp and also want to cover greys, then henna is a natural alternative. Henna is a natural hair dye that colors the hair without any harmful side effects unlike some hair dyes. As it naturally dyes the hair to impart a reddish brown color, it can cover the greys. Since, Henna is slightly dry in nature therefore mixing and egg in it, makes the same product very hydrating and nourishing.

How to make paste for hair:

• • • Make paste of henna using water. The quantity has to be adjusted as per the hair length, hair thickness etc.
    • Do not make the paste too thick which becomes hard to spread through or too runny will make the henna application a messy affair.
    • Mix and egg and some lime juice into it. Apply the paste on the hair and let it dry for at least 2-3 hours. Wash off with lukewarm water.
    • Do not shampoo immediately after rinsing henna. Doing that will fade the color and its intensity.
    • Shampoo the other day or the day after if needed. After the hair wash, apply hair oil to seal in the color.

Henna to control dandruff and scalp itchiness:

Henna controls scalp itchiness because of it’s cooling soothing nature. It is antimicrobial, antifungal due to which clears the scalp infection as seen when one is suffering from dandruff with dry itchy scalp. Dandruff is caused by the fungal infection. Henna along with some other potential herbs can be a great way to cure the dandruff along with healthy, shiny hair.

Henna has antifungal and antimicrobial properties that cool and soothe your scalp. This controls scalp itching.

How to make Mehendi for Dandruf:

• • • Soak methi seeds in water overnight and grind the next morning.
    • Add henna and mustard oil.
    • Apply this paste on your scalp and hair.
    • Rinse it off after 30 minutes with your regular shampoo. Don’t forget to condition your hair.
    • or
    • Grind a cup of henna leaves, half a cup of neem leaves and half a cup of tulsi leaves with water.
    • Apply the paste on your hair and wash off after an hour. This natural treatment using henna will remove dandruff and relives dry itchy scalp. Apply almond oil after the wash.

Henna for deep conditioning hair:

Henna has a slightly drying effect on the hair but when it is mixed with eggs it becomes extremely hydrating. Henna and eggs make a great deep conditioning mask.

• • • Make a regular tea decoction and let it cool.
    • Mix enough henna powder till it forms a thick paste.
    • Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
    • After 30 minutes, add 2 tablespoons curd.
    • Now apply this paste to your hair.
    • Rinse off with a mild shampoo after an hour.

Henna for damaged hair with splits ends:

When the hair is dry, dull, brittle and have loads of splits ends, henna treatment can be a good cure to reverse the damage from the hair. Henna nourishes and conditions the hair.

• • • Henna powder, 2-3 teaspoonful of avocado oil and an egg.
    • Make a paste of the henna powder with some water. Keep the consistency medium so that it can be spread easily but not too runny.
    • Add the avocado oil and an egg in that henna paste. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
    • Apply it all over the hair and try to cover every hair strand.
    • Keep this for 2 hours or at least for an hour. Wash off with luke warm water.

Henna remedy for hair growth and reducing hair fall:

Henna is a wonderful natural remedy for hair growth. Henna treatment helps controlling hair fall, hair grows faster and makes hair grow thicker.

• • • Take some henna and make a paste with water.
    • Take half a cup of fenugreek seed in water at night. Keep both these things at night.
    • The next day, grind the fenugreek seeds with some water to form a paste.
    • Mix this fenugreek seeds paste with henna paste and add some amla powder in it. Apply this paste on the hair and scalp.
    • Keep for 2-3 hours and wash off with tepid water.

It will give a reddish tint. This remedy controls the hair fall due to the presence of henna and amla as vital ingredients in it and fenugreek seeds help hair regrowth and reducing hair fall. This is a tried and tested treatment with no side effect but all the benefits in achieving healthy hair.

Author: Diksha Kesharwani