Henna on fingernails?

[kwaniesiam]

In an effort to stop biting my nails, I was thinking of hennaing them. I hate nail polish, it gets chippy and I can't stand to look at it once it starts chipping on me, so I remove the entire job. Anyone have info on henna on nails? What mixture do you use, how long do you leave it on, etc. Also what color does it normally turn out? I'm hoping for a nice red, nothing too orangey or brown.

[kimberlily]

Haven't really been able to find much for you online, and this (http://chatter.thebeautybottle.com/showpost.php?p=7744&postcount=73)is kind of scaring me ;)

[longhairedfairy]

Haven't really been able to find much for you online, and this (http://chatter.thebeautybottle.com/showpost.php?p=7744&postcount=73)is kind of scaring me ;)

Eww! Where'd you find that? Yuck.


This won't help you, but it's kind of neat info. I have a friend from Korea who said that, supposedly, if you henna your nails at the beginning of summer (I think) and you still have any henna left by the first snow it means you'll find your perfect match (significant other).

[Áine]

Kwanie, I would assume that the henna mixture would be nearly the same as you would use on the skin for artwork. I believe I read in an LHC thread that it may take a few separate applications to really make it a rich color. I can imagine how stunning it looks with a nice shiny topcoat.

Do the drawings show up here correctly? I can see them, but I can never be sure if everyone else can. These directions were borrowed from Tattoo-me.com (http://www.tattoo-me.com/usage2.htm)

Usage Directions for Tattoo-Me Henna Kits: http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage1.gif
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage2.gif
Pour henna powder from vial into plastic pouch. Add lemon juice, 4-5 table spoons for a 15g vial (in all Tattoo-Me Henna Kits, except 5)
Mix thoroughly to make the paste reach a toothpaste consistency. Let the paste sit for 2-4 hours at this point
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage3.gif
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage4.gif
Add a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil, 4-5 drops
Keep mixing to squeeze and smoothen clumps
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage5.gif
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usage6.gif
Wrap the plastic bag in a paper towel or napkin. Let sit for a minimum of 4-6 hours for maximum dye release (up to 12 hours at cold temperatures)
When the paper towel is orange, your henna paste is ready to draw with
You can apply your henna paste with either a plastic bottle or with a cone, here are directions for both. If you have ordered a henna paste products from us, a plastic cone has been included for you to try this authentic way of henna application.
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usagetoon4.gif
http://www.tattoo-me.com/images/usagetoon3.gif



Kimberlily, that is quite a striking photo indeed. The next time I see Pierre around here, I will ask him how he accomodates his growing toenails with his footwear. Perhaps he's a sandal man.

[Liluri]

Google and hennapage.com (http://www.hennapage.com/henna/encyclopedia/fingernails/how.html) shows a quiet orange result. I have thought about painting on something like special effects hair dye or brilliant silver white (on ebay) to paint my fingernails purple :)

[Katze]

I'm a henna artist and only ever got a tired orange from henna's my nails. Sometimes I'd do a design to match that on my hand or foot, but it never darkened past the pumpkin stage. And - here's the rub - henna on nails lasts for the life of the nail. That means it's there, and that color, until the nail grows off.

Many people (see www.hennadancer.com for example) get beautiful dark color from henna on their nails (it is hard to see, but Pierre's pic looks like the same nice burgundy) but in ten + years of henna, I never got those kind of results.

However, henna is excellent at curing nail fungus, especially on the foot, and is soothing and healing to dry, cracked skin.

Henna on lips, however, does work.

If you want to try it, mix FRESH body art quality henna with hot water. Let this sit for an hour or so. THen add a few drops of lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, cardamom, geranium, or cajeput oils. These oils have special alcohols that help the henna get darker. Henna the desired ares, staying warm, and leave the paste on as long as possible (prefereably overnight) for dark color and anti-fungal properties.

hth!

[Isilme]

Last summer (or was it the summer before that?) I had hennaed fingernails, and I never got past the orange stage either. I hennaed frequently and did the whole nail everytime I had to henna the "roots". I have long nails and it did seem like the henna faded at the very tips and when I tried to henna it didn't stick for a very long time. I loved the idea of hennaed fingernails, but I got tired of never having a nice colour and grew it out the slow and painful way.
BUT, it did look awesome on my toenails, I got a deep deep red that stuck! But I grew tired of that too, and after a not so good looking experiment with indigo I decided to grow it out. Nothing I used would take away the henna, even hair bleach left it untouched. But since my toenails are extremely thick I sanded down the surface (yes, the surface) of the nail until you could only see the henna if you looked for it. Then I used a nail buffer to give the surface shine again. Remember that nail buffers (those things you use on the surface to give the nail shine and take away ridges) and henna doesn't go very well together, the henna doesn't stick to the nail where you have used the buffer.
I now have about half "virgin nails" on my big toes. The other nails have been replaced several times (but they are tiny;))

[Nightshade]

The only time I've hennaed my toenails my SO dubbed me "Plague foot" for three weeks (I ended up painting over the henna just so I woudn't have to hear about it). So while you CAN get that nice dark color, it's going to take a few applications, and unti it darkens you look like you've been smoking 3 packs a day :ooh:

[squiggyflop]

ive only ever seen henindigo or just indigo on nails.. henindigo was dark brownish red and indigo was a cool blueish purpleish (i suppose it was purply because of the pink tissue under the nail) i liked the way the indigo looked in the picture but i cand immagine what it looked like as it faded.

[kimberlily]

:lol: I remember reading about plague foot, Nightshade! It gave me a good giggle ;)

[kwaniesiam]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to rethink that then...I'm not the biggest fan of orange and definitely don't want to be dubbed plaugenails :drool:

[prosperina]

Someone on LHC had been doing Lush's Caca Noir. It has just enough indigo in it to not get that orange color. I used Caca Brun or maybe it was Marron and I still couldn't get a dark enough red on the one nail I did it on. It was stubbornly dark orange after three applications. That was back in October, and I still have a small stripe of orange on the top of my nail--I should probably cut it off, but I get a kick out of watching it grow out.

But if the Lush Noir worked, it would give a purply red gothic color.

[Nightshade]

:lol: I remember reading about plague foot, Nightshade! It gave me a good giggle ;)

Heh, oh occasion he STILL calls me that. He's such a punk, but I did have to admit he was right.