Henna brows treatments are hugely popular for good reason. They are, however, not the best choice for everyone. In this article, we outline the pros and cons of henna eyebrows.
The pros of henna brows are that they are quick, affordable, painless, natural, safe, and effective. They can be a great way to add color, volume, and gloss to your eyebrows. The cons of henna brows are that the effect is relatively short, henna is messy and difficult to use and the results can look overdone and artificial.
What Is Henna?
Henna is a dye made from the leaves of the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis).
It’s believed that the Ancient Egyptians were the first people to use it to color their skin and hair.
The use of henna dyes then spread throughout Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. Now, henna dyes are used all over the world.
High-quality, modern henna dyes are still largely, often totally, natural.
It is, however, important to be aware that lower-quality henna dyes can have chemical additives. Some of these can trigger serious reactions.
This is particularly common with black henna (sometimes called neutral henna).
Why Use Henna On Eyebrows?
Your eyebrows frame your eyes. This means that they deserve to be given a decent amount of attention.
Using henna on your eyebrows can significantly increase their impact.
This in turn increases the beauty of your eyes.
Pros Of Henna Eyebrows
Here are the main pros of henna eyebrows:
Henna eyebrows are quick to do
On average, a henna eyebrows treatment takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
This is about the same as regular eyebrow tinting but gives much longer-lasting results.
It is a lot quicker than semi-permanent tattoos (e.g. microblading and powder brows).
These can take up to 3 hours for treatment.
Henna brows are affordable
The cost of henna brows is usually fairly similar to the cost of regular eyebrow tints.
They are, however, better overall value as the effect lasts for 6-8 weeks as opposed to 4-6 weeks.
Viewed over three years, henna brows treatments probably cost much the same as semi-permanent tattoos.
With that said, they have the advantage of allowing the cost to be spread out.
You can even choose to skip treatments from time to time and live with your natural eyebrows for a while.
Henna brows are painless
Even though high-quality henna dyes are plant-based, you still need to do a patch test before using them.
Unless you have exceptionally sensitive skin, however, the chances of a reaction are practically zero.
Assuming the patch test comes back clear, a henna brows treatment is totally painless. It’s essentially the same as dyeing the hair on your head.
You basically just lie back and let the henna dye do its work.
This is much the same as for regular tint but a vast improvement on the discomfort of semi-permanent tattoos.
Henna brows are natural and safe
Modern henna dyes are still much the same as the ones used by the Ancient Egyptians.
Unlike regular hair tints, they’re free of harsh chemicals such as ammonia and peroxides.
The fact that they are natural dyes makes them very safe for both your eyebrows and the planet.
Some people believe that henna dyes actually have a conditioning effect on the hair and skin.
There is some evidence to support this.
Henna is full of Vitamin E, antioxidants, and proteins. At a minimum, henna dyes preserve the natural oils in your hair whereas regular tint strips them out.
Note that although henna is safe for brows, you should never use henna as an eyeliner. Henna can cause irritation, redness, and swelling and can cause an infection if it gets into your eyes.
Henna brows are effective
Henna brows treatments have stood the test of time because they work very well. They add more color, volume, and gloss to eyebrows than any other eyebrow treatment.
Neither regular tints nor semi-permanent tattoos add the same definition and drama as henna brows.
Cons Of Henna Eyebrows
Here are the main cons of henna eyebrows:
Henna brows are relatively short-lasting
Henna brows do last longer than regular tinted brows.
They can last 6-8 weeks as compared to 4-6 weeks for regular tint.
By contrast, semi-permanent tattoos can last for up to three years (although they do usually need annual top-ups). This, however, also means that henna brows are much easier to fix.
It’s also important to note that the effectiveness of henna brows depends largely on the condition of a person’s skin and hair.
In simple terms, the closer your skin and hair are to “normal”, the longer a henna brows treatment is likely to last.
Henna brows are messy and difficult to apply
Applying henna dye is very different from applying regular eyebrow tint. Henna dye is a paste. In fact, it has a similar texture to toothpaste but without the same stickiness.
Unless you know exactly what you’re doing, it’s very easy to get it everywhere but where you want it to go.
The obvious solution to this is to have your henna brows treatment at a proper salon.
Beauticians only get to treat paying clients once they have had a lot of practice on themselves, other students, and other volunteers.
Had a bad experience with henna? Read my post on How To Remove Henna From Eyebrows.
Applying henna brows at home
If you want to give yourself a henna brows treatment at home, then you need to be very prepared and very methodical.
Here is a quick guide to the steps to follow:
- Make sure the brow area is thoroughly clean
- Mark out the area you want to dye and put a barrier cream around it
- Apply the henna dye carefully wearing gloves to keep it off your hands
Will Henna brows look overdone and artificial?
The effect of a henna dye is very individual.
There are guidelines on how to use it effectively.
At the end of the day, however, a lot depends on the skill of the person applying it. Experienced beauticians will recognize when the henna dye is reaching the color the client wants.
They’ll make sure to stop the treatment at just the right moment.
If, however, you’re treating yourself at home, it can be very easy to leave the henna dye on for too long.
This won’t actually cause your eyebrows any physical damage. It will, however, leave you with clearly overdone henna brows.
The good news is that there are several effective ways of fixing bad henna brows.
So it’s really up to you to decide whether or not henna brows are from you. Luckily, they can easily be removed if you think they are too dark or if the shape is not quite right.