A very dark henna stain on top of the hand in a Persian Gulf henna style.

I'm Not Getting a Good Stain.

There are so many factors in getting a good henna stain, that it's easy to overlook something. These are the most common reasons for light henna color. 

Stain Troubleshooting
A hand with a classic Indo-Arabic henna design with wet henna paste

My Henna Paste is Cracking and Falling Off

Henna naturally flakes and falls off, but if henna paste flakes off too quickly, you will not get a good long lasting stain. There are a few easy ways to combat this problem.

Easy Fixes Here
A dark henna stain of a mandala on the palm with a purple background.

My Henna Stain is Fading Quickly

Henna is a permanent stain. While the henna itself doesn't fade, the natural exfoliating of the skin cells causes the henna design to gradually fade away. To get good long lasting stain we need to ensure many layers of skin are stained and that they are not exfoliated away.

Prevent Henna Fading
Simple henna design on the middle finger with really fresh still wet henna.

My Henna Paste is Too Thick or Thin

Is your henna always too thick or too thin? If you're experiencing difficulty achieving the correct consistency for your henna paste, these guidelines and tips will help.

Get the Right Henna Consistency
Palm side of a an intricate Indian wedding style henna with a seed of life grid.

Henna Texture is Too Stringy or Not Stringy Enough.

Experiencing broken henna lines or poor draping? Do you find your henna too sticky or snotty? Follow these tips to achieve the ideal henna texture for your needs.

Get the Right Henna Texture
Fresh juicy henna lines in a 3 flower group on the top of a hand.

My Henna is Separating.

Henna separation can lead to uneven and thick spots in your cone, causing frustration during application. Factors like freezing, storage, and shipping can contribute to this issue. Luckily, there are easy fixes for this!

Fix Henna Separation
The top of a hand with a reverse henna stain. the finger still have lingering henna stain.

I'm Having a Reaction to Henna

Reactions to natural henna are rare but possible, with nearly all reactions attributed to the essential oils used in henna rather than the henna itself. There are two recognized disorders associated with adverse reactions to henna.

This picture is of a reverse henna not an adverse reaction to henna. This is
what happens when you have a henna stain then you get a tan. Henna acts as a natural sun block so when your design fades you get this fun reverse henna design!

More About Henna Reactions