Henna or BKT to get out of hair rut??

[winterinatl]

Ladies, my little sister is on the board, and would like your opinion about Henna vs. BKT to switch things up a bit.

She is a natural 4B, with THICK chin/shoulder length hair that usually is worn in a puff.

She doesn't do much with her hair but saw some of our threads in google about henna....I think she wants to loosen the pattern a bit w/o relxing b/c the relaxer gave her scalp problems.

She says she wants

to have healthier hair and a change of pace...either new color or new texture

I have told her about my BKT experience but she hasn't seen pics yet. Her name is 'nwlady' on the board.

Welcome to the board, lil sis

 

[winterinatl]

Well, say something NWLADY

 

[NWlady]

Hello!

I hate paypal but here i am. So i've been doing some "research" about henna coloring and conditioning and it sounds pretty good, and have heard about brazilian keratin treatments. But i'm kinda torn between the two.

On one hand i've been thinking of doing a semi permanent dye for ****s and giggles, and on the other hand i might want to try straight hair again (big chop back in 05). I've got loads of split ends and breakage because i neglect my hair mostly due to busy schedule and aziness. But after i get my hair trimmed up i want to try something new.

suggestions and thoughts would be wonderful.

 

[winterinatl]

Sissy you can't swear lol

 

[msa]

Welcome!

Henna would be great for color if you want something in the red/burgundy family. But, if your hair is really dark it won't make much of a difference. Also, henna doesn't always loosen the curl pattern so it won't help with the texture difference you want.

BKT is an option if you want a change in texture. But, if your hair isn't already in good shape, I wouldn't recommend it just because it could end up badly due to the heat required. But I'm also not a BKT expert so don't take my word for it.

I think if you want a color change, a rinse is a good idea and probably the easiest thing to do. If you want a texture change I'd try going for a rollerset or flat iron first. Or just try some new hairstyles like twistouts and braidouts.

Also, wearing your hair in a puff all the time is causing you breakage, tangles, and knots. I would avoid them if your trying to get your hair to retain length.

 

[winterinatl]

Thanks MSA, I'm working on trying to get some pics of her up

 

[NWlady]

Okay..

here is a random sample of my head. I don't wear my hair straight but maybe 4 times a year. The shiny ness is 100% light murrays hair grease. Bet you can't tell what my favorite hairstyle is

http://img191.imageshack.us/i/cimg0857.jpg/
http://img22.imageshack.us/i/img0012asz.jpg/
http://img6.imageshack.us/i/cimg1228large.jpg/
http://img191.imageshack.us/i/cimg1454.jpg/
http://img191.imageshack.us/i/fuzepics188.jpg/
http://img13.imageshack.us/i/fuzepics094.jpg/
http://img9.imageshack.us/i/imag0105h.jpg/

 

[msa]

I love your hair. It's so luscious. I wear my hair in that "rosa parks" style all the time but it doesn't look nearly as good when I do it.

 

[NWlady]

Gee thank you!!!

Honestly though, these pictures are when i was actually going out or something. Otherwise i tend pull back a puff and tie a scarf on the top to mash the fuzzies down. I think thats wear most of my breakage comes from.

But I wonder which treatment (bkt or henna) might be the best for giving more style options, easy of wear, and stuff like that. But i do plan to give the hair a decent cut cut

 

[msa]

But I wonder which treatment (bkt or henna) might be the best for giving more style options, easy of wear, and stuff like that. But i do plan to give the hair a decent cut cut

Well henna is mainly a conditioner and dye. It's really not going to make a drastic difference in styling and giving you more options.

I think if you want a change in texture/style then bkt is a better option than henna. Your sister can tell you all about it.

But, until you make a decision I suggest getting your hair as healthy as possible through dc'ing, moisturizing, and protecting your ends. That way you have the best results no matter what you choose.

 

[winterinatl]

Well henna is mainly a conditioner and dye. It's really not going to make a drastic difference in styling and giving you more options.

I think if you want a change in texture/style then bkt is a better option than henna. Your sister can tell you all about it.

But, until you make a decision I suggest getting your hair as healthy as possible through dc'ing, moisturizing, and protecting your ends. That way you have the best results no matter what you choose.

I think that is great advice.

 

[dany06]

I've tried both. In my opinion to get the desired look from either henna or a BKT you must do the application more than once. It took 3 applications for my hair to feel silky and look glossy with henna. This was with doing one every week. It takes 2 applications for my hair to feel silky, look glossy and be quite a bit looser with a BKT. This works if you can do it again soon after the first application. After doing that you will find that your results last longer. Unless your sis is prepared to find new products henna would be more cost effective. With henna she could use her current products with no problem. Now a BKT would require your sister to maybe buy new hair products that contain no salt if she wants the effects to last longer. I also find that a BKT can easily be stripped while henna is more permanent. From my experience henna works better on natural hair versus a BKT.

All I can say is tell your sister to try henna a few time first. If that doesn't work out then she could move on to the BKT. Luckily you can use a BKT over henna hair.

 

[Pandora1975]

Hiya. MSA (who is always right) is right again. I think I primarily did a henna treatment for a change. It didn't make a huge visual change for me, but my hair felt stronger from it, so I guess it freed me up to try other styles. Being that it is the simpler of the 2, and I think you're feeling like I was, give it a shot. Just be sure to do the strand and allergy test first since you already know you have a sensitive scalp. I want to BKT also, but I'm saving that for when I reach BSL as a reward.