I keep hearing y'all praise henna, but...

[melodee]

Why then don't they use it at most hair salons? I know salons don't always have the best interest of the client in mind, but if it is so wonderful, why isn't it a very expensive option? I don't want to do henna at home, but I'd do a treatment in a salon if it is that beneficial.

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

gooooooooood question. I would guess it's because stylists do what they are taught. In school they are taught that henna is bad. So that is the end of the story. Though since henna is cheap, it would make for a quick profit if they did do BAQ henna treatments. But my guess is that since henna is very dangerous if it is not the right quality. A stylist would basically be rolling the dice, every time they did a treatment. I mean, if a stylist henna'd my hair and she used the wrong kind and my hair fell out....I would first burn the salon down and then sue her for everything she got. but when i do my own henna treatment, i am fully aware of the consequences and I am willing to take a gamble. So i guess it's good that salons dont offer treatments. Though i've read on this board that there are some upscale salons that do offer henna treatments so maybe you should call around and ask, if ur interested....

 

[LaNecia]

I think one of the reasons may be because of the time involved with obtaining a good stain (if you're using is for color).

It should be applied a minimum of 45 minutes (I usually do 3-4 hours) per session. There are also the mixing considerations, in order to obtain a good color release, it should be mixed several hours in advance. Another reason is that the coloring is less 'dependable' than typical salon colors. Your coloring is affected by quality and age of the henna, color release from the henna and agents used to 'push' the henna towards a more desired tone (i.e. coffee, wine, walnut husks, etc).

A lot of people are also uneducated when it comes to henna, many are of the misconception that it can't be used over chemically treated hair which simply isn't true if you use BAQ henna. I even used it over a fresh Bigen application without adverse effects.

Also, how may salons do you know that use much of anything that's not CHEMICAL based?

Why they don't use it in salons may have more to do with the Board of Cosmetology and their approval of the product than stylists choice. There are some stylists that do use it but they are far and few in between.

It's all speculation on my part but I can only say that it works for my (and my mums) hair.

 

[sareca]

ITA with both ladies. Henna is suffering from the ol' saying 'One bad apple can ruin the bunch." Metallics have scared the stylists (as well it should) and all the prep work makes henna impractical.

Also, most sytlists don't want to bother with natural products when there are chemicals (with no expiration date) that will color or condition hair.

With that said, there are some salons (they're listed on Catherine's site) that do henna treatments, so it's not completely unheard of.

 

[JustKiya]

I definitely think that it's a timing and control issue. Henna takes a while - to prep and to stain, and you won't get stunning results (color wise) the first time (unless you're a blond, or otherwise have light hair) and there's really no way to PERFECTLY control the results on multiple heads of hair - because it depends on how porous your hair is, how resistant your hair is, the color of your hair, previous treatments that you've done....a really GOOD stylist might take all of that into account - but most don't have time for all that!

Salons tried to use henna - but they had to add crap to it that made it even MORE of a roll of the dice, so most hairstylists are scared of the stuff - all they have heard is 'Henna will melt you hair off!!!! '

If it wasn't for that immeadiate initial reaction to henna, I'd think that many salons would use it - even if it was just for the conditioning aspects more-so than the coloring ones.

 

[melodee]

All very good points.

But it's a shame there aren't more salons devoted to hair care with more natural products.

 

[meia]

i think timing is one reason but because most women who go to salons already use some type of process on their hair (be it bleaching, dying, perming, relaxing, etc.,) or have in the past and henna really isn't recommended for use by those who have previously processed their hair (and most certainly not when they've done it recent to the time they are trying to get hennaed) because it could damge the hair if not used carefully....

also when they use regular color, they are guaranteed a client every 6-8 weeks...when they have clients who henna they can come in for a re-touch anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months...so they aren't guaranteed that cash in their pocket like they are with clients who use chemical coloring....

also i think the appearance of henna wouldn't be favorable to a lot of customers, even the smell to some people...so i'm thinking that could have something to do with it...i actually like the smell and the appearance doesn't bother me at all! but i agree!!!!

 

[~*~ShopAholic~*~]

I think the reason it's not used in salons is because of our location, henna is not popular among americans, and that could be the main reason. But in other places in the world henna is the norm. for doing hair treatments and body art, plus a bunch of other things I read about it being used to fix.

 

[Dannygirl]

cool beans on that... love u guys for info !