HENNA - Beware! Why you can’t have chemical processing after henna treatments

Henna:  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – and why you can’t have chemical processing after henna treatments

Henna is a natural alternative to the traditional synthetic dyes used in hair salons. Pure, organic henna, (green henna) is derived from ground-up leaves of a plant. When mixed and applied properly, it creates a long-lasting, permanent red dye without the damaging effects and allergic reactions of traditional coloring products. 

Sounds great, right? Sure … unless you want to change your overall hair color, get highlights or lowlights, get a perm, or a keratin smoothing treatment.  Nope, can't do that if you have henna on your hair.

Bottom Line: Henna creates a coating on the hair shaft which prevents chemical treatments from properly penetrating the shaft. Therefore …

• Henna is not compatible with any type of oxidative color, whether it be permanent, demi-permanent, or lightener/ bleach. You cannot put color over henna (read more below).
• Hair treated with henna cannot successfully be permed (permanently waved) as the absorption time of the perming lotion is increased to such a degree that chemical damage of the hair will be caused way before any permanent curls can be produced.
• Hair-smoothing keratin treatments on hair previously treated with henna or metallic dyes will dramatically lift or lighten your color, with the resulting color very unpredictable. And the keratin may not be able to penetrate the shaft properly, so it can be a waste of your time and money. 

It is possible for your salon professional to try to strip the henna from the hair using alcohol and mineral oil, followed by a deep conditioning treatment, but it is time-consuming and expensive. It is strongly recommended to let your hair grow out from a henna treatment before returning back to conventional coloring products, perming or relaxing the hair.

  

Here’s the skinny on the good, the bad, and the ugly of henna hair treatments:

The Good:
Some Pros of Pure, Organic Henna: 

• Covers grey hair very effectively
• Provides permanent color
• Strengthens, smooths, and seals the cuticle
• Makes hair more resistant to breakage.
• Healthy for the hair

HOWEVER ... If this is a route you you are deciding to go ... you need to read on!

The Bad (Limitations):
Henna is permanent, penetrating and sealing the hair shaft. Henna coats the hair on the outside only, glossing over the cuticles. Synthetic color, as well as perms, relaxers, and keratin treatments, reshape the cortex inside. So, if you henna first, you are applying this varnish on the cuticles. Then, when synthetically processing the hair through a salon chemical process, those cuticles are lifted, pushing the henna inside and chemically changing it, which can make for a very unpredictable and possibly unwanted outcome. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to color over in a uniform fashion with conventional salon color. Chemical treatments – salon color (including highlights), perming, or keratin treatments – cannot be applied until the henna is completely out of the hair. As we said earlier, it is possible to strip the henna from the hair but it is time-consuming and expensive. It is strongly recommended to let your hair grow out before returning back to conventional coloring products, perming or relaxing the hair.


The Ugly (Compound Henna):

Most commercial applications of henna (found in stores) are not pure henna, and are mixed with other dyes and/or chemical salts and other additives which can damage your hair and often reacts badly with the ammonia in synthetic hair dyes which salons use. Unfortunately, many pre-mixed henna powders do NOT have these ingredients listed. Buyer/user beware! 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  PAT ALESSI - SALON 1580 10800 Alpharetta Hwy., Suite 240 Salon Lofts, Lofts #11 and #13, Roswell Market Place Roswell, GA 30076 678-361-4247 pat@patalessihair.com www.patalessihair.com   Copyright © 2015-2016. All Rights Reserved.   Created by: Susan Leonard, Communications Marketing Specialist, Writer, and Graphic Designer

Is Your Hair On Drugs?!

Good hairstylists are part chemist, part beautician, and part magician. How well the shear magic can work can be up to you, with an open line of communication with your stylist about your hair and health -- particularly what medications you take -- and following up on recommended treatments to ensure your beautiful hair stays that way.

“CSI fans know that the most accurate way to identify the drugs a person takes is to analyze hair samples,” says Dr. David Healy, CEO of RxISk.org, the first free independent website for researching and reporting prescription drug side effects. “Hair accumulates drugs when people take them and laboratory hair sample tests are legally and scientifically recognized as admissible evidence in courts around the world. Long before drug effects on hair are widely known, hair stylists are likely to be the earliest observers. Truth be told, your hairdresser could tell you a lot about you and the drugs you take.”

Is Your Hair on Drugs?

The most common side effect of prescriptions drugs and even some vitamins and herbal remedies is hair loss, sometimes significant. In addition to hair loss, some medications may affect hair’s receptivity to hair chemical processing. Because medications are excreted through the hair, they can affect the outcome of chemical hair treatments, including keratin treatments, perms and body waves, and hair color. 

Over the years, hair stylists have come to learn that antidepressants can cause hair to dry out (needing deep conditioning and also requiring more product). Chemotherapy causes hair to fall out and grow back a different color. When a color doesn't "take" in a person's hair, or creates a different color than it should, it is likely because of some medication he or she is taking.  Medications for acne, thyroid conditions, heart failure, high blood pressure, cholesterol, pulmonary conditions, psoriasis, arthritis, and even antibiotics can change hair color. Medications for hormones and high blood pressure, as well as iron supplements can effect the outcome of a perm. Retin-A can cause the scalp to be more sensitive to chemicals resulting in a burning sensation during chemical treatments. Some drugs used for epilepsy, migraines, and psoriasis can make straight hair curly. Hair tends to yellow with hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, or hormone therapy medications).

A free online tool to check Rx effects on hair 
I've discovered a free online tool to check prescription drug effects on hair. It's RxISK's "The Hair Zone" by clicking HERE. You can enter a drug name and receive a summary, as well as report yourself any side effects you have had from any prescription drugs.

Seasoned cosmetologists can take measures to reverse some of these side effects if we know about it up front. Always advise your hair stylist if you are taking any medications mentioned above and/or if you have noticed changes in your hair which may be attributed to a medication that you have recently started or stopped. Tell your stylist if you have had any recent surgery, including cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. 

Medications are not the only thing that has bearing on a good hair processing outcomes. If you have had a henna treatment or have colored your hair at home, be sure to tell your hairstylist during a consultation prior to having your hair colored or a keratin treatment. Measures may be needed to strip the hair of henna or your stylist may need to use different chemical processes.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  PAT ALESSI - SALON 1580 10800 Alpharetta Hwy., Suite 240 Salon Lofts, Lofts #11 and #13, Roswell Market Place Roswell, GA 30076 678-361-4247 pat@patalessihair.com www.patalessihair.com   Copyright © 2015-2016. All Rights Reserved.   Created by: Susan Leonard, Communications Marketing Specialist, Writer, and Graphic Designer