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Q. How henna works?
A. Henna coats each hair shaft with a natural, semi-permanent
protein called hennatannic acid. Heat causes the hennatannic acid
to cling to the proteins found in the hair (or nails and skin, if
desired). Because henna coats and seals the hair shaft, it helps
protect the hair from damaging effects of sun, salt, chlorine,
wind and pollution in the environment. It can help miminize split
ends and acts as “hair insurance” if you spend a lot of time in
the sun, surf or wind. In addition to protecting the hair shaft,
henna will tighten the hair cuticle and create a more solid
surface which reflects light; the result is gleaming, lustrous
hair. Rather than producing dramatic color changes, henna enhances
and deepens existing color. The darker your natural color, the
less drastic the change will be in your natural color. Because the
color from henna is transparent or “see through,” henna cannot
lighten dark hair; it will, however, add highlights to dark hair
and can darken the color of lighter hair. To determine which shade
of henna is best for you based on your original color and the
desired result, consult Light Mountain’s easy-to-use color chart.
Q. How long does an application of henna last?
A. Most people find that one application lasts from six to 12
weeks, although henna can last up to six months for some people.
One advantage of henna over chemical dyes is that it gradually
fades with repeated washings; as your hair grows out, there will
be no obvious, tell-tale roots.
Q. Can I use henna to lighten my hair?
A. Henna does not lighten hair. If you don't want to
color-treat your hair, you can use our Light Mountain Neutral
(look for the crane on the box) to condition and enhance your
hair's natural highlights without adding color. Email
hairsitesupport@aol.com
to request the neutral color.
Q. Can I use henna before or after a perm?
A. Yes, but you must do a strand test first, since hair
which has been chemically treated will not react to henna in the
same way as non-treated hair. Permed hair may be more porous, and
thus absorb more henna than non-permed hair; the chemicals used in
the perm may also react with the henna in unexpected ways. In
addition, henna may loosen the curl of your perm, or the perm may
remove some of the color of the henna. (If the latter happens, the
henna can be reapplied after a few washings.) Therefore, to be on
the safe side, give your perm a few days to set before applying a
henna treatment to your hair.
Q. Can I use henna over a chemical tint?
A. In most cases, this is no problem. Make sure to do a
strand test before using the henna, to prevent an unforeseen or
undesirable reaction occurring.
Q. I currently use a chemical color treatment. Can I switch to
henna right away?
A. Yes! There are many reasons to avoid using the harsh
chemicals found in many
chemical color treatments. Light Mountain henna is the natural
alternative to harsh
commercial dyes. The sooner you use it, the sooner you will notice
the difference.
Q. My hair is dry; will henna work on my hair?
A. Yes. Henna not only colors hair, its conditioning
properties help bring body, life and vibrancy back to dry or
damaged hair. Henna permeates the hair shaft to strengthen and
enrich your hair, giving hair a distinctive, natural radiance not
found with chemical-based hair colors.
Q. How can I be sure henna will give me the color I want?
A. We always recommend that you do a strand test before
using henna. Although Light Mountain is a gentle, natural product,
it responds differently to different hair types. The good news is
that most people have no trouble using it to color and condition
their hair.
Q. Does henna work on gray hair?
A. In the past, this question has been difficult to answer,
due to the different protein structure in gray hair. However, with
the development of our new Color the Gray! product line we have
taken much of the difficulty out of using henna to cover gray
hair. Our exclusive two-step process uses two separate
applications of henna: First, a conditioning application adds base
color to the gray hair; then, an
application of your desired shade of henna covers the gray
completely. If your hair is more than 10% gray, you should select
one of our Color the Gray! colors. As with our entire product
line, make sure to do a strand test before applying Color the
Gray! to your hair.
Q. Is henna only for redheads?
A. The answer here is definitely no. Henna can be used by
people of virtually any hair color, although it does not lighten
dark hair. By choosing the right shade of henna, you can provide
natural highlights, deepen an existing shade, change your hair
shade or just provide the natural conditioning action of a henna
treatment. And with our new henna Color the Gray! product line,
those with gray hair can now enjoy the coloring and conditioning
benefits of henna.
Q. Does henna come in more shades than red?
A. Yes. There are three major henna plants, as well as
different plant parts, each yielding a different color. Although
red is the most well known shade of henna, there is also a neutral
and a black henna. Blending these three shades of henna in the
right proportions creates a wide range of color variations,
allowing us to offer an extensive line of natural henna colors:
vivid red, rich auburn, chestnut, mahogany, gradations of brown
and deep black.
Q. How much does henna cost compared to chemically based hair
color products?
A. Henna is the most economical way to color your hair. Per
treatment, henna is substantially less expensive than any of the
chemical treatments; henna applications also tend to last longer,
so you need to purchase a new kit less often. Most people find
that using henna will reduce their annual hair coloring costs by
as much as two-thirds.
Q. Does a Light Mountain kit contain everything needed to color my
hair?
A. Just about! Light Mountain is the only brand to provide
you with henna, step-by-step instructions, gloves to mix the henna
and a henna hat to wear during the heat treatment process. You
will need to supply a few common items: Water, a wooden spoon, a
mixing bowl (not metal), petroleum or (preferably) natural
unpetroleum jelly and a hair dryer or other heat source.
Q. Do I need to have henna applied by a salon professional, or can
I do it myself?
A. Henna can be applied at home or by a beauty care
professional. Our comprehensive, start-to-finish instructions and
complete application kit make it easy for anyone to apply henna
safely and effectively at home, with professional-quality results.
However, if you prefer to have Light Mountain applied by your
stylist, simply bring the kit to your next appointment.
Q. Do I need to do a strand test?
A. Henna is a natural product, subject to variations from
harvest to harvest; it responds somewhat differently to different
hair conditions and colors. Because of this variability, it is
essential that you take a “swatch test” or “strand test,” in which
the effects of the henna are tested on a very small section of
hair, before using any henna product. Light Mountain has made this
process easy for you by providing complete, step-by-step,
start-to-finish instructions for testing and using our henna
products.
Q. What plants are used to made henna? How is it made?
A. Three species of the Lawsonia plant are used as henna:
Inermis, Alba and
Spinoza; we know these three as red henna, neutral henna and black
henna, based on the characteristic color that each plant produces.
These ornamental shrubs, six feet in height, are indigenous to
Arabia, Persia, India, Egypt and Australia. They are also
cultivated throughout North Africa, Pakistan and China. The
deepest shades of red henna have traditionally come from Persia;
however, premium grades in other shades often come from other
countries. (For example, henna from Lebanon is lighter than henna
from Persia.) A wide range of henna colors is necessary to create
natural hair colors in deep, true shades. The henna plant produces
a small, fragrant flower which varies in color from white to red.
However, when being used commercially, henna is harvested before
the plant blooms. The leaves are gathered, the veins are removed
and the remaining material is pulverized into a very fine
greenish-colored powder. The main constituents of
the henna plant are fats, resin, mannitol, volatile oil, fixed
oil, lawsone (a
natural pigment) and hennatannic acid (a natural protein).
THE LIGHT MOUNTAIN DIFFERENCE Although the primary plant
species yields shades of red, the use of neutral and black henna
has allowed the development of a wide range of available shades of
henna hair coloring, from pure neutral (a natural conditioning and
highlighting agent with no coloring agent) to a range of reds,
rich browns, dark chestnuts and gleaming black. At Light Mountain,
we never compromise on the quality of our ingredients. We purchase
only the finest grades of premium henna. To ensure true colors for
our whole line of shades, we also seek out premium grades of henna
from other countries where indigenous henna is cultivated. This
ensures that you can achieve the exact the shade you desire when
coloring and conditioning your hair with Light Mountain products.
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