Hair Henna, the traditional way
Pure henna and nothing else, no PPD, no metallic salts, no ammonia or peroxide. Just the leaf, mixed to a paste and worked through by hand, the way it has been done for a very long time. Add a head massage and make an hour of it.
Three treatments, three prices
Book two in the same visit and we'll reserve one longer slot so it all runs back to back.
| Colour | |
| Hair HennaNatural conditioning colour · about 30 min | $35 |
| Hair Colour, RootsOpaque regrowth coverage · about 60 min | $40 |
| Scalp | |
| Indian Head MassageScalp, neck & shoulders · about 30 min | $40 |
What henna actually does to your hair
Henna is the leaf of the Lawsonia inermis plant, dried and milled to a fine powder, then mixed to a paste. The colour comes from a molecule in the leaf that binds to keratin, the same protein your hair is made of.
What we use is pure henna: the leaf and nothing else. No PPD, no metallic salts, no ammonia, no peroxide. That distinction matters more than it sounds, because a great deal of what gets sold as henna is a compound product with dye or metal salts blended in, and almost every horror story you'll read about henna is really a story about one of those.
That binding is the whole difference. Chemical colour has to open the hair's cuticle and place pigment inside the shaft, which is why repeat colouring can leave hair dry and porous over the years. Henna wraps around the outside of the shaft instead. Nothing is lifted out, nothing is stripped, and most people walk out saying their hair feels thicker and catches the light better than it did an hour earlier.
What colour will I actually get?
This is the question worth being straight about, because henna does not work like a box of dye where the picture on the front is the result.
- On dark hair, not a colour change so much as warmth. In daylight you'll see a red or auburn cast through the length, and noticeably more shine. Indoors it mostly reads as your own colour, richer.
- On grey and white hair. This is where henna is most visible. Greys take the stain hardest and come out anywhere from bright copper to a deep auburn, depending on how long the paste stays on.
- On light or fair hair, expect a strong, warm result. Less is more here, and we'll talk about timing before we start.
One thing henna cannot do, ever, is lighten. It only deposits. If a product claims to lighten hair naturally, it is not henna.
Pure henna is one colour family, not a shade chart
This is the part worth being blunt about, because it's where expectations usually go wrong. Pure henna produces one range only: red through copper to auburn. That's the pigment the plant contains, and there is no version of it that comes out ash, cool-toned, brown or black.
Anything sold as "brown henna" or "black henna" has had something else added to get there, indigo at best, and at worst a synthetic dye. If a rich brown or a true black is what you're after, say so when you book and we'll talk about a root colour instead. We'd rather have that conversation than have you sit for half an hour expecting a shade the plant can't produce.
| Henna | Chemical colour | |
|---|---|---|
| What's in it | Henna leaf, nothing else | Dye precursors and developer |
| How it works | Binds to the outside of the hair shaft | Opens the cuticle, deposits inside |
| Can it lighten? | No | Yes |
| Shades available | Red to auburn only | Any shade |
| Ammonia / peroxide / PPD | None of them | Usually present |
| Effect on condition | Coats and thickens | Can dry over repeat use |
| Grey coverage | Translucent, tints greys warm | Opaque, matches the target shade |
| How it fades | Softens gradually, no hard line | Grows out, visible regrowth |
A word on "black henna"
We use pure henna, which contains no PPD. That matters because the product sold as "black henna" often does, and PPD on skin is what causes the blistering and permanent scarring you may have read about. Pure henna cannot stain black. Anything that does has had something else added.
So please tell us before we start if you've ever used one, or if you've bleached or highlighted in the last six weeks. Compound hennas leave metallic salts behind in the hair that react unpredictably with anything applied afterwards. Ten seconds to mention, and it changes what we do.
What your appointment looks like
No surprises, no upselling at the chair. Here's the whole thing, start to finish.
A quick look at your hair
Your natural shade, how much grey there is, anything chemical that has been on it recently, and what you're hoping for. Two minutes, and it's what decides how long the paste stays on.
Sectioning and application
Hair is parted into sections and the paste is worked through from the roots down, by hand, so the coverage is even rather than concentrated wherever it landed first.
Developing
The paste sits while the colour binds. Longer means deeper. This is the dial we set based on the chat at the start.
Rinse and finish
Rinsed out thoroughly. We skip shampoo at this stage on purpose. It would lift colour that hasn't finished settling yet.
The next 48 hours
The colour keeps developing after you leave and deepens as it oxidises. What you see in the mirror on day three is the real result, not what you see in the car.
Before and after your henna
Small things, but they're the difference between four weeks of colour and six.
Before you come in
- Arrive with clean, dry hair, freshly washed the night before is ideal.
- Skip oil, serum and heavy conditioner on the day. Anything coating the hair blocks the henna from binding evenly.
- Wear a dark top, or something you don't mind marking.
- Mention any colour, bleach or keratin treatment from the last six weeks.
- Bring a photo if you have a shade in mind. It's far easier than describing it.
After you leave
- Wait 24–48 hours before shampooing. This is the single biggest one.
- Avoid clarifying and anti-dandruff shampoos for the first few days. They strip colour fastest.
- Switch to a sulphate-free shampoo if you can. It buys you a week or more.
- Warm oil through the lengths before you wash extends the colour and suits henna-treated hair.
- Expect it to deepen for two days, then hold, then soften gradually.
The other two
Indian head massage, $40, 30 minutes
Known as champi, and the reason it survived a few thousand years is that it works. Thirty minutes across the scalp, the base of the skull, the neck and the shoulders, which is where the tension from a week at a desk actually collects, even when the headache shows up somewhere else.
A head massage sits naturally alongside a henna booking, and the two fit together naturally: the massage happens while the colour develops rather than in addition to your time.
Root touch-up, $40, about an hour
When you want regrowth gone rather than softened, this is the one. Regular colour gives flat, opaque coverage that matches your length, the one thing henna is physically incapable of doing, because a translucent stain can only ever tint what is underneath it.
Plenty of people alternate: colour on the roots when the grey line gets sharp, henna through the lengths to keep the condition up. If you're not sure which you want, book either one and we'll work it out at the chair. We'd rather do the right treatment than the one you happened to click.
Henna questions, answered
How much does hair henna cost in Truganina?
Hair henna at Drashti Beauty Salon is $35 and takes about 30 minutes. An Indian head massage is $40, and a root touch-up with regular colour is $40. Booking two together in one visit is fine. We reserve one longer slot.
Will henna cover my grey hair?
It covers greys, but it tints them rather than painting over them. Henna is translucent, so white and grey hair takes the colour most strongly and comes out copper through to rich auburn depending on how long it's left on. The result blends with your natural shade instead of matching it exactly.
If you want flat, opaque grey coverage, a root touch-up with regular colour is the better choice, and we'll tell you that rather than sell you the henna.
Is your henna pure? Does it contain PPD?
It's pure henna, the milled leaf and nothing else. No PPD, no metallic salts, no ammonia, no peroxide.
This is worth asking any salon, because a lot of what's sold as henna is a compound product with synthetic dye or metal salts blended in to force a shade the plant can't produce. PPD on skin is what causes the blistering and scarring you may have read about, and it's why "black henna" has the reputation it does.
Can I get brown or black henna?
Not from pure henna, no. The plant contains one pigment and it gives one range: red through copper to auburn. There's no pure henna that comes out brown, black, ash or cool-toned.
Anything sold under those names has had something else added, indigo at best, synthetic dye at worst. If a rich brown or true black is what you want, tell us and we'll talk about a root colour at $40 instead. We'd rather have that conversation up front than have you sit for half an hour expecting a shade henna can't give you.
Can henna lighten my hair?
No. Henna only deposits colour. It cannot lift or lighten. On dark hair the effect is warmth and shine in the light rather than a visible colour change. Anything claiming to lighten hair naturally is not henna.
How long does hair henna last?
Around four to six weeks before it noticeably softens, and it fades gradually rather than leaving a hard regrowth line, which is one of the nicer things about it. Washing less often and using a sulphate-free shampoo will stretch it further.
Does henna damage your hair?
No. It works the opposite way to chemical colour. Rather than opening the cuticle to place pigment inside the shaft, henna binds to the outside of it. Nothing is stripped out, and most people find their hair feels thicker and looks glossier afterwards.
Can I have henna if my hair is already chemically coloured?
Usually yes, but tell us before we start. Colour-treated hair is more porous, so it takes henna faster and deeper and the result can come out stronger than you expected.
If you've bleached or highlighted in the last six weeks, or you've previously used a product sold as "black henna", say so, because those contain metallic salts that behave unpredictably with anything else. We'll talk it through before applying.
How should I prepare for a henna appointment?
Come with clean, dry hair and skip oils, serums and heavy conditioner on the day, anything coating the hair stops the henna binding evenly. Wear something you don't mind marking, and bring a photo if you have a particular shade in mind.
When can I wash my hair after henna?
Leave it 24 to 48 hours if you can. Henna keeps developing after you leave, the colour deepens and settles as it oxidises over the next two days, so washing too early cuts that short and costs you depth.
What is an Indian head massage?
A 30-minute scalp, neck and shoulder massage in the champi tradition, working through the places tension actually sits rather than just the scalp. It's $40 and it's what people book after a long week at a desk. It also pairs naturally with henna in the same visit.
Can I book henna and a head massage in the same visit?
Yes, and it's a common pairing. Select both when you book online and we hold one longer slot, so the two run back to back rather than sending you away and asking you to come back.
Do you do root touch-ups as well as henna?
Yes. A root touch-up with regular colour is $40 and takes about an hour. It's the right choice when you want solid, opaque coverage on regrowth, the one thing henna can't give you.
Do I need to book, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome when there's a free chair, but hair appointments run longer than threading so booking is the safer bet. Booking online takes under a minute and you get an instant SMS confirmation.
Make it one visit
Two or three things together is an easy booking. Everything runs back to back in a single slot.
Hair henna near Tarneit & Hoppers Crossing
Find us on Sayers Road in Truganina, an easy run from Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Point Cook, Williams Landing, Laverton, Deer Park and Wyndham Vale, with parking at the door.
Get the price list on your phone
We'll text you a link to every price, so you can think about it and book whenever suits. One message, and you can stop them any time.