Inquiring Minds : Henna – A Serious Note (part 3 of 3)

Click here to see part 1: Henna - How Does it Work?

Click here to see part 2: Henna - Myth or Fact?



Henna has been used by Asian women for a long time and for this reason it is usually regarded as safe. There are some serious concerns about it so if you do venture into Henna, take your time to research it. These are more serious than the debate about whether or not it changes hair texture.



The concerns I’m talking about are



1. Be aware that while the FDA has approved Henna for use in hair, it has not approved it for use on skin. If you are going to use Henna be aware of the serious allergies and scarring that can happen if you do not use pure Henna.



2. The EU consumer body has found that there is no safe level for Lawsone (the dye in Henna) as it can mutate cells. Here is the entire report for you to read.

So why has the FDA approved and not revised its approval of Henna? I think that this is because of several reasons.



1. Long history of use without adverse effects


2. Only Pure Henna is authorised (very rarely are people allergic to pure Henna).


3. The approval limits the use to hair dye. In effect, if only the hair is dyed, there is no interaction with the human body