Beirut, London- An unusual new hair treatment is being used in a Lebanon hair salon in an attempt to move away from chemical masks.

At the Abed & Samer Beauty Salon in Beirut, hairdressers are applying chocolate to renew damaged hair.

“A woman would come from the beach with her hair damaged, we tried to come up with a treatment with no chemicals and we found out chocolate is very good. It covers the hair and brings its vitality back. It also helps the woman find wellness and back in her hair,” said hairdresser Abdallah Itani to Reuters, explaining how the idea came about.

He said the treatment is the first of its kind in Lebanon and has been in high demand since it was introduced.

The 34-year-old hairdresser, who has been in the business since he was 14, said chemical masks can sometimes damage hair, while chocolate is only beneficial.

“The customer demand is very high, many are asking for the treatment and are repeating it more than once or twice,” Itani said.

One client who tried the treatment, a Syrian woman living in Lebanon, has since become a regular at the salon.

“I heard about it and tried it about six months ago or more. Since then, I come here to receive it once a month because I benefited a lot from it, since it is natural and not chemical, and I sensed my hair became better with it,” said Hazar Nader.

Itani even recommends clients apply the chocolate treatment at home because it is so easy to prepare.