Henna/Mehndi Tattoos

Henna body decoration, known as Mehndi, has been practised for hundreds of years in India and the Middle East, where it has traditionally been associated with wedding ceremonies, where the bride has intricate patterns drawn on her hands, arms and feet with the henna paste. In recent years, henna body art has become very popular in the West too, with "henna tattoos" adding contemporary Western and Celtic influences to this ancient art form.

Henna is a natural plant extract containing the dye Lawsone which permanently stains the top layer of skin (stratum corneum) an orange/red colour. The colour lasts until the top layer of skin sheds - usually about 2 to 3 weeks - although the stain will last longer on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Exfoliation and swimming in chlorinated water will make the stain fade quicker.

The henna extract is ground into a powder and mixed with essential oils to form a paste, which is then applied to the skin, usually via a cone.

Henna body art is often taught as part of Theatrical and Media Make-up college courses, although some colleges also offer a short course focusing entirely on henna body decoration.

When modelling for henna body art, please make sure that the henna artist is using genuine henna from plant sources, and not "black henna" which is a synthetic product which often contains the chemical dye para-phenylenediamine (PPD). PPD is found in many black hair dyes, but is NOT suitable for direct application to the skin, and can cause severe allergic reactions and permanent scarring.