The Art Of Henna

A music video from the 1990s of Madonna featured the baroness of pop culture undulating in a flowing black robe in a stark desert background and frequently baring her intricately designed and very fashionably hennaed hands. What most of American popular culture was coming into contact with for the first time is actually a tradition originating in the Middle East and dating back thousands of years.

Henna powder, is derived from the Lawsonia inermis bush, and when the powder is dried and mixed with lemon juice and other ingredients it forms a thick dark paste. It can be applied to the skin in many different ways. Some of the more popular ones are by using a thick tube like applicator, or a thin tooth pick or similarly thin piece of wood. Once applied in a predetermined pattern, the pattern and the henna (usually put on the palms of the hands or the tops of the feet and ankle) is set to dry, taking anywhere from a half an hour up to six hours to stain deeply. The mixture is then rinsed off and leaves a faint stain on the skin, which typically darkens with time.

This ornamental staining process has its ultimate roots in the Bedouin culture of the Mid-east. Lacking other, more traditional means of decorating themselves (ample supplies of jewelry and the like being rare in the area), the women of the time used what they could find in order to decorate and adorn themselves. Being a culture which typically does not have a lot of possessions (frequently moving from place to place) this seemed like a natural fit.

The modern day henna popularity ultimately has its underground roots in the piercing and tattooing subcultures. The benefits of the henna tattoo are numerous and somewhat obvious. Unlike traditional temporary tattoos that you rub on with water, they last much longer and of course you have much more in the way of freedom when it comes to choosing your design. The henna tattoo is also a good precursor to a permanent tattoo. Sometimes a permanent tattoo does not look exactly how you would like it to. This can be for several reasons: body placement (not on the right part of your body), design flaws, or just a lack of overall effect. Having a henna tattoo allows you to experience how and where a future permanent fixture would look and feel. Also, the henna has little in the way of drawbacks. Despite some allergy concerns (see warnings) it is rarely as dangerous or unsanitary as an ink tattoo or the risks you take of infection when you get a piercing.

Next page -> Wearing your henna in the Mid-East, and henna resources online!