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The application of henna is most popularly used
on the body as a temporary tattoo. This usage is popular all
over the world. It is usually drawn on the hands and feet,
where the designs will last the longest.
Henna paste is usually applied to the skin using a plastic
cone or a paint brush, but sometimes a small metal-tipped
jacquard bottle used for silk painting (a jac bottle) is used.
The affected area is then wrapped with tissue, thin cotton
material, or plastic in order to lock in body heat, creating
a more intense colour on the skin. The wrap is worn as long
as possible and then removed. The final colour is reddish
brown and can last anywhere from one week to four weeks depending
on the quality of the paste.
The patterns of Mehndi are typically quite intricate, and
predominantly applied to brides before wedding ceremonies
in India. However, traditions in many parts of the world such
as Bangladesh, India, and Sudan bridegrooms are to be painted
as well. In Rajasthan (northwest India), where mehndi is a
very ancient folk art, the grooms are given designs which
are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Kerala (South
India), Henna is known as Mylanchi and is commonly used by
the Mappila (Muslim) community during weddings and festivals.
In other countries, such as Morocco, it is done for any special
occasion. It is done during the 7th month of pregnancy, after
having the baby, weddings, engagements, family get-togethers,
as well as many other reasons to simply celebrate an event.
Henna has lately become fashionable in the West as well,
where they are sometimes called "henna tattoos".
This colloquialism is misleading as tattoos are usually defined
as the permanent surgical insertion of pigments underneath
the skin.
Black henna
"Black henna" is the name given to an artificial
product created by the addition of paraphenylenediamine (PPD)
to natural henna to create a black stain. PPD is traditionally
used in black hair dye but is a sensitizer, which means that
it is something that the body is naturally allergic to or
can become allergic to. Black henna can cause severe reactions
that can take from 5–15 days to appear, which can cause
permanent scarring and may even be life threatening. Reactions
to black henna frequently necessitate immediate medical attention
from a doctor or allergist.
However, other dyes exist which are sometimes
called "black henna," which are usually composed
of a mixture of henna and indigo. These generally do not contain
PPD. Read about
Henna at Wikipedia.org
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