The Henna Girls
Henna Body Art
Henna, or mehndi, is one of the oldest forms of body art known to man, stretching back over 8,000 years and having over 60 countries of origin - ranging from Spain, North Africa, The Mediterranean, The Middle East, and India. Henna is a desert shrub, the leaves of which contain a powerful staining molecule called lawsone. The leaves are dried, ground into a fine powder, and mixed with lemon juice and essential oils to form a paste. When the paste is artfully applied to the skin, the lawsone molecules penetrate the topmost layers resulting in a stain which lasts up to 4 weeks. The color oxidizes over time, beginning with bright orange, then after 2 to 4 days it will develope into a rich reddish brown. The application of henna has for centuries been linked with times of joyous celebrations, leisure, and togetherness.
Henna is most commonly associated with the traditional decoration of an Indian or Middle Eastern bride's hands and feet for her wedding. More contemporary occassions for henna include birthday and graduation parties, engagements, family reunions, community events and street festivals, and just because! Another occassion is decorating a glorious pregnant belly.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Process
First the henna paste is applied to clean dry skin. Allow the paste to dry for 15-20 minutes, being careful not to bump, touch, or smear the paste. After the paste has dried, it forms a "crust" on the skin. The longer this crust is left on the skin, the darker the resulting stain. The optimal time is between 4 to 8 hours. After this time, the crust can be flaked off, revealing a bright orange stain. Over the next day or two, the stain will oxidize to a reddish brown. After 1-4 weeks, the desing will fade away, and you'll have fresh canvas for a new design!
WHY DOES IT GO AWAY?
Henna only stains the stratum corneum, the skin cells that are already dead. As these skin cells slowly exfoliate away, they take the design with them.
