Hand Henna Tattoos

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Tattoo Center. Hand henna tattoos. The rich cultural traditions of southern Asian, especially India, have produced another form of temporary tattoo known as Mehndi or a henna tattoo. This form often involves elaborate designs and has become especially popular among women. These tattoos are made using a paste created from leaves of the Henna plant, Lawsonia Inermis, which have been ground into a powder. The dye in the powder, called Lawsone, attaches effectively to the keratin in fingernails and skin.

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Hand henna tattoos. Henna also is used frequently as a hair dye. While other types of temporary tattoos can be made using many colors, henna tattoos create designs that are shades of red, brown and almost black. Traditionally henna tattoos are applied to hands and feet in intricate patterns, but these days henna tattoos can be drawn anywhere on the body. Henna creates a temporary tattoo by staining the skin, and can last from several days to a month, depending on how well the wearer maintains the tattoo. It is possible to create henna tattoos at home.

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Hand henna tattoos. However, great caution should be used in choosing a henna product, as certain "fast-acting" preparations actually contain a chemical, para-phenylenediamine (PPD), that has been found to cause allergic reactions and sometimes scars the skin. Henna takes several hours to stain the skin properly, so anything that claims to work faster should be viewed with great suspicion. To make a henna, purchase some genuine henna powder from a cosmetics supply or Asian product store.

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Hand henna tattoos. Assemble lemon juice, a cosmetic squeeze bottle with a fine tip, a bowl, a spoon, plastic wrap, nylon trouser socks, rubber bands, some honey, and a plastic container with a lid, such as a clean, used butter tub. First sift the powdered henna to remove any clumps. To do this easily, put the two nylon trouser socks together to make a double layer, then pour the henna powder into the sock. Knot the doubled socks to keep the henna inside. Put the sock into the container and close the lid firmly, then shake the container well.

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Hand henna tattoos. Once the henna is shaken well, open the lidded container, take out the sock and open into the bowl. Pour in enough lemon juice so that the powder looks like runny mashed potatoes when you mix it. Add a tablespoon of honey to thicken the mixture and help it stick to skin. Next top the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for several hours. Every hour, look at the mixture to see if the dye has released. The dye has been freed when the mixture turns brown on top, but looks dark green beneath.

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Hand henna tattoos. Transfer the mixture into the squeeze bottle using the spoon and store in a cool place. When ready to create this type of tattoo, start by boiling some lemon juice. Set it aside to cool while applying the ink to the skin using the fine-tipped squeeze bottle. When the design is dry, cover it carefully with a mixture of boiled lemon juice and sugar. Dry this with a paper towel, then wrap the henna tattoo with plastic wrap and leave on overnight to allow the ink to stain the skin.

Foot Mehndi Henna Tattoos

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Tattoo Center. Foot Mehndi Henna Tattoos. The origin of the art of tattooing can be traced back to the Neolithic times and has been practiced by people across the world for centuries. Though it was initially used for spiritual and identification purposes, this art of tattooing expanded its horizons and soon became identified as a form of cosmetic. Tattoos are made by injecting ink into the layers of the skin. Most of them are permanent, but some can be removed fully or partially through laser treatments. The permanent nature of tattoos was considered a drawback, as a particular tattoo has to be carried throughout life.

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Henna is a flowering plant, commonly found in the semi-arid regions of the world. The leaves of the henna plant (Lawsonia inermis) contain a red dye molecule called lawsone, which can bond with protein. Hence, the paste of these leaves have been used by people since time immemorial for dyeing fabrics and coloring hair, skin and nails. Traditionally, henna was used to draw delicate patterns on the hands and feet. Gradually, people started using henna designs as a replacement for conventional tattoos. Unlike other types of temporary tattoos, henna tattoos cannot be made in a wide range of colors. The latter can come up with shades of reds, browns and near blacks. But beware of some henna products, which may contain harmful chemicals. Hence, it is always better to use natural henna for tattoos and body art.

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Henna tattoos are made of henna paste, which is applied on the skin in the desired pattern. It is left on the skin for several hours to facilitate staining. The stain will last for around two weeks to one month, depending on the method of application and after-care. One of the reasons behind the popularity of henna tattoos is its temporary nature. The tattoo will fade on its own and there is no need of adopting tattoo removal. Even if you want to remove these tattoos, it is very easy, as compared to conventional ones. You don't have to sport the same design for a whole lifetime. Another reason is the lack of pain associated with the conventional tattoos, which need needles to etch the design. In case of henna tattoos, only henna paste is required.

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Basically, traditional designs can be classified into African, Arabic and Indian. Other types include the Middle East style, which is inspired by the Arabic style. The Indonesian or Southeast Asian styles are a combination of Indian and Middle Eastern designs with blocks of color on the tips of fingers and toes. The North American style mainly deals with geometric floral patterns. From small motifs, elaborate designs are etched on the skin. Apart from these designs, there are many modern ones like Celtic designs, which are also in vogue. As far as henna tattoo designs are concerned, your imagination is the limit. Splurge your creativity and create your own designs.

Mehndi Henna Tattoo Designs

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Tattoo Center. Mehndi Henna Tattoo Designs. Henna powder is derived from a plant (actually a bush), Lawsonia inermis, commonly found in the Middle East and other areas where the climate is hot and dry. The bush is harvested, dried, and then crushed to make henna powder. Henna itself is used for many things such as hair treatment, heat rash relief, and skin conditioner to name a few. The top leaves of the plant are best for Mehndi, while the lower part of the plant is used for the other purposes. Henna paste is what is made to apply henna art designs.

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Henna powder itself is green in color, but the stain it leaves behind is usually an orange-red color. There are many suppliers now that offer henna in a variety of colors but these are not recommended. Pure henna has had little to no incident of allergic reaction. When colors are added to natural henna, reactions can be mild to severe. Black henna especially has been known to cause serious skin burns as a result of the chemicals added to it to produce the black color effect. Henna is best to be appreciated in its purest form.

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Most who are familiar with henna have seen the traditional designs. These beautifully intricate patterns are similar to those used for the marriage ceremonies and other rituals. They usually adorn the hands and feet of the wearer, and require that they remain still for many hours to apply the paste and then allow it to dry. Henna color has been known to take best to the hands and feet due to their dry properties which soak up and hold the color better, but henna can be applied anywhere. How well your skin takes to the henna will depend on each individual's skin properties.

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Today, henna has been done in many forms including more contemporary designs. Some contemplating a permanent tattoo might apply henna first to see if they like the look before making a permanent decision. Some just enjoy having a temporary design they know will wash off in a few weeks. Whatever your reasons might be for being interested in henna, you are delving into a beautiful form of art rich in culture.