Mehndi Henna  

In India, women can often be seen with intricately decorated hands and feet. 

Decorating the skin with henna tattoos and applying mehndi has gained popularity in the West since the 1990s, no doubt because of celebrities sporting mehndi designs and the influence of Bollywood.

Mehndi (also spelled mehendi or mehandi) is a popular decoration for the skin, usually on hands and feet, in Southeast and Soutwest Asia and North Africa. Henna paste is made from the leaves of the lawsonian inermis plant, also called henna or hina, a tall shrub or tree two to six meters in height . The henna leaves are first dried, then pounded and sifted until they become a very fine powder, which is mixed with a bit of water, lemon juice and essential oils and kneaded until it becomes a paste.It is then applied to the skin and left to dry. Once the paste is removed several hours later, the skin is left with a vivid red-orange stain which develops over 48 hours into a brown-red stain.

The Mehndi Ceremony and Bridal Mehndi

Two or three days before wedding ceremonies in India, the Indian bride gathers her female relatives for the mehndi ceremony, where everyone’s hands and feet are decorated with henna designs. The bride’s mehndi patterns are the most elaborate as it is supposed to bring her good luck in her new life as a married woman.

Waiting for her mehndi to dry allows the Indian bride to relax before the hectic wedding and to be waited on hand and foot, literally. This is also the chance for the bride to clear any doubts about married life and to receive ample advice on the matter. The mehndi ceremony is a joyous get-together that unites friends and relatives and friends. Makes henna nights not so different from hen nights, does it?

'Black Henna' Is a Misnomer

Para-Phenylendiamine ('black henna') is a dangerous and toxic chemical which is sold in hair dyes and as a temporary tattoo dye.ing as 'black henna'. Henna, the crushed leaves of the shrub Lawsonia inermis, produces a vivid red-orange dye when liquid is added. No species of henna produces any other colour, although compound henna-a mixture of low-quality henna and other ingredients - is sometimes sold in various colours for dyeing hair.

A few stores sell indigo - another plant-based hair dye which produces a blue-black colour - under the name of black henna. While not henna, indigo is still a safe, natural dye and can be used to effectively dye hair black (it is ineffective for mehndi). However, most 'black henna' on the market is actually para-phenylendiamine (PPD), a harmful chemical.

Harmful Effects of Para-Phenylendiamine (PPD)

PPD has been reported to cause numerous health issues, from the mild to the deadly. Common initial reactions include itching, hives, swelling and redness. Over the next few days the symptoms may worsen to include severe swelling leading to respiratory obstruction, renal failure, muscle pain, hair loss, collapse and even death. Longer-term effects include sensitization and permanent scarring. Sufferers often require the use of steroids for long-term treatment.