All things brides are beautiful: Styling with henna designs

DATING back centuries ago when they were used as body art for various religious designs, the tattoo designs made from henna – a plant found in the tropical climates of Africa, northern Australia, and southern Asia – have become a popular feature among brides from many cultures, irrespective of religious affiliations.

Henna body art expert, Miss Hafsoh Adetorh, spoke with Makeover, on trending designs, preparing the henna extract and possible side effects to note when working with the henna juice.

Extracting henna juice

According to Adetoro, extract from henna leaves produces a red fluid, which if mixed, can give off the black hue. There are also powder forms of the henna extract, which she says can be mixed with hydrogen before application.

“There is the powder form which can be mixed with hydrogen before use. The powdered form is meant for home use and not for commercial purposes.  We can use water to mix it sometimes, but hydrogen works better for it to make the black colour. Lime juice can also be added to the henna extract to deepen the red hue of the juice and ensure that the art stays in place longer,” she states.

Interestingly, according to Adetoro, “Henna leaves, when cooked, can be used in the treatment of malaria symptoms. Body designs with henna juice are a common feature among the Hausas; that’s why they are usually the best in terms of expertise. However, for those, who want to do it at home, if the extract has been mixed with hydrogen for 24 hours without being used, the colour will fade out. If you design your nails with henna, the longer your nails, the more beautiful the design turns out. And they last longer on nails than the skin, because of the use of body cream which tends to fade the design out after a while.”

Designs

The designs depend on the style you want. The simplest of the lot are the Arabic hindi designs.  There are also mehndi designs, which are complex and can be used on more parts of the body beyond the hands. Mehndi designs are better done by experts because of the creative task it involves. There are also Pakistan designs and flower designs. Pakistan designs take on the look of humans, while there are also designs that turn out to be in the shape of animals.

Side effects?

There aren’t many known side effects, but Adetoro advises against using it on sensitive skin or for children. She also notes that if prepared properly, because of the hydrogen added to the mixture, it can also help in preventing the spread of germs.