Henna Tattoos As an Alternative to Regular Tattoos

Getting a tattoo can be a rather permanent decision. With the high cost of tattoo removal, you might want to consider getting a henna tattoo. A henna tattoo is one that is applied to the surface of the skin with a die made from the crushed up Lawsonia Inermi plant. This plant based die will stain human skin shades of oranges, browns, and burgundys.

There is a man made die that is used for applying henna tattoos as well. It's called PPD. Never allow anyone to use this dye on your skin as it is not considered to be safe for human use by the FDA. In most countries, it is illegal for use on humans.

People tend to like to change their looks quite all the time. We change our clothing styles and hair styles quite frequently. Tattoos are pretty hard to change should you change your mind about the design that you got. If you get a henna tattoo you, can change your mind when this temporary tattoo wears away. Most henna tattoos will last from one to four weeks.

Henna Tattoos

What is Henna?

Henna is a plant. The leaves of the plant are dried and then crushed into a powder. The powder is then made into a paste that when applied to the skin, produces a beautiful reddish-brown stain. Henna is also used as a natural reddish hair dye.

Henna Tattoos

In many cultures henna tattoos are used to celebrate special occasions and rites of passage through life. All over the world people use henna to celebrate pregnancy, manhood, marriage, holidays and even death. In India the art of henna tattooing is called Mehndi. The bridal tattoos done for Indian weddings are some of the most beautifully intricate tattoos around.

Getting a Henna Tattoo
After you choose a tattoo design that you like, the tattoo artist then applies the paste to your skin. The paste needs to stay on the skin for 4 to 8 hours in order to produce a dark stain.

The Dangers of "Black Henna"
Never get a "black henna" tattoo. These are made from a paste that contains black hair dye. The black hair dye used to make this paste can cause severe allergic reactions and permanent scarring.

History of the Henna Tattoo

Temporary henna tattoos have become quite the rage in recent times. However, henna has been around for a long time and has been used by Indian and African women for its colouring and nourishing properties. In fact, the beginnings of the use of henna can be traced back thousands of years to ancient Egypt. It is only over the past decade or so that temporary tattoos have emerged as the hottest accessory in the West. The absence of chemicals and temporary colour are the main advantages of a henna tattoo.

Egyptian roots of the Henna Tattoo

The Henna plant traces its roots to Egypt, from where it was brought as a gift for the Queen Mumtaz in India. The Mughals then encouraged the usage of henna as a beauty product and a decorative application on the skin, especially at the time of weddings. The history of the henna tattoo dates back nearly 5,000 years, when the Egyptians used them on their hands, hair and nails. Even the fingers and toes of Pharaohs were stained with henna before mummification. Henna is also believed to be a symbol of good luck and is applied before any auspicious event in various countries, such as India, Turkey, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Henna tattoo and its advantages

This tall shrub like plant grows in hot and humid climates and is generally found in Egypt, India, Africa and the Middle Eastern countries.