Henna Tattoos- The Origins of Henna Tattoos

Henna tattoos have been increasing in popularity over the last few years as a result of more artists and performers sporting the new in thing. With a mixture of paste and creativity you can now have a piece of art that takes about 6 weeks to fade instead of the lifelong masterpieces of traditional tattoos.

The ink or paste for henna tattoos come from the mendhi, a plant that is grown mostly in middle eastern and North African countries. The leaves are removed form the plant and ground into a powder to use for the ink. It leaves an orange staining upon the skin, much like the ink of a tattoo. After around 24 hours the ink dries and darkens to a reddish brown then begins its fading process, which can take about 6 weeks to complete. Henna tattoos have been around for thousands of years and now thanks to many modern performers is gaining its popularity in North America and Europe.

The true beginning of henna tattoos lies with Buddest and other Indian women who used to decorate their feet and palms of their hands with the dye from the Laksa tress. Henna was introduced by Muslims and quickly replaced the use of Laksa. Henna spread though Eastern Europe in the 16th century when it was being used as decoration for weddings and other ceremonies by females. In current times it is still a frequent tradition in middle eastern countries for weddings. This always the husbands female relatives to get to know his new bride by partaking in a full day of rituals and application of henna tattoos.

There are 4 traditional styles to henna tattoos. Middle Eastern traditional henna usually entailed floral design inspired by paintings and other designs. North American tattoos are usually more related to accenting the shape of the hands and the feet with the use of flowers. Indian and Pakistani tattoos typically extended past the hands and feet to create the illusion of stockings or gloves. They are made of repetitive lines and patterns and incorporate teardrops into them. Lastly, are the Indonesian designs which incorporate both the Middle Eastern and Indian styles and patterns. The often have blocks of colours on the fingers and toes as well.

Henna tattoos are great for those looking for a less permanent tattoo option. One of the only limitations to these are that they are in the colour orange, but unlike traditional ink and needle tattoos they are not life long. They only last about 6 weeks at which point you can choose a new design. This is also a great option for someone looking for a permanent tattoo to “try out” the permanent design of choosing.