Henna Tattoo
Ladies! Do you think you’re ready for your first tattoo? Do you want to give yourself a trial run before the real deal? Or do you want to be part of a gorgeous culture that has been around for centuries? Are you just a fan of Queen ‘B’ (Beyoncé – all hail) or Vanessa Hudgens’ Coachella looks? Whatever be your desires, henna tattoos are your calling! Skin henna is super popular now, as temporary henna tattoos and temporary tribal tattoos take the fashion world by storm! Be it with a henna tattoo artist, a friend or your own trusty self, give henna skin and tribal tattoo a ‘go’ today! Go through our answers to all your questions about henna tattoos, and let us know in the comments below about your adventures with henna!
What is a Henna Tattoo?
‘Henna’, a word of Arabic origin, refers to the paste made out of crushed leaves and branches of the Lawsonia inermis, or the Henna plant used for pure henna tattoo and natural henna tattoo. The natural paste is made by drying the leaves of the plant, occasionally powdering it and mixing it with hot water seasoned usually with basil or neem (for antibacterial action).
This rich dye leaves a dark brown henna tattoo or maroon stain on the skin, making it a natural marker of sorts which can be used to sketch beautiful designs as a henna tattoo on body and body art designs.
The Henna plant grows abundantly in South Asian and North African countries, making it a tribal ancient ritual used usually to commemorate weddings, ceremonies and other festivals with pretty henna tattoos, henna designs, and Arabic henna designs.
Natural dyes on the skin with henna usually fade away in 7-14 days. It has been traditionally used as henna body tattoo to color skin, hair, and nails of men and women alike.
In India and Pakistan, Henna is also referred to as Mehendi or Mehndi, another term for the traditional henna tattoo, simple henna designs, and bridal henna designs created.
Different Types of Henna Body Art
Ideally, there are three types of henna available in the market.
Black Henna
- Black henna is usually synthetic in nature as it uses copious amounts of a chemical called p-phenylenediamine (PPD).
- Natural variants of black henna use a type of indigo dye, which will not dye skin black. Natural black henna is used to dye hair black.
- The first variant looks black as a powder, while the natural one looks greenish brown. One cannot use this to dye skin black. Arabic variations can be used for that purpose.
- Indigo black henna dyes hair either black or chestnut brown with chocolate hues. One can apply henna paste and indigo paste separately to achieve black tones, or one can mix the two to get the perfect shade of golden brown.
- Black henna keeps your hair protected from UV rays.
Natural Henna or Red Henna
- This is the purest type of tattoo henna made from Lawsonia leaves.
- This gives both skin and hair a distinct maroon hue.
White Henna
- This is one of the latest trends adorned at events like Coachella and used by brides in place of gloves.
- This does not stain the hand but is more of a paint than a dye.
Should I find places to get Henna Tattoos near me?
The choice is left to you. If you want to emulate the designs of famous tattoo artists with a henna temporary tattoo, you can do so by enquiring about where to get henna done professionally. After hours of searching for a henna tattoo artist near me, I opted for self-taught (aka internet guru moderated) colored henna tattoo, and got myself a cool tribal shoulder tattoo.
With the vast resources present on the Internet, there is a never-ending stream of designs you can incorporate into your customized patterns. The henna application is not as difficult as it sounds.
If you are nervous about trying it on your body yourself, ask a friend to do so. This can be a great idea for sleepovers! Play around and bond as you try out different patterns on each other and wow everyone with your customized designs. Henna friendship bracelets? We like!
This can also be a parent-daughter bonding exercise as you spend some quality time with your kid practicing henna patterns.
What are some Henna Designs I can try at Home?
The sky is your limit here. You can try different designs as inspiration for henna tattoo art for tattoo ideas for women and tattoo designs for men.
1. Zodiac Tattoos
It can be based on your zodiac or your partner’s.
2. Angel Tattoos
You can always get a cute cherub tattoo or you can get wings done. After all, who does not want angel wings tattoo!?
3. Bird Tattoos
Embrace the regal elegance of India’s national bird with gorgeous peacock motifs, with additional detail on the neck and beak with this mehndi art.
4. Heart Tattoos
You can also draw a simple heart with your SO’s initials written on the inside or try something way more creative like this design!
5. Flower Tattoos
The most popular of all floral tattoos are the lotus flower tattoo designs.
6. Swirls
Channel major Middle Eastern vibes with exotic swirls with henna mehndi.
7. Kundalini/ Mandala
Activate the Chakras in your body with the esoteric swirling serpent to represent Kundalini with mehndi patterns.
8. White Henna
This latest trend is viral everywhere. It is sophisticated, yet be warned, it is unnatural.
9. Lace
If you are the artsy type that has the patience to create something gorgeous (we salute you!) check out such lace patterns of henna hand designs you can try out on your palms to turn heads, even with a black henna hand tattoo.
10. Back Tattoos
If you want to adorn your back with a mehndi tattoo, then go for unconventional designs rather than traditional tattoos!
You can also try old school tattoo designs and old school tattoos, or funk it up with new tattoo ideas like letter tattoo designs, name tattoos, and other cool tattoo ideas.
If tiny tattoos are your thing, you can look up small tattoo ideas like butterfly tattoo designs, star motifs and so on, or you can even get a loved one’s initial with lettering tattoo and tattoos of names.
You can also go internationally occult with Chinese tattoos with their distinct Chinese tattoo designs.
Henna Kit
Here are the Henna supplies you will need to try Henna art at home:
- Henna cones to put in Henna paste
- Henna stencils (optional)
- Henna patterns kit
- Henna powder to make Henna ink
Tips To Try Henna at Home
- Don’t get worried over the complex, intricate patterns you see done by professionals as tribal tattoo designs or colored henna tattoo.
- All it takes is a steady hand and some patience, and you can sport art on your hands too!
- As mentioned before, you don’t have to stick to traditional patterns and areas; you can play around with your body by trying music tattoos like a music note, peace tattoos, or even nautical star tattoo designs, and own it.
- Since you’re going to be applying the tatoo yourself, we recommend that you stick to the side opposite to your dominant hand. For example, if you are right handed, experiment on the left hand for henna hand tattoos, left shoulder, the left side of the waist and vice versa.
- If you are opting for a leg tattoo, choose either one leg (or both!).
- Wear some comfortable clothing that you don’t mind staining; if you are trying this for the first time, chances are you might get some henna on your clothes. Be careful about that, since natural henna leaves a permanent stain on clothes as does black henna tattoo when you create tattoos for girls or guys.
- Secure the area around the zone with newspapers, so that you don’t stain your floors while creating your tattoo designs for girls or boys.
- Keep a pen and paper handy so that you can sketch the patterns on paper first; it is easier to copy from paper than to experiment on your body from memory. Especially if you’re experimenting with designs like a lion tattoo, or a dragon tattoo, or even simple skull tattoos.
- You can design your own tattoo and create your own tattoo with just pen and paper, as you make your own tattoo design that uniquely stands out as tattoos for women or tattoos for men.
- Make a rough sketch of your palm for henna designs for hands (or whichever part you wish to start with), roughly to scale.
- Begin sketching patterns on the stencil.
How long do I have to keep it on?
Ideally, you would need to keep the henna paste on your body for about 3-4 hours, depending on the location. You can also leave the paste on overnight on your hands.
Apply an infusion of coconut oil, or sugar paste on the mehndi (once it dries) so that you can get darker stains. Check with a professional or the retailer about the duration when you buy your product.
Is it Safe?
Here are the pros and cons of using henna:
Pros:
- A naturally produced henna tattoo kit is absolutely safe to use on the hair and body.
- Henna has incredible cooling properties, so it is a perfect cooling agent for the summer waves.
- Not only does it give your skin a gorgeous shade, but it also cools your body down and prevents rashes and sunburns.
- Henna, when applied on hair, prevents sun damage.
- It conditions your hair perfectly, giving it that perfectly luscious healthy bounce.
- Henna has also been known to cure split ends and prevent dandruff.
- If you are trying out natural henna tattoo designs, rest assured as it perfectly safe to use.
Cons:
- Synthetic black henna, on the other hand, must be avoided at all costs.
- The chemical p-phenylenediamine (PPD) has been banned by the FDA as it causes skin rashes, itching, henna tattoo allergy and other adverse effects if left on the skin for more than 2 days due to the cheap henna tattoo dye used.
- It is advisable to check with your doctor about allergy information especially for children and teenagers before they experiment with henna.
Where Can I Apply it?
You can apply the best henna tattoo drawing wherever you want! That is the beauty of henna art tattoo. Go wild with henna tattoos and apply them on your hair, neck, shoulders, chest, belly button, arms, hands, legs or feet.
What is the Best Place to Get Henna Tattoo?
You can also buy tattoo designs online, or design a tattoo online free through certain Software’s that are available.
And there you have it! Everything you need to know about henna art. Have we answered all your queries? Do you have any more questions for us? Let us know in the comments below and we will get back to you. Turn your body into a canvas today!
*Disclaimer: Henna can spark allergic reactions, please test it before trying it out. The company and author will not be responsible for any damage. The designs on this page are done by the members as credited. The article may be revised without notice.