MORE ABOUT HENNA
Henna designs are a common beauty practice in the Middle East and South
Asia. Powdered henna leaves are mixed with water, perfume, and oil to
make a "mud-like" paste. This paste is used to create the henna
designs, which include flowers, leafy tendrils, and abstract shapes. It
takes some time for the henna to dry, although the smoke from burning
incense is used to hurry the process. 
After the henna paste has dried, it is removed and the hands and feet
are washed. A woman who has henna designs tries to avoid having them washed
off, so if she is fortunate, her relatives or friends help with the housework
and washing so that she can preserve the designs for a while. Here, elaborate
henna designs decorate the hands and feet of a bride.
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At weddings, in the only time that men use henna, first the older ladies and then younger female relatives of the groom put henna on the hands of the groom and his friends. Then, they sit and wait while their henna dries. For men, henna is applied as a solid color rather than in designs. |
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Henna artists create many different designs. Fashions in henna design come and go. These are circa 1985. |
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