History
Let us begin from the fundamental. Henna has a long history dating back to the Bronze Age and has been used to dye the hair, skin, and fingernails. Henna is a dried powder made from a plant called Laesonia Inermis. This plant grows predominately in hot climates. It is cultivated in India, Pakistan, Morrocco, Yemen, and other countries in this area. Initially henna was applied in these countries to cool the body in the hot summers.
Ancient Egyptians used henna to color their hair beards and nails. You might have heard the term ‘Mehndi ‘. The traditional Indian name for the art of henna is referred to as mehndi. The art is achieved by applying paste made from the dried and crushed leaves of the henna plant. A chemical, lawsone, bonds itself into the outer layer of skin i.e., palms, nails etc., leaving a red-brown stain that becomes darker the longer the henna paste is kept in place. The stain that remains on the skin from the henna will stay on the surface for an upwards of three weeks. The powdered henna is usually mixed with a slightly acidic liquid such as lemon juice or tea. The paste is applied on the skin along a pattern after the paste has ‘rested’ for at least six hours. This allows the lawsone to develop properly enough to bond with the skin. Some preparations have tea tree oil, lavender oil, or eucalyptus oil to help improve the stain.
Properties
It takes some time for a very dark color to develop. The paste can be left on for hours, the longer it is left on, the more intense the color result. The paste will dry and flake during the time it is left on, so some artists apply a mix of lemon juice and sugar to the paste by dabbing it on. Others may add the sugar directly to the paste which may increase intensity of color as well. When the paste is removed, the stain will be orange tinge, but will darken over the next several days to a red-brown color. The soles of the feet and palms of the hands have the thickest layers of skin and will absorb the most henna stain. The stain here will be the darkest and last the longest.
Since henna is a natural dye and turns the hair to a lustrous look, people all over the world use it to color their hair. Henna is a safe, natural alternative to coloring hair with commercial hair color products containing harsh and often harmful chemicals. Henna has to be mixed in the right proportion with the right ingredients to get the desired color and effect. Henna works by coating the hair strands. Henna stops falling of hair and reduces the itching of the scalp. It also helps dandruff problems.
Mehndi
The different cultures gave rise to different style of mehndi and different methods of application. Applying art form of henna is an important part of wedding ceremonies. Today Mehndi has also become popular in the west.
Published in Rediff blog on June 2, 2008
http://blogs.rediff.com/muthusamy/2008/06/02/henna-natural-dye-for-tatoo-hair-color/
