HENNA TATTOO DESIGNS FOR WOMEN

Henna is a dye prepared from the plant Lawsonia inermis, also known as the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet, the sole species of the genus Lawsonia.

Henna tattoos can also refer to the temporary body art resulting from the staining of the skin from the dyes. After henna stains reach their peak color, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks.

Henna has been used since antiquity in ancient Egypt to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool, and leather. Historically, henna was used in West Asia including the Arabian Peninsula and in Carthage, other parts of North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

The name "henna" is used in other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna and neutral henna, neither of which is derived from the henna plant.

The different words for henna in ancient languages imply that it had more than one point of discovery and origin, as well as different pathways of daily and ceremonial use.

It is important to note that the modern term "Henna tattoo" is a marketing term only. Henna does not tattoo the skin and is not considered tattooing.

Mehndi (henna) applied to the back of both hands in India

Henna pattern on a foot in Morocco

Henna has been used to adorn young women's bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean.

The earliest text mentioning henna in the context of marriage and fertility celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend of Baal and Anath, which has references to women marking themselves with henna in preparation to meet their husbands, and Anath adorning herself with henna to celebrate a victory over the enemies of Baal.

Wall paintings excavated at Akrotiri (dating prior to the eruption of Thera in 1680 BCE) show women with markings consistent with henna on their nails, palms and soles, in a tableau consistent with the henna bridal description from Ugarit.

Many statuettes of young women dating between 1500 and 500 BCE along the Mediterranean coastline have raised hands with markings consistent with henna. This early connection between young, fertile women and henna seems to be the origin of the Night of the Henna, which is now celebrated in all the middle east.

Henna tattoos are fairly common, but how many people know more than a few basic facts about them? Let's change that. 

Those who have never heard of henna tattooing may not realize that it's an ancient practice that uses temporary brown dye rather than ink to create meaningful designs.

 Body adornment dates back 5,000 years, but it's mostly associated with happiness and joy nowadays, and it's often included in ceremonial events like weddings and births.

 The tradition of applying henna to hands is almost universal at Indian weddings.

Shaily Savla, a henna tattoo expert based in Los Angeles, speaks with us about the meanings of specific henna designs. Find out everything you need to know about henna tattoos in this article.

Health effects

A system to mill henna and other herbs.

It is known that Henna may cause harm to people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD deficiency), which is more prevalent in males than females. Especially vulnerable are infants and children of Middle Eastern and North African ethnicities.

Though user accounts cite few other negative effects of natural henna paste, save for occasional mild allergic reactions (often associated with lemon juice or essential oils in a paste and not the henna itself), pre-mixed commercial henna body art pastes may have undisclosed ingredients added to darken stain, or to alter stain color. 

Pastes that have been pre-mixed can pose significant health risks.

 It is illegal to apply these risks to skin because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers them to be adulterants.

Some commercial pastes have been noted to include: p-Phenylenediamine, sodium picramate, amaranth (dye) (red dye #2 banned in the US in 1976), silver nitrate, carmine, pyrogallol, disperse orange dye, and chromium. These may cause allergic reactions, chronic inflammatory reactions, or late-onset allergies.