Henna artists in India have been producing their intricate designs for many centuries. Traditionally they are used to decorate hands and body for special occasions.
Image from beginningwithi.com, who also posted this video of a henna artist in action.
Now some henna artists in Hyderabad, in Southern India are turning their skills to graphic design.
The ‘Technology for the people’ programme trains talented henna artists in computer animation to prepare them for a new career and enable them to take part in India’s technology boom. Watch more online with Click from the BBC.
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Lucy
Henna is used by a lot of the Bengladeshi women I know but its called mendhi in Bengali. Women often have a mendhi party just before getting married. I also know some Somalian women (and children) who decorate their hands. But they use a darker paint, almost black. Does anyone know anything about this. Is it also Henna?
Alie: I don’t know if it’s the same thing as Henna, but when I was in Mexico I got henna done on the beach a lot and the Henna they used was black and when the top came off depending on how long you left it on it was a really dark brown to black.
It’s not the same at all. They call it black “henna” but there’s no henna in it. It’s made from the chemical in hair dye and can be very dangerous used in such high concentrations and directly on the skin. It’s illegal in many countries!
Safe, natural henna is ONLY ever a brown hue, but can vary in depth and tone due to skin chemistry, quality of ingredients, and how long the paste was left on. Areas of north africa and tourist destinations like Mexico often use toxic chemical hairdye called PPD instead of safe natural henna. PPD can cause acute reactions ranging from blistering, permanent scarring, sensitization to related chemicals, and even anaphylaxis. Do not use PPD or “black henna” under any circumstances.