Beauty in the Middle East

I was surprised to learn that the technique and art of the Henna Tattoo (although commonly associated with India) dates back to the Egyptians as well.  Ancient Egyptians would dip the fingers and toes of Pharoes with Henna prior to mummification. The first mention of Henna being used for fertility/marriage celebrations comes from the Ugaritic legend if Baal and Anath.   In many cases brides and sometimes grooms adorn themselves with Henna tattoos prior to the ceremony. It is most commonly found on the hands and feet.  Henna is also used for all sorts of celebrations and is sometimes applied to the hooves of horses and mules to stain them for the special event.

Henna is a tall shrub or small tree native to the Middle East and semi-arid zones.  It can be used to dye hair, skin, nails and leathers.

It is very commonly used in body art as mentioned above.  I set out to find a place in Abu Dhabi where I could find out more information and see the process first hand.  Lulu’s Beauty lounge came highly recommended.

Henna can be mixed in different ways.  Most commonly, to create the paste used for the Mehandi style they sift the powder of dried henna leaves 2 to 3 times using a muslin cloth.  They then mix the powder with 8 drops of eucalyptus oil and filtered lemon juice and let sit until it becomes a solid lump.  (tamarind and tea can also be used in some salons).  This is then placed into a plastic paper cone for application.  After the design has dried you can scraps or peel the dried portion from the skin.  Some salons apply mustard oil to the skin after removing the dried portions.

The results are stunning and in many cases tell a story.  They are a beautiful way to express yourself..in a temporary fashion.

**PLEASE NOTE** Black Henna is not made from the Henna plant and can contain dangerous chemicals (including PPD) that can be damaging to your health when absorbed through the skin. The result can be life long scarring and allergies to hair color and other chemicals. They  are illegal in the US and salons using black henna should be reported immediately.  Red and brown henna is perfectly safe and go on much darker than you would think during application.

Why do I tell you this?!   Because the tattoo I received in Abu Dhabi turned out to be a black henna tattoo.  Never having had a henna applied before I couldn’t tell how dark it was going to be and it had no fragrance. (usually black henna has a strong chemical smell)  As it began to dry it darkened and I knew it was black.  We ran back to the house and peeled off the dried potions.   Black henna is commonly found in tourist areas because it’s negative effects (blistering) won’t show up for 3 – 12 days after application and usually you are long gone by then.  If you find yourself in this situation and your tattoo begins to blister or itch you should get to the emergency room and tell them you have been exposed to Para-phenylenediamine.  Only 3-15% of people have an allergic reaction to PPD but when it occurs it’s severe.

Over all it was a great experience.  I wanted to share the beauty behind the art, tradition and history of the henna tattoo as well as educate on the dangers that some salons may put you in with an attempt to cut corners on overhead.  This should only be an issue while traveling yet good to know in the event that you come across it in your own backyard.

This book gave details on how to make the cones

Cones used to apply henna

This shows designs for the bride and groom

Here is a bridal story to be applied to the hands of the bride

closer details of the bridal tattoo

detail of the arm portion of the bridal tattoo

Finger designs

Arm designs

more arm art

Ceremonial foot designs