Unlike ink tattoos, henna body art only lasts a few weeks

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Unlike ink tattoos, henna body art only lasts a few weeks
July 24, 2011
By Lisa Vernon-Sparks
projo.com

With a history traceable to the Bronze Age, using a dye produced from henna plants to create tattoos has resurged of late as a popular alternative for self-expression and body décor.

In recent years, such marquee entertainers as Madonna and Demi Moore have donned the intricate and floral designs, sometimes adding glitter, which can be drawn on the hands, legs, backs, feet and fingernails or added to the hair. The henna dye — called Mehndi in some Indian languages — is created from henna leaves grounded into a powder then mixed with a mildly acidic liquid [such as lemon juice or strong tea] to create a paste that is applied to the skin or hair, said Heather Caunt-Nulton, a Rhode Island-area based henna artist. The henna plant is a tall shrub-like plant that can only grow in an extremely hot and arid climate with an occasional extremely wet day. Generally it grows in Northern Africa, the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia.

“You need a desert kind of climate, with monsoons,” she said.

Caunt-Nulton, 30, has been creating henna art for roughly 13 years. When she was a teen, Caunt-Nulton loved to draw and often she would use her body as a canvas, experimenting with Sharpies.

“I didn’t want to tattoo myself,” she said. “I’ve always drawn a lot on myself and it sort of evolved from that.”

A friend suggested she check out henna tattooing, and while she did not study it at college, she did study anthropology, which helped foster her appreciation and understanding of various cultures that embrace Mehndi; ultimately, she received a degree from Boston University.

Caunt-Nulton goes on location to offer her services, usually at craft shows and festivals, private parties or educational workshops. She encourages people to purchase do-it-yourself kits and test it out, but she is happy to lend her services.

Her technique involves “draping” the henna mud; the applicator does not touch the skin. Henna is usually applied with a Mylar cone and is squeezed out, similar to the way a pastry chef uses a bag to add frosting. “It just kind of falls into place,” Caunt-Nulton said. You also can use a brush, a syringe and stencils to apply the henna.

Skillfully, Caunt-Nulton applies a pattern to the hand of client and henna student Holly Ferreira on a hot afternoon. The job takes roughly 15 minutes for a demonstration, but an application can take from a half-hour to several hours depending on the detail of the designs and the location on the body. The hands and the feet, while the best places to absorb the dye, usually take longer to apply. Recently an emerging trendy location to place a henna design is on the swelling belly of a pregnant woman.

“It’s an American tradition. It’s kind of interesting and kind of popular now, but it probably comes from the idea of an earlier tradition done for pregnant women,” she said. In Morocco, henna is usually done on the wrist and ankles for pregnant women.

“It is spiritual energy. Bordering it with halos is to protect the fetus,” she said.

Many people planning to get a permanent tattoo try a henna design first, said Caunt-Nulton. The temporary image allows a person to explore the best placement of a tattoo before taking the plunge. A henna tattoo is also good because it frees a person up from the commitment, she said.

“My dad … he always tells me he doesn’t like the placement of his tattoo,” she said.

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