Henna Tattoos - information for the uninitiated

If you're considering placing a henna tattoo design on your body, here's some things that you may or may not know. As with real tattooing, it's important to be aware of the procedure, aftercare and potential health risks of this type of body art.

Here's how to maximise your enjoyment and minimise the associated risks:

• Avoid using so called "black henna" - PPD (para-phenylenediaime) based henna can cause blistering and skin irritation. Real henna is not black. If you have blistering or itching after the application of your henna tattoo design, seek medical help immediately.
  
  This sort of henna tattoo is most commonly used for temporary tattoos, and not in traditional mehndi. Not everyone will develop irritation - but why take the risk?
  
  If you're unsure whether you're about to be decorated with "black henna" enquire as to the final result. If you're told that the result will be "black", you're not being tattooed with real henna. Pure henna is safe and has been used for centuries. PPD based henna is most definitely not!
  
  
• Henna Tattoos turn out somewhere in the spectrum between orange and dark brown. The only time a henna tattoo is black is before the dried henna is peeled off. After that the design will initially be orange and will darken with time, developing a more brownish hue.
  
  
• The design should be left on the skin for a long as possible. Certainly a few hours. The longer the henna is left on the skin, the darker the resulting henna tattoo will be. When you finally peel off the dried henna the skin will continue to darken for up to 24 hours.
  
  
• Avoid exposure to water for as long as possible. Like a real tattoo, water is the natural enemy of a newly-applied henna tattoo.
  

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Check out some DIY mehndi here.