Luhar, Nafsheen

My name is Nafsheen Luhar. I'm east Indian and I was born in Kenya (East Africa). My family and I moved to the US in July of 1998. I have been doing henna tattoos for the past six years . Henna is a very significant part of our culture and a very special highlight of all our events, especially weddings and eid (muslin festival after Ramadan). I learned the art of henna tattoos from my dad and my older sister, who used to do henna tattoos for me during special events. Once we moved to the United States I learned henna tattoo myself and started imitating the designs that my dad had done. As a child I had watched him very attentively and I now carry on his tradition. Henna is a lot of fun and hopefully you will also have the opportunity to enjoy it.

What is henna/mehndi?

~It's an all encompassing word, basically mehndi refers to the henna powder, and the paste that is made with that powder, and the art of making designs on the skin with the paste, and the party that is held where people create designs. "A mehndi artist uses mehndi to do mehndi at a mehndi."

Is henna a religious custom?

~No, it's a cultural one, crossing the boundaries of religious differences. It is traditionally used at times of celebration to dress up, or any time women got together and wanted to beautify themselves. Suggesting that mehndi is religious to Hindus, Muslims, or Jews, would be like suggesting that nailpolish and eyeliner is religious to Christians. If you choose to have mehndi done, it should not offend anyone's religious sensibilities.

Is henna just for women?

~Not anymore. Traditionally, the only males who would use mehndi were children (small boys young enough to be brought along with their mothers to mehndi parties), but today anyone can wear mehndi.

Is henna painful?

~ No, mehndi is placed on the skin, not imbedded in it with a needle like a tattoo. You may feel a cooling sensation, but if you experience any itching or burning, remove the paste immediately, wash the area and put some soothing lotion on the affected area.

How long does it last?

~ That varies depending on many factors such as your skin type, the mehndi mixture, how long you leave the paste on, and how often you wash the decorated area. The designs should last at least a few days, possibly up to a month.

Does mehndi come in other colors?

~ True mehndi is done with pure henna which only comes in the orange/red/brown shades. Any other colors have other substances added, (some of which are very dangerous).

How long do I have to leave the paste on for?

~ As long as you can stand it. You should leave it on for at least 3 hours (however it will leave some marking after 20 minutes on some people) or up to 12 hours (that's if it doesn't drive you crazy first). Most people will start to pick at it as soon as it is dry, try to avoid this, it really does make a difference if you leave it on longer.

How do I make it darker?

~ Leave the paste on longer. If the mud starts to flake off, and the co lour seems too faint, try spritzing the area with lemon juice and sugar to keep it moist and sticky. When you scrape the paste off, try to avoid washing the decorated area with water for as long as possible, the design should continue to get darker.

How do I get rid of my design fast?

~ Think carefully before placing mehndi somewhere that is highly visible if you are not sure you will be comfortable with it being noticed. To speed up the fading process, wash the area often, with strong soap and a scrub brush. Use an exfoliating cream, or something with alpha-hydroxy. As a last resort, only if you are desperate, and you must be careful with this, you can scrub with a weak solution of bleach and water (this will take the design off right away, but it might also burn and take your skin off, use lots of lotion after).