About Nadia, the Henna Artist
Thank you for visiting my site.
So how did I get interested in henna? Well, when I was a little girl, about 7 or 8, my mother introduced me to the art of henna. I was too small to start applying henna but I always wanted it done to me. Eventually, as I got older, I started to experiment with henna on my mother and friends that would let me apply it to them. At first I wasn't very good but with practice I got better. Soon, when we would have Mehndi or Henna parties for weddings and Muslim Holidays, friends were requesting me to do their henna. So now I am offering my services to Orlando.
So how did I get interested in henna? Well, when I was a little girl, about 7 or 8, my mother introduced me to the art of henna. I was too small to start applying henna but I always wanted it done to me. Eventually, as I got older, I started to experiment with henna on my mother and friends that would let me apply it to them. At first I wasn't very good but with practice I got better. Soon, when we would have Mehndi or Henna parties for weddings and Muslim Holidays, friends were requesting me to do their henna. So now I am offering my services to Orlando.
What Is Henna or Mehndi?
The henna tree, Lawsonia inermis, grows in hot, arid regions like North Africa and India. For centuries, people ground the foliage of the plant into a powder to dye cloth and skin. The strong pigment, lawsone, actually temporarily stains the skin. Lawsone is a tannin; tannins are also found in wine and tea. They infuse porous surfaces with a darker pigment, but do not chemically alter the surface permanently.
Henna works because lawsone is absorbed into material like hair and skin. You mix the powdered henna into a mud, using hot water, lemon juice, vinegar, or other acidic additives. An acidic mixture strengthens the dyeing properties. Then you apply the henna mud to a surface like the palm of your hand, bottom of your feet, or anywhere on your body. Leave the mud on for as long as possible, up to 48 hours. When it dries and crumbles off, the skin will have darkened to auburn, orange, red, or brown.
Depending on the fineness of the paste, you can apply henna with a tube, like icing a cake. With a lot of coordination and care, people can achieve intricate designs full of scrolls, swirls, paisley outlines, and dots. Henna tattoos create temporary bracelets, motifs, emblems, or words. In traditional Mehndi, Muslims and Hindus decorate the skin of those participating in special ceremonies, such as a wedding or circumcision, in places like Indonesia and India.
Henna works because lawsone is absorbed into material like hair and skin. You mix the powdered henna into a mud, using hot water, lemon juice, vinegar, or other acidic additives. An acidic mixture strengthens the dyeing properties. Then you apply the henna mud to a surface like the palm of your hand, bottom of your feet, or anywhere on your body. Leave the mud on for as long as possible, up to 48 hours. When it dries and crumbles off, the skin will have darkened to auburn, orange, red, or brown.
Depending on the fineness of the paste, you can apply henna with a tube, like icing a cake. With a lot of coordination and care, people can achieve intricate designs full of scrolls, swirls, paisley outlines, and dots. Henna tattoos create temporary bracelets, motifs, emblems, or words. In traditional Mehndi, Muslims and Hindus decorate the skin of those participating in special ceremonies, such as a wedding or circumcision, in places like Indonesia and India.
