Function

• Historically, the use of henna ink for body art has been for special occasions and ceremonies. It is most prominent in Middle Eastern countries, and was used among all of the major religious groups in the region. It has also spread to northern India and Africa. One of the more common uses is for various rituals surrounding marriage and other rites of passage. The ink is also used for hair dye, and supposedly also has a number of other medicinal properties. However, its most common application remains in its use for creating intricate patterns on the skin.
  
  

Features

• Henna patterns are often painted on the hands.
  
  Naturally made ink contains little more than water added to the ground-up leaves of the plant. The primary ingredient is the leaves from the henna plant, but other materials are sometimes also added. Henna ink generally has a distinctive, brownish color. Variations of shade can be created by thickening or thinning the paste that is used to apply the ink to the skin. Natural additives--such as leaves of other plants, cloves or even coffee grounds--may also be mixed with the paste to effect alterations in color. Lemon juice is sometimes added or even substituted for the water to make the ink.
  
  

Identification

• Aside from the distinctive color, body art made from henna ink also has a number of traditional motifs. The first is the complex patterns made with the dye. Henna ink is generally not used to make actual pictures (like in a tattoo), but rather to inscribe patterns that are usually curvilinear in form. They are often repetitive patterns, and may evoke images of vines or other botanical structures. Different cultures also have slightly different traditions with regard to patterns. The other common motif is that henna ink is most often used to dye the hands and forearms, although it can be applied elsewhere.
  
  

Benefits

• Unlike tatoos, no needles are required.
  
  There are a number of benefits to using henna ink to make designs on the skin. First, for those who dislike sharp objects, henna patterns do not require needles. The dye can be put on through various methods, but it is just a dye and merely colors the surface skin. Henna consequently fades over time and eventually washes off, generally within a matter of months. While these means that traditional henna-ink designs are not permanent, it also means that a person can change both the pattern and the placement of the design frequently, without risk of scarring. The designs require very little in the way of specialized equipment or training, which means that just about anyone can attempt to make henna-ink markings, even on themselves.
  
  

Warning

• There are two important safety issues that need to be kept in mind regarding the use of henna ink on skin. The first is that while the use of natural henna ink is generally regarded as safe, there is no regulation for the commercial product. Much of the dye that can be purchased is intended for hair only, and may contain chemicals that could be potentially harmful. This is especially true for the second safety issue, which involves the so-called "black henna." Natural henna ink is not black, and the most common additive to make this variant is a chemical that has been proven harmful to people. "Black henna" should never be applied to skin, and henna ink itself should only ever be made with natural ingredients if it is going to be used as body dye.