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Elegant and delicately detailed, henna or mehndi tattoos have caught on tremendously in the Western world as an alternative to permanent tattoos.

A temporary henna tattoo, with its characteristic deep red hues, may last up to 30 days. Since it is a substance based on powders made from dried leaves or berries, henna is also free of the harsh inks or chemicals used in the process of permanent tattooing.

Henna is not inscribed but painted upon the skin, and instances of allergic reactions to henna are much less reported compared to those 'inked' in the traditional Western way.

Henna History

Henna tattoo designs are believed to have first originated in what is now Turkey as early as 7000 BC. Not surprisingly, the first ever written records about henna is its use in adorning the bride on her wedding day - a tradition still widely observed in India today with elaborate designs that may take up to six hours to complete.

Modern Henna Designs

Modern, everyday henna motifs may include fashionable contemporary designs, Arabic or ornamental script, or the traditional small navel tattoo. While hands, nails and feet are still the most favored areas of the body where henna is applied, delicate necklace, bracelet or anklet designs are also widely seen.

Henna On the Web

Elsewhere on the Web, discover more about the topic in FAQs, how to's & information on preparing your own henna or mehndi preparations, plus an eyeful of photo galleries illustrating the variety of its design & application, and the growing popularity in the West of traditional henna tattoos ....

Mehendiworld - One-stop browsing for an in-depth FAQ featuring directions and recipes, tips for preparation, application & fixatives, picture gallery of henna hand & foot designs, henna do's and don'ts including the dangers of black henna, with related historical facts & information.

Mehndi Designs - Elegantly presented site with a good overview of cultural, historical and modern henna application, plus design guides & pictures, and an illustrated FAQ with practical information for visitors new to henna tattoos.

MehndiMan.org - Featuring "one man's fascination with the use of henna for body art" including instructions for making do-it-yourself application tools and a picture gallery of henna designs.

Henna Encyclopedia - Everything you ever wanted to know with historical & scientific details, modern applications, facts, information plus henna foot, hand & fingernail design illustrations.

Hennagalerie.com - Offering up dozens of different henna designs in an interactive Flash presentation.

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