Henna Hand Design

Henna hand design has become a tradition in recent times for Indian brides.

In fact there is a myth that the longer the henna takes to fade the better she will get on with her in-laws. The hand and some of the arm is covered in henna making it look like a long glove. It is stunning in photos of the ring, especially if the bride has her nails French polished. Sometimes it's not just restricted to the brides who wear henna as more often nowadays the grooms also decorate their bodies.

The first time I saw henna hand design was on an Arabic woman in Bahrain. It was more than ten years ago and I was intrigued by the beauty and detail. No design is the same as they all carry their individual hallmark of the designer. Therefore some are better than others.

Henna is not just applied for weddings in some countries: it's used for all sorts of occasions such as before a baby is born, after a baby is born, engagements or just a get together event. In the west it is becoming very popular to wear at any time as a fashion accessory.

Henna has been around for thousands of years in Asia, Africa and Australia. Used as a cosmetic are many old engravings of women with their hands and feet decorated with henna.

Henna tattoos are very popular : unlike traditional methods they are painless, safe and they are also temporary, so if you don't like your tattoo there's no need to worry about it not coming off. Henna is fun with no worries or side affects. Of course anyone can be allergic to anything, so do a skin test beforehand. Put a tiny drop of henna paste behind your ear and leave it for 24 hours. If it is red and itchy you are allergic; if you forget about it then it is safe to proceed.

Before painting your henna design please practise on paper as henna will not wash off and you will be left with all your mistakes until it fades. Practice makes perfect!

Make henna yourself and then you know exactly what's included in the recipe (no nasty chemicals or toxins). Take a look at our henna tattoo recipe which has videos to show you how easy it is to make for skin application.

If you don't want to make your own henna we recommend Supreme Cone Henna 30g (Case of 12) - - Ready made Henna Paste

Try a few of our henna hand designs out. For ease of use go to the bottom of the page to print this page out.