Mehndi Art: What's the Difference between Henna and a Tattoo?
Learn the difference between henna and a tattoo in this video about Mehndi. Expert: Lisa Butterworth.
Up next in How to Do Henna & Mehndi Art (22 videos)
Learn all about Mehndi -- the ancient Indian art of applying henna dye to hands and feet as a temporary decoration -- in these Howcast videos.
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Transcript
I'm Lisa Butterworth sometimes known as Kenzi and I'm a henna artist and the owner of a henna supply business, kenzi.com. Today I'll unleash your inner henna artist and have you drawing henna designs all over your friends and anyone else who will sit still. I'm often asked if henna is a tattoo and the answer is a definite no. There are many differences between henna and a tattoo. As we know, tattoos are permanent and they pierce the skin to carry the ink down to the blood bearing layers of the skin to create a design that is permanent. By contrast, henna is a temporary dye that just sits on the surface of the skin. It only stains the dead layers of skin cells and it lasts about 1 to 2 weeks. Henna comes out darkest on the hands and the feet where the skin is the thickest. And by contrast, the tattoos actually don't take as well on the hands and the feet because the skin tends to bleed and fade and ruin the tattoo design. In addition, henna is different from tattoo in the style of the art. Henna designs are usually traditional designs from India and the Middle East and North Africa, and they're very different from tattoo designs. But, these designs can be made into tattoos.
