Females Fashion: Mehendi (Womens Choice)

"History Of Mehendi"

The Mughals brought Mehendi to India as lately as the 12th century AD. As the use of Mehendi spread, its application methods and designs became more sophisticated.
According to professional henna artist and researcher Catherine C Jones, the beautiful patterning prevalent in India today has emerged only in the 20th century. In 17th century India, the barber's wife was usually employed for applying henna on women Most women from that time in India are depicted with their hands and feet hennaed, regardless of social class or marital status.

The art of Mehendi has existed for centuries. The exact place of its origin is difficult to track because of centuries of people in different cultures moving through the continents and taking their art forms with them and therefore sharing their art with everyone along the way.

Some historical evidence suggests that Mehendi started in India while others believe it was introduced to India during the twelfth century A.D. I personally feel that it would be hard to argue the fact that it appeared as an art form in Egypt first.

Proof has been found that henna(Mehendi) was used to stain the fingers and toes of Pharoahs prior to mummification over 5000 years ago when it was also used as a cosmetic and for it's healing power. The mummification process took 70 days and as the Egyptians were diligent in planning for their deaths and their rebirth in the afterlife, they became quite obsessed with the preservation process. The Egyptians believed that body art ensured their acceptance into the afterlife and therefore used tattooing and Mehendi to please the gods and guarantee a pleasant trip.

The henna used for mehndi comes from a bush called Lawsonia Inermis which is part of the loose strife family and is grown in the Sudan, Egypt, India, most of the North African counties, The Middle East and other hot and dry places. The bush is also grown in Florida and California for his ornamental appearance and often grows to be quite large, ranging from six to twenty feet in some cases. The lance- shaped leaves from the bush are harvested, dried and then crushed to make the henna powder. Henna is used for hair dye, as a skin conditioner and as a reliever for rashes. The art of Mehendi is referred to as henna, mehndi or mehandi depending on where you are and which name you feel came first (or are most comfortable using). No matter what you call it though -- the art form remains essentially the same as it was centuries ago. It is beautiful the way it stains the skin!

Mehendi is not the huge commitment that tattooing is because of its temporary nature. For people who are too scared to endure the poking of a needle or are too ambivalent to commit to wearing the same permanent design forever -- Mehendi is a wonderful alternative. I would suggest that anyone who is hesitant about getting a permanent tattoo -- try walking the streets with a henna design for a couple of weeks first. It helps you discern if you can accept the constant backward glances and whispers that you often hear when you are in public as a decorated person. Henna also allows you to play around with designs until you find one that you are comfortable with -- and then you can get it permanently etched into your skin if you want to. Some people like permanency while others are much more comfortable with temporary forms of body art. Regardless of how you use henna to decorate your body -- the main idea is to have fun.

Henna designs have traditionally fallen into four different styles. The Middle Eastern style is mostly made up of floral patterns similar to the Arabic textiles, paintings and carvings and do not usually follow a destinctive pattern. The North African style generally follows the shape of the hands and feet using geometrical floral patterns. The Indian and Pakistani designs encompass more than just the feet and hands and generally extend further up the appendages to give the illusion of gloves and stockings which are made up of lines, paisley patterns and teardrops. Lastly, the Indonesian and Southern Asian styles were a mix of Middle Eastern and Indian designs using blocks of color on the very tips of their toes and fingers. All of these styles remain popular today but have also been joined in popularity by celtic designs and chinese symbols. The point once again is to have fun with designs and experiment with them until you find something that you feel really passionate about.

MEHENDI

Healing Properties:

In various eastern parts, henna is thought to hold special medicinal or even magical properties. It is used to help heal skin diseases, prevent thinning hair, and cool the skin to reduce swelling in hot climates. It is made into a beverage to heal headaches and stomach pain. Newly purchased homes in Morocco often have their doors painted with henna to wish for prosperity and chase away evil. Henna is used as a protection against the "evil eye". The foreheads of bulls, milk cows, and horses are sometimes decorated with henna for their protection. Tombstones in graveyards are sometimes washed with henna to please the sprits.

Mehendi flowers produce perfume, and the Egyptians are believed to have made an oil and an ointment from them for increasing the suppleness of the limbs.

Mehendi has been used to treat a number of ailments due to a brown substance of a resinoid fracture found in it. This has chemical properties which characterize tannins, and is therefore named hennotannic acid. It has been used both internally and locally to treat conditions including leprosy, smallpox, cancer of the colon, headaches and blood loss - especially during childbirth. It can be used for skin conditions such as eczema. The plant can also treat muscle contraction and fungal and bacterial infections.

Tips:

Mehendi : Tips for better results!
You should leave the mehendi to dry on your skin and keep it on for as long as possible (10 - 12 hours if possible - you can go to bed with it). Scrape it after that. The color will become deeper
if you leave it untouched by water for another 10 - 12 hours. A deep color may last upto two weeks. The colouration varies from person to person.

Mehendi : Tips for preparation
Before you make a paste, you will need some good quality henna which you can find in an Indian or Middle Eastern store. There is no guarantee, however, that their henna has not been sitting on a shelf for a long time, slowly losing its power. Wherever you get your henna from, it should have a nice, bright green colour, and should have a nice, grassy, earthy aroma to it. If the colour of the henna is grayish or brownish, chances are it has been exposed to the air for too long or been exposed to sunlight. Your henna should always be stored in a cool, dry, preferably airtight container that does not let any light get in. This will keep it fresh until you need to use it again.

You can find coloured henna paste in the market, but this henna has a lot of colourings added to it, and although it may actually have henna in the mixture, the henna's own colouring properties are overtaken by the coloured dyes that are in it. Do not think of using black henna, for it can actually leave a chemical burn and a scar behind.

Mehendi How to Apply Hair?
Mehendi is believed to have medicinal qualities and so used for treatment of hair related problems. Mehendi mixed with yoghurt, lemon, coffee, tea, egg, fenugreek, Amla(Indian gooseberry) Aritha or Reetha(Soapnuts), oils like castor, coconut, olive in different combinations is used for various purposes. There may be many more ingredients that are used along with the above mentioned; each one of them having different effects. It may be for treating roughness, hair-fall, hair breakage, dandruff, dullness, split ends or just to keep your head cool.Besides conditioning, Mehendi is also used for giving hair just a tint or a pretty good colour. Mixing with indigo beetroot, katha or just soaking in an iron bowl will give the respective shade.I’ll be describing in details about which combination to be used when in my later posts. Cool Steps:
Mehendi is also used to cool your feet. Mehendi paste is applied to feet, particularly soles to get the soothing and cooling effect. It is believed to treat headache and also to get rid paining legs. Or simply step into the Mehendi paste(known ad Mehendi shoe) to get a perfect treat.
Pakistani Mehandi Designs:

Pakistani Mehendi