Henna Body Art

photo credit: quinn.anya

Across the globe, Mehndi has become one of the passionate activities that swarm through very important occasion and festival as a majestic habit.

Whether its wedding, engagements, family get-togethers or festivals like that of Eid and Diwali, it is an important tradition and culture especially in the Middle East countries.

Whatever the occasion, it is quite necessary to ensure the type of Mehndi that is being consumed. From the last few decades, there have been a lot of experiments on Mehndi to produce a rather dark colour giving variety.

In the course, various chemical substances have also been added as a preservative or merely an additive. These chemicals enhanced the colour product of Mehndi but side by side produced some deadly after effects.

In 1990s, Henna artists in Africa, India, the Arabian Peninsula and the West began to experiment with PPD (para-phenylenediamine) to produce ?Black Henna?.

Even though it was produced from a rather Indigo mixture, but due to its impression on hands and feet it commonly became to be recognized by this specific name.

Later identified, it caused several allergic reactions along with blistering, intense itching and permanent scarring and chemical sensitivities.

Although these were contradicted to as the aftermaths of Henna or Mehndi, but the successive examinations revealed that Henna is not at all lethal for the human body.

PPD produces life-long damage. In order to determine its presence in any Mehndi product, various tests have been designed. If the Mehndi paste stains torso skin black in less than ? hour, it contains PPD or if it is mixed with peroxide or if peroxide is wiped over the design to bring out the colour, it has PPD in it, and little or no henna.

Hence, it is extremely important to buy off Mehndi products from reliable sources that are recognized for selling pure Mehndi with few or no other additive chemicals.

Otherwise, a safer approach would be to buy the powder and prepare your own domestic Mehndi paste satisfyingly.

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