Hennamorphosis

bonding with keratin. That depends on what you want. The larger/more complicated the design, the longer it takes. I can do small, simple designs in less than a minute, or a typical "strip" (wrist-to-fingertip) in about five minutes. Prenatal designs take between one and two hours. How long does it take to dry? Especially thick areas can take longer. How long does it last? With great aftercare, henna stains can last up to three weeks. What is great aftercare? Leave the paste on as long as possible--at least four hours, but overnight is better! Remove it by scraping, not washing. Avoid water as much as possible--put a natural oil over your stain before bathing, and use gloves when cleaning. How much does it cost? Pricing can be per design (as at festivals) or by hour (better for parties or large designs). Contact me for details! What sorts of designs do you offer? I can work with you to come up with a design, base my work on something you already have in mind, or bring my design book to provide ideas. Designs range from fairly traditional indo-arabic (floral/paisley) to more modern (feathers, dream catchers). How do I know it's safe? Very few people are allergic to natural henna. Reactions are usually caused by cheap chemical substitutes for henna, such as commercial cones or what you may have heard referred to as "black henna." Commercial cones are not stored frozen, so manufacturers add preservatives such as kerosene, turpentine, or gasoline to the paste to preserve the stain. What's "black henna"? There is no such thing as black henna. Natural henna is NEVER black. You may have seen (maybe at the beach) people applying or wearing designs that look like thick, black ink. This is not actually henna, but PPD, a very toxic chemical derived from coal tar. It causes damage to the liver and kidneys and can cause a chemical burn on the skin, with permanent scarring. These adverse reactions happen when the body becomes sensitized to the toxins in the PPD. Once sensitized, repeated exposure to PPD (including in hair dyes) can be fatal. Let me repeat: real henna is NEVER black, and does not cause these reactions. How can I tell if it's natural henna or the chemical stuff?
1. Ask for a list of the ingredients. Someone using natural henna should be able to tell you every ingredient. "Don't worry, it's all natural" is not good enough, and sometimes indicates the artist isn't sure what's in it, or worse, doesn't want you to know.
2. Smell the paste. Natural henna smells good, like plants and essential oils. Chemical cones smell like chemicals.
3. Look at the paste. If it is very red, gel-like, or thick and matte black, it is not henna. Natural henna paste will be dark olive green to dark brown when applied to skin.
4. Ask what color the stain will be. If the answer is anything other than something along the lines of, "it will start bright orange and darken to a reddish-brown/burgundy color," it's probably not natural henna.
5. Ask how long you would have to leave it on. Because chemical cones can cause chemical burns, it is recommended that the paste be removed within an hour. Natural henna should be left on for a minimum of four hours. What is "white henna"? Henna is not white, either. White henna-style designs are made either with body paint or body adhesive and mica or glitter. These usually last 3-10 days, depending on where they are, as the designs sit on top of the skin and can rub off, rather than staining the skin like henna. Any other questions? Feel free to contact me via email ([email protected]) or FB messenger. Hope to see you soon!