Henna tattoos catching on

Alma Molina works quickly, squeezing the brown henna paste onto the hand of the young woman sitting across from her like an artist painting on a canvas. About 13 people are watching with awe, pining for their turn as she expertly crafts a freehand dragonfly design on freshman Stacee Griffith's hand and wrist. Once the paste is dry, it will leave a red stained design that will last between three and 15 days.\n"I have never seen anything like this before. I can't wait to get home and show all of my friends," Griffith said. \nMolina, a graduate student studying graphic design at IU, was hired to give free henna tattoos during the two weeks of orientation at IU. She first discovered henna six years ago when she told her father she wanted a tattoo and he suggested she try a temporary henna design first. At that time, henna had not yet been introduced to the western world by celebrities, and it was difficult for Molina to find henna powder in Mexico, where she is from.\n"A lot of people tried to do it because they saw it on Madonna or Gwen Stefani, then after they did it and learned about it and they saw how deep the traditions were, then they liked it more for the traditional side of it than for the fashion side of it," Molina said.\nThe origins of henna designs, often called by the Indian word mehndi, are estimated to travel back in time at least 5,000 years. A paste using henna powder and water or oils was thought to be first used by ancient people to cool their hands and feet. First it just dyed the areas red and later developed into the use of designs. \n"I like the tradition behind it a lot, but I also like it because it looks cool. This is more traditional," said Molina of the intricately detailed Indian inspired design on her hand. "I am not doing this kind of work here. I am only doing stuff from the design book; things like this take a lot more time, and here we want to do as many people as possible."\nThe countries that use henna have their own styles and symbolic meaning in their designs. According to the Lohana Online, Middle-Eastern designs feature large floral patterns, while Indian designs are lacy floral and paisley that cover entire hands, feet and palms; Africans use large bold geometric designs. In these parts of the world Henna designs are often filled with meaning and are typically used to celebrate betrothals, weddings, births, circumcisions, religious holidays and national festivals. \n"Meanings vary depending on the region and country the design is from. Mainly it is to keep away the evil eye, but they have designs for fertility, good luck, and for happiness," Molina said.\n"It is a way to celebrate and show that you are happy and to bring happiness into your life." \nTraditionally only women, girls and young boys wore henna designs on their hands and feet. Now it is being used in the US and all over the world by women and men. Henna artists use every type of design imaginable and do their designs on legs, arms, backs, bellies and necks. \n"Henna was meant to be on the hands and feet. The bride will get sometimes up to the elbows or up to the knees. In some places it won\'t even stain or it will last less time, but people still want it because they want the tattoo feel," Molina said.\nSome henna artists, looking to create the perfect temporary tattoos, use other dyes to make colorful henna. Although most of the colored dyes are safe one type, made by mixing henna with Bigen hair dye, has a dangerous chemical called PPD (phenylenediamine) that when left on the skin for a long time can cause lesions on the skin as well as kidney problems. For this reason, the Black Henna Web site warns that users ask about the contents at henna booths advertising black henna because many henna artists do not know that what they are using is potentially dangerous. \nTraditional henna is very safe and uses all natural ingredients but sometimes causes mild allergic reactions in some people. For traditional henna, the powder is mixed with warm water, hot coffee or tea; some type of oil; and often some lemon juice.\nHenna powder also has many medical uses such as healing skin diseases and thickening hair. It is also drunk to cure headaches and stomach aches.\n"Henna can be used on the hair also as a conditioner to make your hair thicker, and it colors it a shade of red," said Molina, who also warns that if it is used when chemicals or dyes are on the hair it turns it green.\nIn the six years since Molina has been doing henna, it has become very popular among young people in the United States as it is used by celebrities and featured in magazines. She has also met people at IU and on the Internet who use henna in the traditional way who have mixed feelings about the new Western popularity of henna body art.\n"There are two sides to every story. I have met people (for whom) it is a family tradition for them and some people say it is not good because Americans take everything and they mess everything up. Like the fact that they call it a tattoo and it is not a tattoo. Some people get upset by that," Molina said. "Other people say that it a really really good thing and that it is a way to show people a little bit of their culture."\nAnyone interested can see more of Molina's work at her Spanish Web site hennaritual.8m.com.