Art: the intricate world of henna

Henna comes from a type of small leaf that grow in bunches on a mid-size tree. Fresh henna smells and dyes way better than the ones that come packaged. But the packaged ones that come in applicable cones have the finest tips so that these intricate designs can be drawn. Henna is a celebratory application but it's widespread popularity has stretched far and beyond of what it used to be. Usually a wet liquid which dries and hardens leaving it's bright orange mark on the skin. After a few hours this bright orange darkens to a burnt orange depending on the blood circulation in one's hand. Different people have different ways of getting the dye darker such as applying hot oil, lime juice or even holding the hand against heat. The dye stays fresh for about a week depending on how good the mixture is. Some henna trees have darker color than the others. After a week or so it starts to fade and eventually leave the skin. This image above is my friend's hands and the henna was done by yours truly during this month's Eid celebration.