Mehndi one of the best form of skin makeup in India

A complete mehndi design by Dev

Mehndi is the application of Henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in South Asia, as well as by expatriate communities from these areas. Mehendi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s, where they are sometimes called henna tattoos. Henna is typically applied during special occasions like weddings and festivals. It is usually drawn on the palms and feet, where the colour will be darkest because the skin contains higher levels of keratin which binds temporarily to lawsone, the colourant of henna. Henna was originally used as a form of decoration mainly for brides.

The term henna tattoo is inaccurate because tattoos are defined as permanent surgical insertion of pigments underneath the skin, as opposed to pigments resting on the surface as is the case with mehndi

Likely due to the desire for a "tattoo-black" appearance, many people have started adding the synthetic dye PPD to henna to give it a black colour. PPD is extremely harmful to the skin and can cause severe allergic reactions resulting in permanent injury or death. Alta (Mahur) is a flower-based dye used to paint the feet of the brides in some regions of India. It is still used in Bengal.

Check out some beautiful Mehndi designs for different occasions here. Some more here.

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