Henna Painting or Henna Designs is part of Emirati Culture. According to tradition, ladies’ hands and feet are painted with henna which is a dark brown natural dye. The origin of this practice is of dispute, but it has been there for centuries to enhance beauty. Beauty salons and culture centres in Abu Dhabi offer henna painting for its customers. The designs consist of quick ones or easy patterns to complex works or designs which take more time. The work lasts for couple of weeks before fading.
Henna Plant is prevailing since Bronze Age, mostly used for dyeing skin, leather, silk, wool and hair. This is in large scale cultivated in most countries of northern Africa and some parts of Asia. The plant got more attention is this century because of emigration from other countries. The use of henna design by Emirati women is for weddings, special occasions and part of fun activity. There are henna parties in society and they display their designs there.
According to history, Cleopatra and Nefertiti used Henna as a beautifying agent. It is mainly used in cosmetics industry as a hair colorant and there is great increase in use as a temporary form of skin decoration.
There is big difference between traditional Indian Mehndi and Arabic henna design. According to Arabic Henna Design, they do not completely cover hands and feet’s. Indian Designs are large and is filled with larges shapes and drawings.
Henna altogether is witnessing a new turning in the last ten years or so in Abu Dhabi. Usually Henna is done for women, but if required men can also go for it. In Abu Dhabi Henna Centres are visited by women clients and these centres offer packages that suits to the requirement of each clients. Generally it consists of bridal packages to marriage packages to casual packages to festival packages. There is constant change in price and packages keep changing from season to season.
The time of henna designing varies according to the complications involved in the designs. To sustain the design for a longer period people small tricks are applied like putting the hands in a carry bag and sleeping with it before washing it the next day, and adding lemon on it. The locals even use henna for nail polishes. Henna is available in various shades, check with your centres for more information regarding various shades.