Mehndi is an ancient Indian practice where intricate designs are painted onto a person’s body with henna paste. The henna stains the skin and leaves a dark brown design on the skin for several days. These designs are most commonly painted on the hands and the feet, but the designs can be painted anywhere. Traditionally, mehndi designs are used as Hindu wedding designs, often worn by brides and sometimes also by grooms. They are also used in Hindu festivals and gained popularity in the Western world through the Indian entertainment industry. Mehndi tattoo designs can be very similar to the henna designs, only permanent. The level of intricacy may also be different between mehndi tattoos and just mehndi itself: because tattoos can bleed while they’re healing, a mehndi tattoo may need to be more simplistic. Having said that, a mehndi tattoo will still carry the same beauty and elegance associated with traditional mehndi.
