Frequently Asked Questions: Application Issues

Will henna stain dark skin?

There is only one logical and true answer to that question... that answer is YES!!!!

In terms of henna's ability to stain skin, there are relevant issues. But the relevant issue is not the tone or coloration of the skin to which the henna is to be applied. What is relevant regarding a henna powder's effectiveness in staining skin is: whether or not a fresh and excellently staining henna powder is used; what part of the body part is being hennaed; and the recipe, paste-making procedures/processes, and after care. These things are universal regardless of the color of the skin to which henna is applied.

There are a few things that are important and relevant when hennaing people with dark skin. The first is to forget and throw away all of the myths you may be holding onto. Approach the person before you with quality powder and quality skills. That is what is essential.

As a henna artist, you always have to consider certain factors prior to providing henna designs for anyone. You also have to provide good, thorough and written after care instructions for people to follow. The age is important in determining whether or not you need parental consent. Where the person wants the design is important in determining if you need to terp or not. Keeping the henna design away from water is important for the first 24 hours after paste removal.

When providing henna designs to people with darker skin tones, here are a few other things you will want to consider and tell your customers.

1. If your customer regularly perms their own hair with a lye based perm, or if they have recently permed their hair with a lye based perm, the likelihood is that their fingertips have been effected by the lye in the product. This can seriously impair the stain development in those areas of the hands. Some people have taken to recommending only the dying of the hands and feet of people of darker skin because of the belief that these are either the only place the stain will show up or because they feel that the hands and the feet are the "best" place always for henna stains. Such information is misleading. Especially in light of the fact that the fingers may stain most poorly because of the use of certain products. You should make your customer aware of the effect of the application of lye based perms on their fingertips. You can then allow them to make an informed decision regarding whether or not they want the stains on their hands even when there is a possibility that the stain will be uneven... light and pale orange with a quick demise on the fingers and darker on the palms.

If your customer does not use the lye-based perms, then uneven stains caused by the effects of these products on the skin becomes a non-issue.

2. Many make up products for women of all skin tones are loaded up with oils. Many lotions, moisturizers and other products used on the skin on a daily basis by both women and men contain oils. These oils act as a resist to the dyes in the henna paste. The dyes have difficulty penetrating the oils and a stain can appear splotchy or not show up at all as a result. So it is extremely important to let your customer know of the effect of oily products on their henna stain. Ask them not to use the product prior to coming for the appointment to have their henna designs applied.

While people of all skin coloration may use oil-based products, I include this in this section because sooooo many of the products used by people of darker skin tones are oil based. Often this is just to keep the skin from appearing ashy... dry with a film of white discoloration. So, it would actually be pretty safe to assume that your customer may well have used some sort of oil based product on their skin that will interfere with their design. Provide them with this information and prepare the skin for their henna design by removing the oil product.

3. Just as oil based products are used on the skin, they are often also used on hair to provide shine and to grease/moisturize the scalp. Someone who either plays with their hair or grooms their hair throughout the day is assured to have some of residue of these oil based hair products on their hands. Sometimes just washing with mild soap does not remove all residual oil from the hand. I recommend washing the hands twice and I choose to use an oily-skin alcohol based toner to remove any oil that might remain.

4. Some of the same issues mentioned above are important regarding after care. It is important for everyone to keep their henna stain free from water for 12 to 24 hours after paste removal. There are some activities that may be more unique to African American hair care that should be included in your after care instructions. Lots of friction on fingertips from working with hair while braiding can tend to wear away the stain more rapidly. Stronger soaps used to remove the residue of the oil based hair products from the hands can also hasten the demise of the henna stain. Providing this information can help people decide what they need to do to maintain their henna designs for longer periods of time.

Beyond this information, the same conditions apply for all people regardless of skin tone. The henna paste will provide a stain depending on the quality of the henna powder used and the recipe, process and aftercare.

Henna stains take on a different coloration depending on the skin tone to which it is applied. The skin tone itself is an important determining factor regarding what color the stain itself will be. Henna does not stain opaque. The henna stain is more transparent to translucent. Therefore the color of the skin to which it is applied becomes part of the equation of the resulting color. There is always a difference between the color of the skin with the henna stain and the skin without the henna stain. Those two different colors are what make the design appear. There is always a contrast of intensity between the natural color of the skin and the color of the skin with the henna stain. The color of the skin that has been stained is a far more intense hue than the skin without the stain.

Colors that appear on dark skin range from orangish, tannish, reddish, black cherry, blueberry, mahogany, wine, to colors to difficult to describe. The point is, henna does its magic regardless of skin color.

When applying henna designs to skin other than hands and sides or bottoms of the feet, it is wise to terp the paste regardless of skin tone. When the weather is very hot outside, the henna stain develops more quickly than when the weather is cold regardless of skin tone. Henna loves heat. So wrapping and keeping the henna paste warm and cozy on the skin for 8 hours prior to paste removal results in excellent coloring of the stain regardless of skin tone.

The bottom-line is that there are certain considerations when hennaing dark skin tone that may or may not be considerations of people regardless of skin tone. But those considerations are just that... things to consider and make adjustments for when possible in order to assure the person coming to you for a henna design, gets the best from you in terms of henna powder, process, skills and knowledge.

Henna designs on darker skin require its on aesthetic appreciation. One can not bring a different aesthetic and sense of values to the appreciation of what appears before them other than what is required to appreciate what is indeed before them. When we remember that we are indeed a rainbowed people then we can appreciate fully the beauty and magic of what henna does naturally and magnificently on brothers and sisters of the rainbow.

Bring Henna Happiness in Our Rainbowed World!!!!

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