My community played a huge role in my love for temporary tattoos. Wedding ceremonies would have the brides beautifully showcasing the beauty of the henna designs on their arms and legs, and many guests wouldn’t be left out. The bridesmaid, the bride’s mother, and sisters, almost every woman would be adorned with beautiful henna designs. So, temporary tattoos are something I knew I was going to grow up to love and admire a lot and I vowed to try it as many times as possible.
The first time I tried the black henna drawings was a disaster. I couldn’t use my hands for about two days. I was used to trying the organic red-orange tattoos which I used to prepare by harvesting the henna leaves from our neighbor’s compound, grate and mix with some lime juice and then tied to my nails for some hours so that the colour would be deeply absorbed in my nails. I liked that, but this latest black henna would look good on my skin was my thought, so I tried it.
Even though it was just my nails that I painted with a little flower drawing at the back of my left palm, I nearly cried. I couldn’t lift a thing with any of my hands because of how heavy my hands felt. So, I took a break off the things I could, except school where I would need to use a pen. The third day after, when my hands were healed, I flaunted the beauty forgetting the pains I went through.
Later, I realized that the pain was not supposed to happen to start with, but the concentration of hydrogen in the mixture of the black henna caused the pains, so I decided to try again. O yeah, I did try again many times, and I’m still trying till now.
I started with mini designs on my nails and fingers to be sure it would be less painful. I did the mix myself and tried out my creativity in drawing. It didn’t end up as beautiful as I envisaged, but I loved it anyways, and a lot of other people admired it too.
Temporary tattoos with henna in my community used to be drawn only on special occasions like wedding ceremonies, house launching, or any party at all, but now, I’ve grown to realize that henna designs can be drawn on any day, and at any time one feels like.
One day, I went to the market, bought the already grounded henna, went back home, mixed it, adorned my nails and hands with it without any special occasion happening. It was just a self-care period for me and it’s one of those things I do at those times.
Despite the pains I felt the first time I tried, I didn’t stop using the black henna to draw beautiful designs on my skin, because no pain, no gain is what they used to say. Now, I don’t attend wedding ceremonies without having at least a little henna design on because the beauty of the drawings is something I like to see every time.
I don’t specifically want to draw a lion or a cat or a face on my skin. I just want to explore the beauty of many lines connecting into flowers, stars or moon-shaped designs and some connecting dots on my fingers in colours that’s entirely different from my skin complexion, and admire it for a period of two to four weeks when it would have completely washed off and I can draw it again when I feel like, hence, my love for henna designs.
Happy Anniversary Tattooworld. 🥳
All images are mine.
This is my entry to the may inleo prompt for today. The topic is How is body art seen in your culture? is part of it or is not accepted? Do you have tattoos? What would you like to have? You can also join here.
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I have seen lot of ladies with this type of tattoo but I had no understanding of the meaning before.
Thanks for sharing this. So there are several types of drawing on this.
I wish to draw lion on my hand or chest 😂
Yes, there are. I have someone I can recommend for you to draw some big cats on your skin though. 🥳🥳
Thank you very much for dropping by. 😁
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STOPThis type of tattoo has always fascinated me, for its beauty and for the ease of cleaning and the possibility of an infinity of tattoos.
It is a pity that in my country there is no henna tattoo culture, I do not know anyone who has done it and even less where they do it.
I am surprised to know that one of the motives of the tattoo is the inauguration of a house, and also that this type of tattoo hurts.
Your designs are beautiful, you are already a tattoo artist, every time you get a new one you can come and show us your creation in the tattoo world community.
Currently for the anniversary we have a contest, it is anchored in the community if you want to participate you are invited, you can create a new post or add the requirements that you are missing to this post, as you like there are prizes.
I say goodbye saying that I like tattoos and I don't have any, that's a secret between the two 🫢🤭😉
Ah ah. Happy anniversary to the Tattoo world community. 🥳
The features missing to enter the contest will be completed too.
And, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. 🥳
I never knew drawing henna tattoo comes with a lot of pain like you narrated.
The designs in the pictures are beautiful.
Let see,maybe someday I'll give it a try while feigning ignorance to that level of pain....lol
If you meet someone that knows how to mix well, you won't feel a thing, trust me. It was because the concentration of the hydrogen was too much.
I have always been fascinated by temporary tattoos with Henna, and if I were to find someone to do it for me, I would not hesitate for a second to get one on my entire hand.
What a bad experience with black henna, it's not the first time I hear about side effects from its use. The key is to know how to use it and to do thorough research before choosing it as an option for getting a tattoo.
Exactly. I failed to do a test run on one of my fingers before I opted to use it fully. Lol.
Getting someone that knows about it very well such that there won't be any pain after use is very important.