5 Questions You Should Ask Before Wearing Your Bridal Mehndi
Weddings are tedious affairs that require a plenty of time investment and among all celebrations "Mehndi night" is the most interesting as well as tiring for the bride. Mehndi calls upon a lot of patience from bride's end,as she has to be seated in the same position for hours together and once it is done, there is no refurnishing for that.The inappropriate design or henna paste could end up making your hands look totally messed up with no clarity!To avoid such freaked out the situation, we've come up with a list of questions to help them hire the perfect mehndi artist for herself and their guests.
When planning a mehndi ceremony, decide on the kind of design you would like to be drawn on your hand and feet. This could be based on the prevalent fashion. You can choose from traditional Indian designs with peacocks, flowers etc., which are designed intricately. Or you can go with the contemporary Arabic Mehndi which has simple designs with thick outlines; these designs, however, do not cover the entire hand. A combination of both these style, the Indo-Arabic style fills the hands with close-knit motifs and gives them thick outlines. Those who like something different can go for Moroccan mehndi which has geometric pattern instead of the traditional floral pattern. These days, mehndi is accentuated by adding glitter, gems, and sparkle. Colored mehndi or tattoos are also popular.
While natural henna is safe, some people might be allergic to it and might experience skin allergy. Sometimes, PPD or Para-phenylenediamine is added to mehndi to give it a rich texture and color as well as reduce the application time. This can trigger an allergic reaction like wheezing, itching, redness, burning sensation etc. It’s best to do a test patch first and in the case of an allergic reaction, wash off immediately and consult a dermatologist.
How many days before one should wear Mehndi for the wedding day?
It takes almost 2 days for the mehndi to achieve its darkest color, therefore applying it 2-3 days ahead of your marriage will make sure that it is at its best on the D-day. It is also advised to finish waxing, pedicure, color etc. before the application as they make the henna lighter.
Every bride desires to have the darkest mehndi. The intricate designs also look best when the color is rich and dark. The color that the mehndi will finally take depends on the body heat levels but you can do a couple of things to achieve turn your mehndi dark. To begin with, thoroughly wash your hands and feet and make sure they are free from moisturizers or oils which can hamper the absorption of henna. Besides, you can also do the following -
Leave the henna overnight or for at least 6 hours for best results
- Smoke a few cloves on the girdle. Place your hands over it so that they can absorb the smoke. This will darken the mehndi
- Make a syrup by mixing sugar and lemon juice, and once the mehndi dries, dab this juice all over your hands and feet with a cotton ball. It will keep the mehndi moist and improve the stain color
How long mehndi will last after application?
Mehndi will last longer if it is kept away from water. So try to protect your hands from water by wearing gloves. Do not dry the mehndi under the fan. Let it dry naturally because it will continue to stain for as long as it is wet. To remove it, scrape with a blunt knife and apply oil. Do not wash with water. The oil will create a barrier against water and prevent it from becoming dull.
The color of the mehndi is said to reflect the groom’s love for the bride. So all brides wish theirs to be as dark as possible. The tips above will surely help.
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