Dangerous elegance: Henna, ahoy!

With Eid this week, there is a hard-to-meet demand for henna from women and children of different nationalities who want to get artistic decorations that match each one’s tradition and mode of festivity.
Beauty salons all over the country are packed with women and children as young as five years waiting in queues for their turn to get henna patterns applied on their hands and feet as part of the preparations to welcome Eid with an elegant look.
Though some salons have doubled the charges for applying henna, that has not dampened the craving of women for unique artistic henna designs, ignoring the potential health risks since many salons mix henna with dyes and chemical substances to strengthen the dyeing properties. Doctors have cautioned people against applying henna at salons without knowing the ingredients, especially those which might cause skin problems.

Legal experts, meanwhile, say people could sue the salon owner in the event of deception regarding the substances mixed with the henna.
Municipality authorities in Abu Dhabi have already launched a hotline — 993 — to receive complaints about salons regarding lack of hygiene and practices that might negatively affect human health.

Dr Khalid Mohammed Othman, Abu Dhabi-based consultant dermatologist, cautioned: “Mixing chemical substances with henna might result in serious skin diseases, especially if the person already has an allergy or any skin ailment like eczema.”
He said the chemical substances could cause itching and burns on the skin.
“It is advised that henna should be herbal. An allergy test must be carried out by applying a small quantity of henna under the elbow for at least four hours. Allergies and skin diseases must be treated before applying henna,” he said.
“Not experiencing an allergic reaction the first time does not mean that you will have the same luck next time. So women must be very careful while applying mixed henna,” added Dr Othman.

Tariq Nassar, a legal adviser, said beauty salons must inform customers about the real ingredients of the mixture before applying it or face legal action in case the customer developed any health problem because of the use of henna.
“If it is proved that the customer suffered the health problem due to the use of unsafe henna, she has the right to sue the salon owner,” said Nassar.
Through medical and technical investigations will be conducted in such lawsuits.
When contacted, an official source at the municipality said: “Public is welcome to dial 993 to complain about any problems they face while getting services from beauty salons. Our inspectors will carefully probe the complaints to protect people’s health.”

Did you know?

• Henna dyes hair, skin and fabric organically, similar to a black tea dye.
  Henna is extracted from a plant by drying and grinding leaves and stems. The greenish powder, when mixed with an acidic liquid, makes a temporary red, brown or orange design on a porous surface.
  
• People use henna in ritual skin painting, called mehndi (in the Indian subcontinent), for birth and marriage celebrations. Western cultures have adopted henna to make temporary ‘tattoos’ and organic hair dye.
  
• The henna plant, Lawsonia inermis, grows in hot, arid regions like North Africa, India and Pakistan. For centuries, people have been grinding the foliage of the plant into a powder to dye cloth and skin. The strong pigment, lawsone, actually temporarily stains the skin. Lawsone is a tannin; tannins are also found in wine and tea. They infuse porous surfaces with a darker pigment, but do not chemically alter the surface permanently.
  
• Henna works because lawsone is absorbed into hair and skin. One can mix the powdered henna into a mud, using hot water, lemon juice, vinegar, or other acidic additives. An acidic mixture strengthens the dyeing properties. The henna mud can be applied on to a surface like the palm of the hand, bottom of the feet or anywhere on the body. Leave the mud on for as long as possible, up to 48 hours. When it dries, crumbles and fall off, the skin will have darkened to auburn, orange, red, or brown.
  
• Depending on the fineness of the paste, one can apply henna with a tube, like putting icing on the cake. With a lot of care and workmanship, people can achieve intricate designs full of scrolls, swirls, paisley outlines, and dots. Henna tattoos create temporary bracelets, motifs, emblems, or words.
  
• In traditional mehndi, Muslims and Hindus decorate the skin of those participating in special ceremonies, such as a wedding or circumcision, in places like Indonesia, India and Pakistan.
  
• Dyeing with henna is entirely temporary. Hairdye may last up to six weeks, but skin dye will probably not stay visible for more than a week. This is because the dye has only sunken into the uppermost layer of dead and dying skin. When your skin flakes fall off through natural exfoliation, it will be gradually replaced by fresh skin of your natural colour. Henna hairdye will also slowly fade away, but will not leave any lines or stripes like synthetic dye.