Q. How much do you charge to do Henna?
My rates start at $145 for the first hour, $195 for an hour and a half, or $245 for two hours. Additional fees may apply for events outside my usual service area (within 20 minutes of Bothell, WA), for holidays or peak dates, or for events booked with less than 2 weeks notice. I can do an average of 10-15 smaller henna designs, or 8-10 medium sized henna designs, in one hour.
Q. Do you have a studio? Is there somewhere I can come just to get a henna sometime?
A. No, I do not currently have a studio. However, I am happy to meet you at a coffee shop near my home in Snoqualmie and give you a henna session! My minimum is half an hour at $65 (45 minutes is $98, or 1 hour for $130). If I come to your home or a location outside Snoqualmie, trip fees may apply, depending on your location. I can do a very elaborate hand/arm henna in half an hour, or 2-4 smaller or simpler ones, if you'd like to get a few friends together!
A. Henna is an herb which contains a reddish brown natural dye, which naturally bonds to protein molecules (such as the keratin in your skin.) Henna has been used for a form of painless, temporary body decoration which has been popular in India, Africa, and the Middle East for thousands of years! In India, Henna is usually called "Mehendi". Indian brides traditionally have their hands and feet covered with beautiful, intricate henna designs for their wedding. (Indian Bridal Henna can take up to 6 hours to apply!) Then the bride doesn't have to do any housework until her henna fades!
Q. What is "Bling Henna"?
A. Bling Henna is super popular and fun, that's what it is! :-) Bling Henna has all the benefits of regular henna described above, but with added pizazz! True henna only comes in one natural color: reddish brown. With Bling Henna, we create a design using natural henna paste, then decorate the design with genuine Austrian sparkly crystals and/or lots of cosmetic glitter bling! This makes an extra sparkly and colorful tattoo while the glitter and gems last... then they will still have the fun of the long-lasting (1-3 weeks) brown henna tattoo! 6-10 Bling Hennas per hour. First hour, $145, hour and a half, $195, two hours, $245.
Q. How does a Henna Tattoo work? How long will it last?
A. To make henna tattoos, we mix fresh henna powder with lemon juice, sugar, and essential oils, to make a wonderful-smelling brown paste! This paste is applied to the skin in bold or intricate patterns and allowed to dry. There is no pain, the paste simply feels cool and wet on the skin. Often (if the client wants it!) we will sprinkle some cosmetic glitter onto the henna paste, just to make it pretty and sparkly! After several hours, the paste is removed, leaving a light orange colored stain on the skin. This stain will oxidize over 12-24 hours to a dark reddish brown color. The exact color varies depending on the unique tone of your skin, as well as how long the henna paste was left on. The resulting "tattoo" will last 1-3 weeks on average, depending on your unique skin chemistry and how deep the dye soaked into the skin.
Q. Where do you get your henna?
A. Henna works best when it is fresh. Old, stale henna produces poor stains. This is why I do not buy my henna locally. I have no way of knowing how long it has been sitting on a store shelf. So, I only buy top-quality body art henna from reputable suppliers who import it freshly processed and without additives, from growers in the Middle East or India. I keep it tightly sealed and in the freezer, until it is time to mix up a batch, generally no more than 24 hours before an event! I bring my prepared henna paste to your event in a small cooler. I do my utmost to use only the very best quality, for the very best results!
Q. Why won't you do a henna tattoo on young children?
A. Two reasons. Practicality, and safety. Henna takes up to 20 minutes to dry on the skin. It is nearly impossible for young children to sit still long enough, or be careful enough, to not smear the henna paste before it is dry.
But even more important are the safety considerations, especially the risk to people who have G6PD deficiency, which is often undiagnosed. Young children who have this genetic disorder can get very sick from henna, it can even be life-threatening for them. For some reason, as they grow older even though they still have the deficiency, henna does not produce the same ill effects, or at least not so severe. A teen or adult with G6PD deficiency can have a small henna design applied with no serious problems, often no symptoms at all.
G6PD Deficiency is a genetic disorder which occurs most often in males. If a person in your family cannot eat fava beans, can't have medicines or drinks based on quinine (tonic water), can't go near naptha mothballs, and has been told to not use aspirin ... that would be a clue, as those are some of the symptoms of G6PD deficiency. G6PD deficiency is a hereditary blood enzyme deficiency, and is similar to sickle cell anemia, thassalemia and hemophilia in that it is an inherited disorder of blood cells. The prevalence is about 12% world wide on the x chromosome, but it is heterozygous, so a much smaller percentage actually express the problem. Males are more likely to express the gene than females. Females can be carriers and never have a problem (like hemophilia). It is high among Greeks, Kurdish people (up to 50% of Kurdish men, by some studies), Parsis, Zoorastrians, American Blacks (approx 12% of African American males are G6PD deficient!), Thais, many Arab groups, and some other people groups.
Some groups of people rarely have G6PD deficiency. Indigenous people of South America and northern Europeans are rarely G6PD deficient.
Q. What is "Black Henna"?
A. Henna only comes in one color, reddish brown. There is no such thing as black henna. However, some unscrupulous artists have used BLACK HAIR DYE PASTE to dye people's skin, and called it "Black Henna"! This is very dangerous, as the black hair dye paste is loaded with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, some people are VERY allergic to it, and it has even been known to cause burns and permanent scarring on sensitive persons! Please, don't let anyone do "black henna" on you or those you love, it just isn't safe! We use only safe, natural brown henna and would never consider using "black henna". If you would like a black temporary tattoo, check out our Mica Tattoos... they are a great option, and are safe for skin!