Modern Popularity in the West

Beyond these ancient origins, henna’s use around the world has continued, having numerous peaks and troughs in popularity in the West. In England during the 1800’s, henna art found a home in the Pre-Raphelite artists who, unlike others British groups, fetishized red hair and used henna hair dye to augment their own

In the 1900’s, Parisian opera singers, looking for a way to grab the audience’s attention, used henna as the main ingredient to dye their hair red. One Parisian courtesan, Cora Pearl, was referred to as La Lune Rousse (red-haired moon) and even admitted to using henna to dye her dog’s fur to match the color of her locks.

By the 1950’s Lucille Ball was known to use a “henna rinse” treatment to keep her red tresses bright, while the hippies of the 1960’s had a revived fascination for the Indian uses of the dye for tattoo ideas thanks to an increased interest in the religion and culture of the Sub Continent.

Cultural Uses

Henna tattooing remains an important element for a variety of cultures across Northern Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India.

In Muslim countries many women continue to use the dye to stain their fingernails with dark color, with the practice mentioned in a hadith by the Prophet Muhammad. Henna is often used by men to dye their beards. The practice of dying beards is especially popular with the Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In India, intricate design motifs are applied to the body using henna paste during special occasions, most notably for weddings and engagements. A specialist tattoo artist will apply designs on the hands and feet of the bride—and often the groom as well—which serve as various good luck charms and are part of the elaborate ceremonies that can last days on end.

In some parts of India, it is believed that the darker the stains on the bride’s hands the better her relationship will be with her mother-in-law, while in other places the depth of the stains is said to represent the bond between husband and wife.