Harry Potter: Henna a Dark Mark

Step 4 Let it dry

Let the henna dry. The longer you leave it on, the darker it's supposed to be. I left mine on overnight. I've also heard that steaming it (putting your hand over a kettle boiling) also makes the henna darker once it's set.

Once you've left it on long enough, scratch/rub the henna off. Wash off the pen/eyeliner with soap and water.

This is how mine turned out!

Comments

[mbanerjee]

wat i meant id put your arm over the smoke

[mbanerjee]

a brilliant thing to do is burn some cloves and place your hand over it...being indian, i reccommend using lemon and sugar, honey and oil. oh and dont exfoliate the area at all!!!

[dwhp]

is it permanent?

[patricksanford]

No, henna is not permanent, but it can be very long lasting. A good henna piece will last several weeks, and if taken care of properly they can last months. I once heard of henna lasting for more than a year. They slowly fade away as your skin cells shed, and as you bathe. A word of caution for people considering getting henna done on them. Firstly, only use real henna from a trusted source that doesn't include any additives, or unnecessary chemicals or ingredients. You don't need to add anything to henna, so you want to use only 100% pure henna. Secondly, do NOT use any kind of black henna. Again, DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF BLACK HENNA!!! This has had chemicals added to it that can leave very nasty chemical burns on your skin, and scar you horribly for life. Pure henna will result in a dark brown color, almost like a dulled penny, and this is what you should expect when you get it done. Anyone claiming ot have safe black henna doesn't know what they're doing, and should be avoided at all costs. Period.

Also, while you're letting the henna dry, it's a good idea to re-moisten it by spraying it with a mixture of water and lemon juice from a spray bottle.

[ZOETHENiNJA]

OMG ARE YOU SERIOUS! I swear i just finished doing this henna tattoo but i used black henna! I didn't know about it scaring you for life and everything. And its dry and done!

[zatizala]

Very true about the black henna. Henna is reddish-brown. There is an egyptian privot that has a black-brown color, but this stain only lasts for a couple days. Not like the advertised Black Henna, which lasts longer and is a risk not just to the recipient, but the applicator as well. Tips for making your stain last longer; Bathing doesn't have an effect after the first 48 hours, unless you scrub or use harsh chemicals on your skin. For example, chlorine from the swimming pool will cut the length of your stain in half. Putting some olive oil on your skin before bathing can help prevent water from washing any of the lawsone (the pigment the plant, Lawsonia Inermis, is named for) from your skin before it has stained it's maximum potential. Henna dyes your multiple layers of your skin, as the skin falls off so does the henna. This gives the appearance of fading because the layers of skin that had lesser contact with the staining pigment are not stained as darkly. The dryer you skin the better (darker, longer lasting) your stain will be. If you have very moist or very oily skin your stain will not be as dark or last as long. It can help if you rub some astringent over your skin before you apply henna. Also places where the skin is thick (like hands and feet) are the best places to stain. places where skin tends to be oily (like face and upper back) are the worst. Places where the skin is thin and exfoliates regularly are not as good either. You can add Eucalyptus oil to your henna mix. Use only bright green henna powder that is fresh. Henna is a plant, it should have an expiration date. It should also be protected from sunlight. once mixed with water it has about a four day shelf life (in the fridge), with the peak performance during the second and third day. After that the stain will be weak. You really only need a few drops of eucalyptus oil to help the stain (I add lemon juice as well, ascorbic acid helps this pigment), if you add too much eucalyptus it can tingle a little (you know you've added to much when all you can smell is eucalyptus and it makes your nose tingle). this is actually a little damaging to your skin, but makes a really dark stain that doesn't last as long (the slightly damaged skin exfoliates faster). Once the henna dries on your skin you can re moisten it with a solution of one part sugar 2 part lemon (or just use lemonade). the ascorbic acid reactivates the henna and the sugar makes it sticky so it stays on your skin. This is also a good time to expose it to sunlight. UV will make the stain darker. Any time during the first 48 hours is a good time to add UV. If you want to try to keep the paste on over night wrap it in gauze or tissue and tape it up like a wound. make sure to put plenty of layers though, I have had henna stain through my covering and leave a stain on my skin that had touched it. And also beware that this will stain your bedding, forever.

[mightywetfoot]

I have been to a Hindi wedding where they cover the bride with henna. One trick they use is to cover the henna with a mix of honey and water (not sure what ratio) and cover it over the henna. It should form a sticky coating and helps keep the moisture in. It appeared much darker than in the picture. When i had mine done it was there for about 2 weeks.

[grimsqueaker]

Thanks for the tip! I need another coating (for the book launch) and I'll try what you have suggested if I can get my hands on some honey. The final picture was taken just a few minutes after I removed the henna, so it still appeared quite light -- it reached it's peak darkness in about two-three days and is starting to fade now (about week and a half).

[toolgal29]

My mom is from India, and I've gotten Henna done many times. I've been told to do different things, but some ideas (to put on the Henna when it's dry):

• vegetable/olive oil
• a mix of lemon juice and sugar
• sugar water
  

Oil seems to work well for me. Hope it helps!

[martymunch]

This is correct, i've used olive oil and lemon juice as well. lemon juice works very good.

[rhondalicious]

You can also use non-aerosol hair spray (the kind in the spritz bottles) - use the extra hold kind, and once the henna is dry, spray a couple layers of hair spray on it. Also, to make the henna a bit darker, you can add tea tree oil from the health food store to the henna mix, and it will stain a little darker. Makes your arm smell like cough drops, though.

[Jell-0]

You can also use lemon to keep it moist