Mehendi is an important ingredient for a bride. Application of henna on the palms and legs is known as Mehendi.Mehendi adds more beauty to the hands of a bride. Also, mehendi is considered a must in many Indian traditions.
Made of dried leaves, that are grounded to make a powder, Henna is a natural product, with no side effects. The quality of the henna determines the color that is formed on the skin, though simple tips can also add further to the color.
Applying Mehendi itself is a joyous occassion and the bride along with the guests have a good time, under the profession mehendi guidance. It is normally a female centric time though occassionally men also get involved in the mehendi function. Though mehendi design is typically done by a professional mehendi artist, you can also make mehendi at home and ask a mehendi expert such as your friend or relative to design and put on your hands.
There are various Mehendi designs, including Indian and Arabic. An Indian Mehendi design is distinguishable with a dot or a figure on the mid of the palm. Indian designs also fully cover the finger tips. It has detailed but thin and delicate design and covers entirely, both the hands and arms. The designs are generally floral and lacy in pattern. Simple geometrical designs like circile, lines and triangles form the the designs. Patterns include peacocks, lotus, flower net, leaves chains, flower arches and so on.
Here are some of the do's and dont's you have to follow while applying mehendi for the big day.
Do's:
To give Mehendi, the best shade, should be in the hand of the bride for a minimum of 3-4 hours. If time permit, six hours or overnight is the best. Soon after Mehendi is on your hands and still wet, apply a mixture of sugar and lemon. This will help to darken the color. If mehendi feels dry and hard, repeat the process until you remove the mehendi. Fresh mehendi powder is recommended as it gives the best color and smell. Hire a good mehendi expert to apply the designs and make it look stunning in your hands. Wax your hands before applying mehendi or else mehendi will be removed along with the hair (on waxing).
Use only well lighted up area for applying mehendi. Make sure your professional mehendi artist keeps the prepared mehendi paste 8-10 hours before application.
Dont's:
Do not wash the mehendi applied area with soap water for at least 6-8 hours. Do not put plastic covers or gloves over the mehendi design, as while it is still wet, there is tendency to lose the design following possible sweating of the hands. Avoid staying near air conditioner as it could dry up the mehendi.