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tactileartist -> RE: Markings on a sub (10/17/2007 4:12:55 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: RosesHaveThorns
On the skin designs...Does skin tone affect how long it will last? I am quite pale(As in, I never tan, I burn), so I wound up with sharpie on me from a party lasting a few days.
But I agree with Xoxi, bite marks on the neck are nice to have...Fun to make, and fun to show off!
Skin TONE does not affect how long it will last, but it will affect whether or not the stain shows up as brown or red. The darkness of stain can be enhanced with some essential oils mixed into the henna (tea tree and lavendar are most common), humidity, heat, etc.
Skin chemistry (oiliness, dryness, warmth) will affect the quality and endurance of the stain. Warm, dry skin is best. The rate at which you exfoliate matters a lot. How often you wash your hands, or your exposure to tap water matters a lot. The chlorine in tap water will cause the stain to fade faster.
The freshness and storage conditions of the powdereed henna leaf matter a LOT. Like any other herb, exposure to sunlight, air, and heat tend to "fade" it. This is why I keep my henna powder in a lightproof, airtight container in the freezer, and only mix it on demand.
To get the darkest possible henna stain, follow these steps:
1) Prepare your skin - by which I mean wash your hands. Lotions & sunblock will prevent the dye from penetrating your skin adequately.
2) Use fresh henna powder in the paste; use the paste quickly. (It doesn't keep well at room temperature for more than a day or two).
3) Use "terps". Using essential oils to aid dye release does result in a darker stain - it also results in a browner, rather than redder, stain.
4) SEAL your henna paste after it's dry and crusty on your skin - lemon sugar syrup is traditional, but... BEES! THEY'RE GONNA EAT US! So I use hair gel or hair spray.
5) WRAP! You're going for the mummy look here. Wrap well with kleenex or toilet paper, then wrap all that in plastic wrap. This gives a "sauna" type environment for the part of the body henna'ed. The tissue soaks up extra perspiration so the paste doesn't get runny & gooshy and totally fuck up the design. (Yes, I've made that mistake. Fortunately, it was on me and not a client).
6) After you've left the wrapped henna on for 8 hours or so, unwrap, scrape off the henna paste (DO NOT WASH IT OFF!) thoroughly with a blunt plastic knife or credit card type object. I like to use those free offers that come in the mail with usurous interest rates for that. DO NOT wash your hands for about a DAY if possible. The stain needs about 2 days to oxidize thoroughly, and the chlorine in most tap water will bleach it before it ever fully ripens.
Getting henna done is more like having a spa or salon treatment, and it's a fairly involved process. It's definitely not a "let me scribble on you and shove you out the door" unless you're at an outdoor festival in hot weather. And EVERYBODY gets the aftercare lecture, and the "black henna is evil and poisonous" lecture.
So, now that I've risked hijacking the thread and given more info than you asked; if there's any questions or further discussions, feel free to move this down to my post in "artisans".
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