Henna Tattoo & The Rainy Season in Jacksonville

Spirit Vision Henna will not be offering henna tattoo this Saturday, June 17, 2017 due to the long week of rainy weather. 

It has been raining every day for the last four or perhaps five days in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Although the forecast for Saturday promises 90 degrees and no rain, I am skeptical. 

I prefer to make henna paste when it is at least 80 degrees Farenheit and the weather is sunny. 

If it is 90 degrees, the henna powder will release good color in a day. 

At 80 degrees, I prefer to allow two days for the paste to develop. (I have always made my own henna paste with fresh, first quality ingredients.) 

As a henna artist who has been offering mehandi for 20 years, most often on Saturday, I can tell you that it seems that the weather is conspiring against me. Four or five years ago, henna season began in late February or early March.

As the weather stays cool longer, henna season starts later & later. This year I could not get a really offer first quality henna until early May. 

Many people do not know that henna is a heat activated body art and that the preparation of a good henna paste is required heat and dry weather. 

I cure my henna outside on my porch. I leave it on the ledge the first day. I will bring it in to rest, and essential oils and put it out to release the dye again the next day.

have not been able to make a fresh paste this week. The weather has been humid and overcast. Making henna paste in humid weater really doesn’t work well. The powder seems to absorb water from the air regardless of the protection I take to keep the paste dry. This results in a poor quality stain. 

If you come in for a henna tattoo, spend time and money to buy a lovley desing, I want you get the best color possible. 

If you take your henna tattoo out in to the sunshine and allow it to cure for several hours this really helps you get good color.  The hotter you get, the more you perspire, the more your pores will open. This allows the paste to penetrate deeper into your skin. 

The henna will take 48 hours to develop. Again, after you scrape the paste off your skin, if you will stay warm you will get a better stain. In short - the hotter you get, the better your finished color. 

72 degrees is too “cold” to get the best color.  80 or 90 degrees is just fine for a good stain. I realize that many people keep their homes in the low 70s in Summer. To get a good stain there are steps you can take to keep your henna hot while you stay cool:

• After you scrape the paste from your skin, you may choose to wear a glove to keep your henna warm.
• Please keep oil on your henna tattoo to keep the heat in and water out. 
• You may choose to use a blow dryer to heat your henna up from time to time.
• If you got henna on your wrist or inner arm, you may also use a plastic film to trap heat and help the color devleop. 

I am hoping next week we will have good weather! 

Henna Tattoo Tips & Aftercare.

I am very pleased with the results of my 5 minute test of my henna paste. Henna powder harvested 2015 stains very quickly, giving a deep reddish brown on my finger tip with no special care taken at all.

After care.
If you want to get the best henna tattoo possible here are very helpful pointers!

1. Be sure your hands are clean!
   
2.  Do not wear body lotion.
3. Do not have hand sanitizer on your skin.
4. Leave your henna paste on at least 3 hours.
5. Remove your henna design by gently scraping the paste from your skin.
6. Use olive or coconut oil to remove any excess paste.
7. Keep a natural oil (not grape seed) on your henna for the first 3 days.
8. Put oil over your design before taking a shower.
9. Keep your henna out of water (chlorine in tap water can bleach the color.)
10. Remember -  heat is good for henna. Walk in the sun, sweat a bit. 

Henna works by penetrating the layers of the skin. The longer the paste stays on the skin the darker the finished color will be.

• How long will my henna tattoo last? 

If you follow the instructions above, you should get very good color because you are taking care to keep the stain in the skin. The complete design should show for at least one week. Henna will then begin to fade as skin cells regenerate. 

• How long will it take to do a henna tattoo?

In general a $15 design can be done in 10 minutes or so. The time it takes to apply depends on where you want the henna tattoo, how complex a design you choose, how large a design you choose. 

If you are on a budget - just tell me how much you want to spend and what style of henna you prefer. I am sure to create something you will enjoy and can easily afford. 

• What else should I know?

Henna is for the hands and feet. You will always get your best finished color there. The henna will provide a lighter stain on the arms and legs. I prefer not to do the back nor the upper arm. I will - however you will not get the same deep stain as you would on your hands. 

I look forward to decorating you this year!! Henna is offered most every Sunday from 12:30 - 5:00 in the lovely ambiance of Midnight Sun, 10055 Park Street, Jacksonville, FL. 32204.

Henna on the Palm - A simple pattern gives good color.

Here is a very simple henna tattoo for the palm of the hand. My client reported that she had an excellent out come with this henna tattoo, that the color was quite dark, and that the pattern lasted a good long time.

I have just found out that the batch of henna paste I mixed up for Sunday did not give a deep an rich a stain for her as the paste I used to make this design.

I can only imagine this is because I used a new henna powder.  All other steps I took to make the paste were the same... except the supplier for the henna powder.

So, if any of my clients have not had a deep stain from their henna tattoo in the past two weeks, please give me a call!!

I am very happy to give you a second tattoo at no charge if your first henna did not give good color.  I will make up a nice fresh paste using a henna powder that I know gives excellent results every time.

I will keep shopping for a new henna powder supplier! Wishing every happiness. Ann George

I don't see my henna tattoo! There is nothing there!! Don't panic.

It is important to note that henna is a heat activated body art. This means that the longer you leave the henna paste on your skin, and the hotter You get..... the deeper color stain will develop.

Sometimes people get a henna, go to an environment that is 72 degrees, leave the paste on their skin, scrape it off, sleep in an room that is 72 degrees..... and wonder why they don't have dark henna color.

If you have received a henna from me, then the answer is that you did not sweat your henna. Wait... give it some time.. and the color will develop. It may take all of 48 hours for the final finished color to appear. ** Please see updated at page end.

If you have not taken good care of your henna, put it on the upper arm, back, or in some cases, the back of the hand, it may take longer for your color to become rich.

Also note, in a design such as this one, the darkest color will be on the fingers, and then the design will become lighter as it moves up the arm. The lightest color stain will be the cuff portion.

This is because the texture of the skin changes, and this affects the color of the henna tattoo.

Those photos you see of deep red henna stains are usually done on the palm of the hand.This will always be the best place to put your henna tattoo. I understand that most people don't want to do that... but that is where you get your ruby red outcomes.

It is possible to go an extra step, wrap your henna in tissue, and send you home with a plastic glove taped in place to help sweat - or heat up - your design. Just ask.. I am happy to help you have the best possible out come.

However, please remember, that henna is a heat activated herbal paste. If you are sweaty, then that paste stays damp, and thus interacts with your skin for the longest possible time, giving you the deepest darkest color.

I use fresh, home made henna paste. I have new essential oils for the season, fresh 2010 henna from Rajhistan, and a nice lemon sugar glaze. I can't bring must more to the table than that. The rest is up to you.

** However, if you received a henna from me between June 18th and June 26th of this year, and did not get a good out come, please contact me by phone or email. Apparently, the new powder/paste I was using did not give good results. I am happy to redo your henna at no charge if you are one of the few clients that had this experience during this time.

** I had two different tubes of fresh, home made paste - one worked very well, one did not. So if you had henna and got great color this is why. Poor color... my deepest apologies .. I have new paste. **