17 henna designs and meanings to inspire you

Henna designs offer a way to express your personality and individuality. The ancient body art is well-known for its decoration of hands, feet arms and legs ahead of important celebrations. And in South Asia it forms an integral part of the mehndi party for brides ahead of their wedding day. But aside from looking beautiful, how much do you know about Henna?

What is henna?

“Henna is actually a plant,” explains Pavan Dhanjal, CEO of Pavan Henna. Traditionally, “the leaves would be crushed up into a powder and mixed with water,” she adds. The combination creates a dye that’s been used for generations to create temporary designs on the skin. 

“Henna is a form of adornment for women almost like jewellery on special occasions,” explains Nissa Hussain, director at Fusion Henna. Generally, these designs symbolise “prosperity, wealth, new beginnings, and celebration,” says Pavan. 

“Henna designs are often a combination of repetitive designs such as flowers, vines, mandalas and so on. However, in more recent years henna has been adapted to more contemporary styles and applied more simply such as henna rings on the fingers or applied in a bracelet style as a temporary tattoo,” says Nissa. 

The history of henna

“Henna was used centuries ago in warmer climates to cool down the skin. It would be spread on the palms of the hands and feet,” explains Pavan. “This would cool the skin down and at the same time give a vibrant colour and fragrance. Over the years this became decorative, and designs often would reflect on the region people lived in and the fashion style at the time. Today, big bold designs are Arab style, intricate designs are from India, thick floral designs from the Punjab and tribal designs with symmetry are from the African region.”

Is henna safe to use?

As with any dye or any plant extract, it’s important to do a patch test to see how your skin responds. But natural henna is considered generally safe to use for temporary tattoos.

However, watch out for black henna ink (also known as PPD), a chemical version that’s banned in the UK for use on skin. It creates darker designs but can cause harm and burns to the skin. Natural henna should be brown or olive in colour and smell of plants. Natural henna is never black. 

Make sure you go to a reputable artist with good reviews. Or, if you’re interested in having a go yourself, choose a reliable stockist. “We have our Henna Bar in Selfridges and we also sell our henna there. We’re launching online with them, too,” says Pavan. It’s the first time Selfridges has stocked henna. “You would only be able to get it at your local Indian grocery store, so this is a big deal for us,” says Pavan.

If you like the look of dark henna, Nissa recommends, Jagua, a natural alternative to black henna. “Jagua is a fruit which has been used by Amazonian tribes for their cultural body art. After I started researching other ways to naturally stain the skin I found Jagua as a great replacement for the harmful black henna,” she says. “The consistency is more liquid so harder to use but the results are amazing. It develops from nothing to naturally staining the skin a blueish black over 24 hours and getting even darker by 48 hours. My clients love it.”

How long does henna last?

Henna tends to last around two weeks before fading away, depending on your lifestyle. It will fade away quicker if you wash your hands and feet a lot or use exfoliating skincare.

What is the meaning behind some of the henna designs? 

Henna designs can be purely decorative, however, some symbols have religious or spiritual significance. For instance in the Sahasrara, or lotus flower, is the crown chakra in Hindu tradition and symbolises purity and unity. Dragons and butterflies commonly represent rebirth, change and new beginnings. Paisley is said to symbolise luck and fertility, flowers can represent beauty and joy, while vines and leaves can signify devotion and strength.