Henna Designs

There are many different designs for henna body art, from the cultural and traditional to the modern and outrageous. As the art of henna decoration made its way across North Africa, the Middle East and in to Indian and beyond (see Henna History), designs were added and developed as they were passed from Mother to daughter.

In North Africa, floral designs on the palm of the hand were common. The patterns were generally geometric and traced down the fingers and around the thumb.

In the Middle East, too, hand decoration flourished. These designs were delicate and less dense; running down the back of the hand and along the fingers, often ending with decoration around the nails.

Indian palm designs were very detailed and employed paisley patterns that covered the palm, fingers and thumb.

South-East Asian designs also incorporated paisley patterns, not just on the hands but on the feet. Mixing Indian with Middle Eastern influences, the mehndi would have decoration around the nails as well.

Now, across the Western world, henna body art is used with modern tattoo designs as well as traditional patterns. Men and women use henna to express themselves without having to go through the tattooing process and with the knowledge that the design will be gone in a few weeks.