Kayla Young
If you’re a fan of yoga, Bollywood, or everything Indian, then you will have definitely noticed the beautiful henna tattoo designs worn by women. This form of body adornment has been in practice for centuries through the Mid East and South Asia, and it’s not difficult to see why.
Today though, it’s quite possible for you to express yourself with a henna tattoo, especially if you gravitate towards body art that has more of a traditional or spiritual meaning. Plus, with a henna tattoo, you can enjoy skin art without having to visit your local tattoo parlor and enduring the pain of going under the needle. And when you get bored of it, it goes away!
So, how much does a henna tattoo cost, typically?
Simple henna designs may be less than $100, while complex designs could run to $1000. It can be hard to give an exact estimate, because there are many factors that make it vary, including the complexity of the design, your location, the skill of the artist, etc.
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How Much Does A Henna Tattoo Cost?
Henna is a much less invasive process than needle-and-ink tattooing. It’s somewhat similar to drawing with unusually permanent ink on the skin. There’s much less concern for infection and sanitary control, as there are no needles! This naturally makes them less expensive than typical tattoos.
Henna tattoos are temporary and will start fading after about two weeks, when your skin begins replacing surface dead skin cells.
This means that henna tattoos are generally a lot less expensive in comparison, although if your henna tattoo is done by an artistic professional, the cost may be higher than you might think.
As a very rough guide, you will probably find a cost in the range of $40-50 to have a basic symbol or small design applied on your hands or feet.
However, if the design is more intricate and will take hours to apply, such as a bridal henna tattoo design, then it could cost as much as $1000. This will depend on the size and difficulty of the design, as well as the artist’s hourly rate.
However, if the design is more intricate and will take hours to apply, such as a bridal henna tattoo design, then it could cost as much as $1000. This will depend on the size and difficulty of the design, as well as the artist’s hourly rate.
You can get a henna tattoo applied anywhere on your body, although traditionally they are done on the palms and back of the hands, as well as the feet.
The most common designs include symbols like the sahashara, which looks like a lotus, and the Om symbol, which is a spiritual mantra known to yoga devotees.
Other common designs include paisley to symbolize fertility, the evil eye, which is used to symbolize protection, flowers including the lotus, and dragonflies and butterflies, which are meant to represent transformation and new beginnings, respectively.
Henna 101
Henna has been used in many cultures over the centuries, especially in India and the Far East. Although the paste is considered a temporary dye that can be used in hair, which is even popular in western cultures, henna tattoos are also a part of Indian celebrations, including births, weddings, and engagements.
This is where the bridal parties will have mehndi’s applied, which is the name given to the henna tattoos of the bridal party.
And although these intricate and elaborate designs are very beautiful, the mehndi is generally applied as part of the Indian bridal ritual. So, there’s usually a mehndi party, an occasion when the bridal party will gather and their body art will be applied.
The henna itself is a paste made out of henna leaves and pulverized into a powder. The powder is then mixed with water to make the paste. We outlined the process here.
Although it is a strong color that stains, henna is a temporary dye when used on the skin. It will last for around two weeks, only fading as dead skin cells slough off.
Do It Yourself Henna
Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from learning how to apply henna tattoos on yourself and your friends, as well as create your own decorations.
Doing so will take a lot of practice, but you can even learn how to do it with a friend and practice your designs on each other.
There are many YouTube videos available that are catered to beginners, including this one by Fairy Fox Design, which takes you through the basics of designing your own henna paste tattoos at home.
If you’re already artistic and love to play around with designing, then you can find your own style of henna tattoos, and with practice, you’ll be up to speed in no time.
Maybe your friends will even be lining up for you to work your new creative magic on their bodies.
It’s also a great way to “try out” a tattoo design before you commit for life.
Henna Cones
No products found.If you want to get into doing Henna designs, the easiest way to go is to pick up pre-packaged cones with henna already inside.
No need to mix the powder, check the ratios, etc.
It’s all ready to go, so you can get started doing designs!
No products found.
How To Remove Your Henna Tattoo
If your henna tattoo has started to fade and now just looks like you haven’t washed properly, then it’s probably time to get rid of any residual pigment left on your skin.
Oil and Salt Scrub
The easiest way to do this is simply by making a body scrub with a cup of olive oil and four tablespoons of coarse sea salt. This will help to draw out any remaining dye from your skin.
Apply the scrub and allow it to soak into your skin for a few minutes, before scrubbing with the salt and then rinsing it all off with warm water in the shower.
If you’ve got henna designs on your feet, be careful not to slip! The oil will make the floor slippery. Make sure that you also clean the shower afterward to remove any leftover oily residue.
Lemon Juice and Baking Soda
Another homemade recipe that you can try is mixing half a cup of warm water, two teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and one tablespoon of baking soda in a bowl.
Using a cotton ball, soak it in the liquid, and then apply it to the areas of your skin that you want the tattoo lifted from.
Again, allow the liquid to soak into your skin before wiping the henna off, and keep repeating this process with clean cotton balls until the henna tattoo is gone.
Conclusion
Wearing henna tattoos have grown in popularity over the years, and they’re a great way to adorn your body without having to commit to being inked with a permanent tattoo.
How much does a henna tattoo cost? Well, as we’ve said, that will depend on how intricate the design is that you choose, as well as the experience and time needed of the artist who applies it. Somewhere between $50 for basic designs to $1000 for complex bridal designs.
However, you can save money learning how to do this yourself!
So, why not get creative?
