6 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Planning Your Mehndi
6 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Planning Your Mehndi
1. Selecting a Mehndi Artist Who Uses Store Bought Henna Cones
Make sure you choose an artist who makes their own henna paste. A lot of artists use store bought cones which cause dangerous allergic reactions. If you are not familiar with the artist and their work, get a trial to test out color and make sure that you like it. Make sure to ONLY follow the aftercare instructions given by your artist to achieve optimum color. They know their henna the best.
2. Not Selecting Your Design in Advance
It is important for you to discuss the design with your artist before your big day. This gives the artist the opportunity to plan out your design and execute it well. If you wait till the last day, there will be a lot of people around you who will have opinions based on their personal tastes, what you really want can get lost in the process.
3. Wearing a Saree or Lehenga
If you are having a big mehndi event, it is advisable to get a Capri salwar or a suit with leggings or salwar made for the day. Many brides also get short length lehengas made. If you wear a saree or a longer lehenga, the mehndi on your feet will get ruined along with the lehenga.
4. Uncomfortable Seating
While those cute benches and other elaborate seating look great for pictures, it is not practical to sit on those while having your mehndi done. Mehndi application can take anywhere from two to seven hours so it’s important that you are comfortable.
The best type of seating is a comfortable chair which has arms and lets you rest your arms and hands when the mehndi is drying. Opposed to your hands just hanging in the air– this will tire you out and make you impatient which makes the artist impatient. And you don’t want that happening.
Mehndi lowers the body temperature so make sure you are not sitting by a drafty door. Ample lighting is another important factor that artists require to work. If you get cold easily it is handy to have a space heater close by.
5. Getting Your Henna Done Too Late
When I recommend brides getting their henna done two to three days prior to their wedding the response is, “Won’t it fade?”
Good natural henna stain strengthens over the next three days. If you have a photographer coming, discuss with your artist when the photographer should arrive.
It is also advisable to start the henna before your guests arrive to avoid distractions. Less distractions allows your artist to work in a timely manner. This also gives you an opportunity to sit down and relax without having to socialize.
6. Poor Aftercare
Keep your henna on for a minimum of 6 hours to get a good stain that will last throughout your wedding festivities. If you are going to sleep with your mehndi on, then wrap with toilet paper, around like a mummy. Saran wrap or plastic bags will ruin your mehndi.
Apply oil on the henna and scrape it off. Keep your hands and feet away from water for a few hours after it has been removed. Remember mehndi takes 24-48 hours to reach its peak color, so don’t panic if the color is not dark when you first scrape it off.
