Tuesday Topic, with Christine Rutter

HENNA has found a new niche as body make-up for everyone and flash flesh is the must-have accessory this summer. Patterns, including tiny flowers, leaves and stars painted on the skin with brown dye, are being sported by the rich, the famous and the beautiful around the world.

They have been doing it for years in the East but it is now the latest craze in Hollywood.

Demi Moore was one of the trend-setters - she had her hands and face painted with intricate designs in Indonesia.

More recently Madonna claimed that henna art could have a positive, spiritual effect.

Henna is a natural dye that has been turning bodies into works of art for over 5,000 years and has been discovered on the mummies of ancient Egypt.

It was introduced to India in the 12th century and today no auspicious occasion in the country goes without the application of henna to hands and feet.

Henna is a sign of class and beauty and there is an element of competition as individuals vie for exclusive designs. In Indian wedding ceremonies, women spend hours having their bodies adorned with henna.

Henna is also believed to ward off evil. But superstitions aside, henna is big news on the fashion front.

"Henna is a big thing now. The interest from people is amazing. Lots of people are having it put on their skin as a fashion statement," said Nasreen Hassan, a youth and community worker in Burnley.

"A lot of people travel now and like trying things from different cultures. Wearing henna is an extension of that.

"There isn't a popular design. People try anything from modern to traditional patterns."

Pure henna is only available in one colour which varies in depth from light orange to reddish brown.

These temporary tattoos are quickly replacing the needle and ink ones and are certainly less painful.

"Part of the appeal is that, unlike tattoos, they are painless and non-permanent and the results can be stunning," said mother-of-two Nasreen from Shear Brow, Blackburn.

She admits she is not an artist yet used the skill passed on to her from her family to create an eye-catching design on my arm - with the aid of a cocktail stick.

She told me some artists use a cone, which resembles a cake decorating tube, to sketch henna on to the skin. Henna is made from the leaves of the henna plant, which are dried and ground to make a creamy paste. The henna paste is left on the skin from four to 12 hours and then scraped off. The client is advised not to wash the area as long as possible to allow the dye to develop. When the area is washed, the colour of the dye may be light but it often deepens within the next 24 hours.

Nasreen added: "Henna usually lasts on the skin for anything from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the area the body is tattooed, how much it is exposed to soap and water and the depth of the henna."

The application of henna has therapeutic results.

"In hot climates, it helps release some of the heat from the body which is why it is painted on hands and feet," she said. "Also, it gives a feeling of well-being - a feeling that the person is being pampered."

And you can try it at home. Henna kits come with everything you need to make your own.

Unless you are an ace artist, stick to simple designs or copy traditional Asian designs.

First-timers might want to fake it with body transfers you simply press on clean dry skin.

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