How to Apply Mehendi Paste

Henna paste used to be applied with matchsticks or toothpicks to achieve the intricate designs. Today, it comes in a ready-made paper or plastic cone whose tip is cut open and the henna paste applied by squeezing it out from the top. The smaller the opening, the more intricate the designs. Needless to say, applying mehndi takes steady hands and a good knowledge of popular henna patterns and designs.
In Pakistan, where demand can get quite high during peak times like weddings and big religious festivals like Eids, most beauty salons offer henna applications. But many women, called henna girls because of their young age, also specialize in henna designs and will come to one’s home to apply the mehndi patterns.
Once applied, the moist, dark brown paste will soon dry up and become light brown. It can then simply be brushed off but for best results, contact with water should be avoided as long as possible. On areas like the palms, where this is hardly possible for more than two hours, mehndi designs tend to fade the fastest.