2008 Woodie Awards
Temporary tattoos provide alternatives to real ink
Brennan McDowell
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: Features
Everyone knows someone who has made the error of a lifetime: the lame tattoo. Whether it is the picture of David Hasselhoff on the shoulder blade or "Winona Forever" on the arm, these marks can force someone to endure lifelong jokes. However, there is a way to get all the perks of a tattoo without any real commitment and that is the temporary tattoo.
Zehrah Fazel has been fashioning the intricate artwork of henna tattoos for years at Bibya's hair design in downtown Chicago. "It's doesn't hurt," Fazel said. "It's like how you decorate a cake. You use a plastic tube and put henna in it and apply."
The methods of extracting henna and applying it to skin has been around for centuries and the process of application is known as mehndi.
"It's actually from a plant and its leaf," Fazel said. "People would grind the leaf and then put some water and eucalyptus oil and then you make a paste and use it. It's originally from the Middle East."
After extraction comes the application process, which can take awhile but those with patience often think it is worth it. "Certain henna patterns are extremely complex," Mike Yarborough, an employee of Psychopathic Ink in Bloomington, said. "The time you have to put into it is overwhelmingly long."
Henna may not be ideal for those wishing to test out whether or not they want to get a real-deal tattoo.
"I wouldn't really see henna as a good way of deciding if you wanted any type of tattoo because you usually only get one color out of it: a light or dark brown," Yarborough said, "so you're not really going to see anything as far as color goes. The only thing I could see it being good for is if you want to try out a tribal design."
According to Fazel, the henna remains on the skin for 10 to 15 days. The length, along with their affordability, makes these intricate works of body art a fun way to express one's personality.
Henna tattoos cost less than $10 for a simple inking and for around $100 many brides get their hands and feet decorated. Last week Fazel went to an office in downtown Chicago and offered his services to the employees.
Zehrah Fazel has been fashioning the intricate artwork of henna tattoos for years at Bibya's hair design in downtown Chicago. "It's doesn't hurt," Fazel said. "It's like how you decorate a cake. You use a plastic tube and put henna in it and apply."
The methods of extracting henna and applying it to skin has been around for centuries and the process of application is known as mehndi.
"It's actually from a plant and its leaf," Fazel said. "People would grind the leaf and then put some water and eucalyptus oil and then you make a paste and use it. It's originally from the Middle East."
After extraction comes the application process, which can take awhile but those with patience often think it is worth it. "Certain henna patterns are extremely complex," Mike Yarborough, an employee of Psychopathic Ink in Bloomington, said. "The time you have to put into it is overwhelmingly long."
Henna may not be ideal for those wishing to test out whether or not they want to get a real-deal tattoo.
"I wouldn't really see henna as a good way of deciding if you wanted any type of tattoo because you usually only get one color out of it: a light or dark brown," Yarborough said, "so you're not really going to see anything as far as color goes. The only thing I could see it being good for is if you want to try out a tribal design."
According to Fazel, the henna remains on the skin for 10 to 15 days. The length, along with their affordability, makes these intricate works of body art a fun way to express one's personality.
Henna tattoos cost less than $10 for a simple inking and for around $100 many brides get their hands and feet decorated. Last week Fazel went to an office in downtown Chicago and offered his services to the employees.
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