Page 34 - HAIR COLOUR
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Henna.
Red Henna:
Red Henna is a vegetable dye that is made from the dried leaves of the
plant Lawsonia Inermia. The people of North Africa, Egypt, India and
parts of the Middle East have been using Henna for thousands of years to
dye Hair, skin, fingernails and even clothing Fig29.
(Fig 29.) Henna Skin Painting
The dried leaves were boiled in a pot the day before they were to be used,
the leaves would simmer for hours until the water evaporated and the
leaves were reduced to a paste, left to cool and then used to paint intricate
designs on the skin, or apply to the hair.
Today there is a Western interest in using Henna, either the painting of
semi permanent Tattoo’s on holiday or as a semi permanent hair colour.
As stated in earlier chapters the people of Africa, India, Egypt and the
Middle East all have off black hair colour, so Henna hardly shows at all
in normal light other than a high shine on the hair, but when in the bright
sunshine it is possible to see very red tones.
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