Having its origin in Africa, Herbal Henna has now made its presence worldwide .Being a traditional herb Henna has been used worldwide since it was discovered and in the modern era now it has been reformed into several forms to satisfy our hair care and coloring and body decoration needs. In India, every blissful occasion is considered incomplete without Henna. It has a social and cultural significance. Henna is thought to bring good fortune in a person’s life. Even foreign tourists to India cannot defy the temptation of Henna, also known as mehandi in India. It is a traditional folk art that symbolizes great luck and prosperity on auspicious occasions. Mehandi is used on every auspicious occasion like marriage , festival , child birth etc. but the use of Henna in marriage has its own importance. It is applied on the hands and feet of would be bride. Also a ceremony known as ‘ Mehandi Ceremony’ is made extraordinary by the songs and dances of mehandi in India. Henna contains a red-orange pigment , lawsone , that blemish the hair and skin. Henna is recommended for healthy, shiny, strong and long hairs. Henna is also used on the head, hands, feet, and other body parts in order to keep them cool in a hot climate. Henna products are the extensively recognized natural hair care products in India since the ancient times and still many people fancy these natural products over the artificial shampoos, hair colors, hair conditioners etc. There are two main advantages of henna to the hair - conditioning and coloring. Henna as Conditioner - Henna is an admirable herbal conditioner. It bequeath your hair a sleek and shiny look. It feeds the hair and makes them soft and silky. While bearing in mind the conditioning outcomes of henna, it strengthen the hairs, works as an anti-fungal and lessens the occurrence of dandruff and lice. Henna lessens the prospects of scalp infection by functioning as an anti agent loath the bacteria which are responsible for scalp production. For the people having tight curly hair, henna loosens those to make the hair brushing more manageable. Also being a natural remedy against hair loss as it balances the pH of the scalp, henna is of great importance in maintaining healthy hair. Henna repairs and seals the cuticle, thus aids in soothing the hair shaft, thus preventing the hair breakage and also retaining the shine of hair. Being a cure for most scalp problems such as dandruff, dryness etc, it opposes the effects of pollution on hair as well as dryness due to extreme blow drying. Henna as Color – It deepens the hair color with red transparent as applied over many times and can to be used to lighten the hair as it provides a reddish shining on the dark colored hairs. Henna leaves are used healing the heat rashes. The leaves powered with water are massaged over the rashes to cure them. Henna flower darns the headaches caused by the scorching heat of the sun. Headache is assuaged by a bandage made of henna flowers in vinegar and applied on the forehead. The stinging sensation of the feet can be relaxed by applying a paste of the leaves on the soles. Henna leaves are efficient in healing the skin disorders, like boils and burns by administering in the affected area. Bruised leaves can be applied in rheumatic joints, inflammatory swellings, wounds and leprosy. Unnecessary menstruation, vaginal discharges and leucorrhoea, or excessive white discharge can also be treated using vaginal suppositories made from the leaves and seeds. Many people having sensitive skin may be allergic to henna and thus applying natural henna on the body parts can cause eruptions. So it should be used carefully .The application of can cure many problem so it is worthwhile to use henna to remain fit and healthy.
