Indian body painting catching on in America
by:
Knight-Ridder

The ancients of India knew a thing or two about body ornament. Traditional Indian enhancement is based on pretty and voluptuous painted swirls on hands and feet, and today's trendies are jumping on the idea.

Mehendi, as the 5,000-year-old art of body painting is called, is gaining adherents from Hollywood to Parkville. Demi Moore, Mira Sorvino, Naomi Campbell, the artist formerly known as Prince and his consort Mayte have appeared at star galas with henna-painted body parts. At Usha Gupta's salon on Harford Road, the clientele is not as flashy, but enthusiastic.

The painting medium is a henna paste that is squeezed onto the skin with an applicator that looks like a small pastry tube. The dark squiggles and scrolls are left on the skin to allow the design to set, usually overnight. When the dried paste is flaked away, it leaves a stained skin pattern of red tints that can range from orange to deep red.

The result looks like tattooing, but the experience is painless and pleasant and the effects temporary.

Designs can be original or chosen from a book of ancient patterns. Henna paint is an herbal compound and there are no known reactions. Application can take as little as minutes for a small anklet pattern or up to hours for the full works on palms and feet.