Hennaing Dark Skin

Avoid the misconception that being darker skinned prevents you from being able to have dark mehndi. This is certainly not the case. Although people with very dark skin may have to use only the best henna pastes, skin color has very little to do with the final hue of the dye. As a dark-skinned Indian myself, I can tell you that my mehndi comes out as a dark brown on both sides of my hands, and I can get a nice, dark sienna on my legs. If you are African-American, for example, don't be afraid to try mehndi. If your skin is very dark and you believe you would not be able to receive the correct contrast between your skin and the henna, try your design first on the palms of your hands; this area of the skin inevitably takes henna better than other parts of the skin in people of every color. Perhaps start with a small design to be sure, but be assured that even some very fair-skinned people can't get a good stain out of the mehndi. And remember that this is an art that is used all over the world, on people of all different skin colors.