#60 - Henna

just after removing the glue

I have very little interest in ever getting a real tattoo ... I just can't think of anything that I want permanently on my skin. I even shudder at the thought of some of the things that I might have chosen as a design when I was younger.  However, I do like the idea of henna - where the design only exists for a few weeks - as a way of saying something positive (a wedding, a vacation, a fun day with friends) happened recently in my life.

I got this design at the Minnesota State Fair.  The process was a bit different at the booth than other places I've gotten henna tattoos.  This group covered the paste with a glue layer after the henna had dried for a bit.  I'm not convinced of the effectiveness of this additional step; my henna bracelet seems to be fading more quickly this time than any of the designs I've gotten in the past (and faster in the areas where the glue stayed on the longest).  Additionally, it was annoying to wait another 20 minutes for the paste to dry, so they could add the glue layer when I had already waited in line for about half an hour to get the paste applied.  However, the glue did keep the paste from flaking off when bumped by other people - a big thing when moving through a big crowd - even though it looked like my skin was molting by the end of the day.