Please recommend a henna artist in the Baltimore/VA/DC/MD area

June 11, 2009 8:23 AM

Can you recommend a good henna artist in the Baltimore/MD/DC/VA area who will do a large, custom, non-traditional design on my back?
posted by schroedinger to clothing, beauty, & fashion (4 comments total)

I'm active in the Baltimore/Washington "burner" commmunity, and I bet I can get a recommendation for you. Lemme ask around.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:56 AM on June 11

My friend Bia is in Baltimore and she is great! You can check out her stuff on her myspace page. I'll send you a MeMail with her info.
posted by capnsue at 12:43 PM on June 11

I'm a professional henna body artist, however, I'm located in Quebec (Henna Montreal). Although I don't know of any specific artist names to refer you to, I can help you by pointing you to several henna artist directories that might prove of assistance in your search:

Henna Tribe's Artists Listings

Henna Page Artists Directory

Garamchai Mehendi & Henna Artists

Whatever henna artist your friend chooses, please be sure to ask if they make their own henna paste. Be suspect of pre-rolled "commercial" cones, as they may contain unknown or dangerous ingredients including PPD, which is known to cause major allergic reactions in some people. Never have anyone apply so-called "black henna" to your skin, as this is not true henna and can have dangerous after-effects. True henna (Lawsonia inermis) is never black and is a natural plant product that is very safe to use.

If the henna artist does not know, or is not willing to tell you what is in their henna paste, then consider going to an artist who *will* disclose their ingredients. There is really no reason that they should not do so, other than they do not know what is in it, as henna recipes are not "secret". Safe and reliable henna artists understand the dangers of so-called "black henna" and readily disclose their ingredients to clients.

Feel free to check out my Henna Montreal FAQ page (self-link) or the Henna Tribe's Safe Henna page to inform yourself or others on the selection and use of safe henna products. Good luck in your search and I hope your friend enjoys their henna experience!
posted by Jade Dragon at 1:21 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]

Farashe Spa in Columbia, MD offers this service, or at least they did when I got a piece done a few years back.
posted by justonegirl at 3:53 PM on June 11